Chivalry is alive and well and living in Wellington!

We left Kaikoura on a bright fresh morning, none of us feeling quite like that ourselves, unsuprisingly!! Smiley was still smiling though - how on earth I've no idea but I guess that's professionalism for you!! ;-) Anyway, I for one was sorry to be leaving Kaikoura so soon, as you can see from the pic's it's a beautiful place especially when the sun's shining like it was this day. But leave we had to, so a bus full of jaded bods (as Becky's demonstrating well in the pic below - sorry bec, couldn't resist!) made their way out of town, stopping on the way to check out a colony of Seals mooching about on the rocks - they were well cute - before starting our journey to Picton where we'd be splitting the group in half, leaving some of them behind while the rest of us hopped on the ferry over to the North Island - next stop Wellington.

I was sad to be leaving the South Island too it has to be said, I could easily have filled lots more time there... but time was ticking on and progress needed to be made. Plus I had a friend waiting for me in Wellington with a lovely home far away from hostels for a few days - despite only having been back on the hostel trail for a mere few weeks it was a welcome thought I can tell you!

We got the ferry about lunch time - all still feeling a tad rough to be fair - the ferry takes 3 hours and shows off some beautiful scenery as you both leave the South Island and approach the North Island. It's safe to say none of us were feeling too enthusiastic about it all and all except myself, Becky and James managed to sleep away most of the journey on the sofa's inside!

We docked in Wellington Harbour about half 4pm and made our way out to get our bags. My friend Stephen was meeting me at arrivals so it was time for me to say the first of a few emotional goodbyes... Cat and Kirsten were leaving the following morning so I'd not see them again once we left the port! Boo! A little aside for those 2 crazy sisters..... you two rock! I couldn't have wished for a better pair to make up our little harem and I miss you both loads. As is evident to everyone around us, Cat brings out the immature mischief in me (might have something to do with the decade in age difference) but I love it and Kirsten you make me do things i would never normally do - even if you don't do them with me!! I love you both lots and lots... thank you for making me smile so much... bring on the reunion!!! ;-)

Anyway, once we'd got our bags, I'd said goodbye to Smiley, Lucy and the others and seen my 4 girlies on to the bus (the back seat gang rock btw!!) and waved a tearful goodbye to those 2 mad Scots', I headed back inside to wait for Stephen. It was only a few minutes before he arrived - and I recognised him despite him being convinced that I wouldn't remember him!! Just so you know, Stephen's one of the guys I travelled through Laos with all the way back in December and is also the lovely man responsible for me having a birthday cake on my birthday (obviously)! In fairness though, we soon found out that Steve was actually the one that had forgotten me - he thought i was 26 and from Milton Keynes... glad you were paying attention young man!! ;-)

I have to say though, from the minute he met me, Steve spoiled me... it was bliss! ;-) and very much appreciated. We made our way into town and got dropped off by the bus at the train station, a good 20 minute/half hour walk from Steve's house.... regardless of this Steve had from the minute he met me off the ferry, taken my bag and proceeded to walk all the way home with it on his back, and steep isn't even the word to describe the hills by his house - if he struggled he didn't show it (me on the other hand, i was nearly dying with just my day pack on my back - and that doesn't weigh nearly close to the 20kg's Steve had on his back thanks to me!)

Once I was safely installed on his sofa, he made me tea and we sat down for a catch up. Given I'd not seen him for 9 months (a duration that was called into question as 'significant' by a few of his friends.... does no-one believe opposite sexes can just be friends anymore?! ;-) it took us a while... then Steve continued the spoiling the skint backpacker and took me out for dinner - not Subway, McD's or Oporto's either... a proper lush 3 course italian.... yum - frozen baileys and white chocolate mousse for desert too... tough life! It was naturally totally un-neccessary, I certainly didn't expect to be treated to dinner, I should've been the one treating him as he was giving me a free roof over my head for the next 3 days but he insisted.. thank you Steve, you're a gem!

Thanks to my massive hangover and day's worth of travelling I have to admit I wasn't the best of company (sorry Steve) so after the meal we headed for a little walk by the beach so Steve could show me some of the city and it's artifically made beach then it was straight home to veg out in front of the TV before bed. Talking of which, another totally unexpected act of generousity from Steve here... he gave up his bed for me and slept on the sofa for 3 days! How old school is that! I'm loving it! I tried to insist that he really didn't need to, I'd be more than happy on the sofa myself but he wouldn't hear of it and basically said either you sleep in my bed or no-one does, so I gave in! I'm still amazed at how much of a gentleman this man is - maybe I'm selling some of you short but I'm not sure there's many men about that would do that same, at least not without attempting to share the bed with you anyway... let this be a lesson to you boys!! ;-)

Stephen had to work the next day (I'd given him all of a day's notice before turning up on his doorstep so fair play) so I slept... and slept and slept... don't think I surfaced until about 11am, think I may have needed it! I'd arranged to meet Becky and Aideen in town that day for a bit of sightseeing, somehow though, as you'll all be amused to know I sat down for brekkie, switched on the TV and got a tad engrossed in a rubbish film - yep, some thing's never change eh! He's got Sky TV what can you do!?! - it was only when i got a text from Aid questioning my whereabouts that I managed to drag myself into the shower and make it out of the house. Luckily the girls were feeling in a 'moochy' kind of mood too so we spent a leisurely afternoon in Wellington's Botanical Gardens.. we got the Cable car up there, got ourselves a cuppa (and possibly the worst hoot choc ever but hey) and sat in the garden's cafe chatting away - anyone would've thought we'd not seen each other for a year not just a night!!!

