Day 17 - Wanganui & Silvester in Wellington

31.12.2014

I sleep so well that I oversleep my alarm at 8:00 am and only wake up at 8:30 am. Doesn't matter. Toast bread, make coffee, and set off. Yesterday, after a long time, I took all my luggage from the car into the room because tonight I won't have a parking space at the hotel in Wellington, but I have to take all the luggage with me since I will be going on the ferry without a car in three days, so I have to pack everything now so that I'm not armed with 5 bags - and a big duffel bag. I manage to reduce everything to just the big bag, a day bag, and my backpack. I drive to downtown and am completely thrilled with Wanganui. My Dumont travel guide had the right tip once again. So many nice old wooden houses and not completely run down. Small shops, handicrafts, boutiques, and flowers and gas lamps everywhere.

The town is really cute. This might be the most beautiful place I have seen in New Zealand so far. I find a parking bay and pay 2 dollars for 1 hour and start walking. Down Victoria Street, I walk to the bridge over the Whanganui River, which flows into the sea here and is actually spelled with an 'h' after the 'w', while the city with the same name manages without the 'h'.

Wanganui was founded in 1840 and the name means something like large harbor (Whanga = harbor, nui = large).

I walk along the river to the historic paddle steamer, which departs at 11:00 am. But I don't want to sit on the boat for 2 hours, then see Wanganui, and then drive to Wellington. The hotel reception in Wellington closes at 6:00 pm today and I will probably still drive for 3 hours. So just a few photos and back to the town. I find a nice shop and buy a New Zealand mohair blanket and some little things. One more bag. Then I go to the tourist information and find a coffee mug - another bag! Now let's go. Quickly cross to the other side of the river, up the hill. Inside the hill is one of two elevators in the world that were created in a mountain. This one is from 1919 and covers the 66m height difference to the upper end of Drurie Hill, where a gray high tower stands, commemorating the fallen of World War I. I content myself with the observation platform, which is attached above the end of the elevator shaft and with astonishment see that from here you can see Mount Ruapehu. The volcano that I climbed two days ago with the chairlift and was completely covered in clouds in cold weather.

The view could be better now and it would be nicer if it wouldn't start raining and blowing pretty hard now - it's cold, although the thermometer shows 20 degrees. But the cold wind from the sea is nasty. I leave at half past twelve and follow Highway 4 for quite a while. You pass through several towns - partly deserted, others busy again and blessed with McDonald's and supermarkets. The 152 km route still takes a while and I only arrive at my hotel in Wellington shortly before 4:00 pm. For the next 3 days, I have a small apartment, which looks more like a motel room, but is on the 16th floor and I have a view not only of the surrounding high-rise buildings but also of the bay.

It's quite stormy and I immediately set off again. My car is parked in a parking lot in front of the door and I'm lucky that parking is free there from 6:00 pm and also free on New Year's Day. So, I only need a place to park the car for January 2nd and on that day, I will also visit the parts of Wellington that are easier to do by car.

I'm amazed at the many high-rise buildings, but then again classical facades. Not as beautiful as in Sydney, but still quite nice. The wind is cruel and I'm glad I'm wearing my fleece jacket.

The stores are still almost all open, but I see on some doors that they will be closed tomorrow and also on January 2nd, and I think to myself: OK, then I have to buy something to eat. I find a supermarket and a hot roast chicken - my New Year's Eve menu! Some potato salad, mango and peaches, bread rolls, and a kind of herb dip for the rolls for breakfast, and off to the hotel. By now it's pouring rain.

While I'm sitting down to eat, I feel the house swaying. A strange feeling, like being on a bus. The rain is pouring, the wind howling, and I rearrange my bag, start the washing machine, and sit in the armchair by the window, looking at houses, the bay, and clouds. Shortly after 8:00 pm, the weather seems to calm down a bit, but it starts again at 10:00 pm. I don't care.

2014 was probably the best year of my life. A year ago, I was alone in Stuttgart on New Year's Eve. Moving boxes were stacked around me and all I knew was that I was flying to Sydney on January 19th (and a few days later to New Zealand) and coming back at the end of February, and then moving to Berlin three days later - to do what? Of course, nothing at first - but for how long and what then? Will it all be right, won't I soon regret all of this? Today, a year later, I know that everything was absolutely right. It's almost funny that this drastic break, combined with the fulfillment of many wishes, not only travel wishes, has such a positive ending. What a year! Crazy and completely out of order, but also brilliant. And now, on December 31st of this year, I'm sitting in my favorite country, which I didn't even know a year ago and now I'm visiting for the second time. What does the weather matter, which is not suitable for celebrating? There probably won't be any fireworks here anyway. So I will simply end the year gratefully. For everything it has given me and for what I have made of it myself.

At midnight, there is a short but impressive fireworks display in the harbor, which I can observe and photograph wonderfully from my room. Somehow, I can't calm down and stay awake until half past two.

Daily kilometers: 199 km