New Zealand Trip 16
My New Zealand trip inspired 28 pages of journal and hundreds of photos. I had to select among the photos. The last shall be first on this blogsite, so to follow my progress day by day go to number 1 in the New Zealand theme.. Each text page is followed by a photo page.
(continued) When we got back to the hostel she said she would go on the internet. The hostel did not have computers but had a wi-fi network and she carried her own neat little machine. Her job in
The office at Deco’s opens at 8.00a.m. while Elaine had to leave at 7.00 so she asked if I could get her key deposit. I set my alarm for 6.55 to get the key from her.
Day sixteen
I actually wrote the day after before remembering to write up this day. I guess I didn’t want to think about some aspects of it.
The old steamer, Earnshaw. Built in 1912 she still sails several times daily from Queenstown. I took the cruise. Her varnished timbers and brass fittings inspired me and I even used the D700’s high ISO capabilities to take good shots of the engines. I checked each shot after taking it to make sure the exposures were good and sharp. The mood was there and I was seeing pictures better than I had for years. It puzzled me that the camera was doing something I had not set it for, displaying each picture spontaneously after shooting. I put it down to a wrong button pressed without realizing it.
On the way back up
I tried to ensure I would never be without a spare again by putting the spare cards in my daypack. Each has capacity for several days work.
That day I did little else but the evenings had been getting colder so I bought a cheap anorak/parka/kagool. $15.00! It was just like two that Joy and I bought in 1978, folding into its own pocket, but this one had a felt coating on the pocket so it can be used as a travel pillow. What a bargain.
My meal was more expensive than usual, a sadness remedy of Bhuna Ghosht that lived up to the promise of the scents that emanated from an Indian Restaurant on Camp Street at the mouth of an arcade, Freiya’s Restaurant. My nose is becoming quite expert at detecting good cooking. The meal made me happy again. I must get a real job so I can continue travelling and eating well.
I asked the guy in charge about the problem of getting my key deposit though leaving early and he just gave it to me straight away. There is one potentially serious problem at Deco’s and I have to mention it so they will fix it. The toilets are in a separate block out the back, reached through a small staircase and a covered way. The bottom step has been cut in half and is not noticeable easily from above. Three times I was stepping down and caught my heel on this half step. I landed heavily and if my ankles had not been strong I would have sprained them or jarred my leg badly. There is a real danger that Deco’s will one day have to face a law suit from someone who sprains or breaks their ankle or suffers a bone jarring injury. Do something guys. (to be continued)