After a few leisurely hours up there we got the cable car back down to town and I left the girls and waited for Steve to finish work. Once he'd turned up we went for a wander and ended up in the pub... oops, how did that happen!?! .. we were well behaved though and after one headed off for dinner, this time to The Humming Bird although Steve being the gentleman that he is insisted on my choosing the venue, which - as will not surprise some of you - resulted in a rather lengthy wander round while i did my usual indeciciveness trick!! Turned out as well that there was some big gas crisis in Wellington and all the restaurants could only to limited things so we basically ended up with Fish and Chips! Was nice though, and once again, after dinner i was lame and shattered so we went home and vegged out again (anyone think i might have been burning the candle a little too brightly at both ends lately?!) attempted to watch me jump off a bridge but the DVD player didn't want to play it so we ended up just chatting away into the early hours.

Thursday dawned and guess who slept in again... oops!!! Steve had taken the day off too and thanks to him having to sleep on the sofa had been awake since 6am when his flatmates had got up for work... how bad did i feel? (well rested too though!!!) Anyway, after I'd eaten a lovely brekkie of croissants that Steve had gone and got fresh that morning (in his attempt to 'fatten me up' apparently), I managed to drag Steve away from Baywatch - a feature length episode too - and we got out of the house in time to enjoy the afternoon... Steve had been planning on taking me up to the Botanical Gardens but I'd put paid to that idea by doing so the previous day so instead we first went to the NZ Parlimentary buildings, famously known as 'The Beehive' for obvious reasons as you can see in the pic here. They do free tours every hour so we thought we'd check that out. Free is always good at the mo!! It was good too, they show you down into the basement where the earthquake protection system has been installed, it's amazing what can be done and was really interesting to see. The architecture of the whole place was amazing too - I'm a bit of a geek when it come to historical buildings and the like so I really liked seeing it all!

After that was done we headed down to the wharf with the idea of getting the boat over to Eastbourne, one of Wellington's beach settlements, we thought we'd have a walk by the beach and lunch somewhere.. it wasn't to be though, the ferry's weren't running that day so we went for Plan B... lunch by the Wharf and then to the Te Papa museum - the famous museum of New Zealand... was fab too, first we went to the Earth, Moon and Stars exhibit - which has a massive Volcano and earthquake section, both of which fascinate me so i was absorbed in that for quite a while. Then Steve managed to get some free tickets from a friend of his for us to see the 'Constable: Impressions of Land, sea and Sky' exhibit that's currently showing there. Some of Constables work was done famously in Brighton so I was looking at pic's of home - although from a fair while before even Mum was an apple in Nanny and Grandad's eye so can't say it was all that familiar!! Good though! ;0)

It was time to head home after that, I was gatecrashing drinks at Steve's friends flat that night so we got ourselves home in time for a quick 'power nap' - i don't know what's wrong with me lately, I'm constantly tired! - before I had to make myself look halfway decent. I think this was the first time since Queenstown that I'd even bothered to put make up on - as you can tell, i'm making the best of myself these days!! haha!

In true Flee style we were a little late getting Steve's friends flat but as we were armed with beer and wine i think they forgave us! There was 6 of us there, the couple who's flat it was and another couple - both lads Steve plays football with. We hadn't planned to stay long simply because Steve had to work the next day and I had an early bus to catch and hadn't packed yet......... best laid plans and all that though... somehow the wine and beer went down a tad too easily, the banter was flowing all too well (of which Steve bore the brunt to be fair, heehee sorry Steve - although the whole 9 month thing was brought out in the open with the culprits too, comedy!!) and all of a sudden it was 3am before we realised we really should think about getting our heads down! Steve's friends were lovely and the evening was great fun, thanks for letting me gatecrash guys!

So, once again I'd managed to get drunk the night before i had to get up early to catch a bus... I shoved everything in my bag and promptly fell asleep. Have to admit aswell that if it hadn't been for Steve waking me a mere 3 hours later I'd say there was fat chance of me ever having caught that bus!!! And, like the true Gent that he is, Steve not only woke me up but gave me breakfast to take with me and came with me to see me off - before going to work early for the first time ever I believe! I think it's safe to say that, thanks to wine being the beverage of choice the night before, this was the worst hangover to date.... the journey to Taupo was not an altogether enjoyable one i have to say!

That was my time up in Wellington though, it once again went way too quickly but it was lovely to see Steve again and be treated like a princess for a few days. Steve, you really really didn't have to spoil me so much but it was all very much appreciated. As i said in your book, don't ever stop being so lovely! You're a star and i'll look forward to catching up when we're both back in London. Be careful climbing Mount Cook too Mr - let me know how it goes - and thanks again for the roof, bed, food and fun. x