Southbound, again... this time via Waveley, and Wanganui, into Wellington. Its a good job I’m not struggling with my W’s like Jonathan Ross as so many NZ names start that way unless the W is followed by and h and then it’s a soft F. Confusing although the pronunciation of the Maori names is getting easier.
It was a long old drive but a few NZ querks (a new NZ mammal?) appeared on the way. The first was a football spectator stand in the middle of a farmers field. There were large round bales of hay in front of it. We didn’t understand whether this is new form of football/rugby with NZ rules, or whether the players were expected to pick these up and pass them. It turns out it’s the local rugby ground and they cut the pitch for hay in the summer.
The second was a solution to daughter Jen’s workload problems. For those who aren’t on the same page, Jen works for Hants CC trying to sort and improve roads etc. after serious RTA’s. Use the NZ solution.
1. Get 6ft (1.83m) high bright yellow road signs with “HIGH CRASH AREA” written in bright red (which apparently doesn’t fade in NZ like our red roundel so often do)!
2. Erect at site of road accident.
NB these are usually on unmarked very severe bends, appalling road surfaces with no warning, or horrific adverse cambers! Derrr...
The third was wooden power supply poles, with signs of exactly where the branches were cut off, for the local tram line in Hutt. These were being replaced by steel ones!
Little things please little minds! So, Wellington – interesting! Part very much like the city of London, part like a New England Suburb – old-style wooden faced houses hugging the shore – part a busy container port, and all within a two mile stretch of harbour front! And, guess what? They have trolley buses. Yeaaaa! Oh dear,it doesn’t take much to amuse Ron, does it?!!!
Margery got a little out of hand. She kept finding strangers to hold hands with. Sorry Sims, she even found a strange dog...They were all rather bronzed characters so there’s nothing to worry about Mr Sims!
So with a rather brassed off Ron (oh dear, the puns get worse!) Here’s a few pics to give you a feel of Wellington.
It was a long old drive but a few NZ querks (a new NZ mammal?) appeared on the way. The first was a football spectator stand in the middle of a farmers field. There were large round bales of hay in front of it. We didn’t understand whether this is new form of football/rugby with NZ rules, or whether the players were expected to pick these up and pass them. It turns out it’s the local rugby ground and they cut the pitch for hay in the summer.
The second was a solution to daughter Jen’s workload problems. For those who aren’t on the same page, Jen works for Hants CC trying to sort and improve roads etc. after serious RTA’s. Use the NZ solution.
1. Get 6ft (1.83m) high bright yellow road signs with “HIGH CRASH AREA” written in bright red (which apparently doesn’t fade in NZ like our red roundel so often do)!
2. Erect at site of road accident.
NB these are usually on unmarked very severe bends, appalling road surfaces with no warning, or horrific adverse cambers! Derrr...
The third was wooden power supply poles, with signs of exactly where the branches were cut off, for the local tram line in Hutt. These were being replaced by steel ones!
Little things please little minds! So, Wellington – interesting! Part very much like the city of London, part like a New England Suburb – old-style wooden faced houses hugging the shore – part a busy container port, and all within a two mile stretch of harbour front! And, guess what? They have trolley buses. Yeaaaa! Oh dear,it doesn’t take much to amuse Ron, does it?!!!
Margery got a little out of hand. She kept finding strangers to hold hands with. Sorry Sims, she even found a strange dog...They were all rather bronzed characters so there’s nothing to worry about Mr Sims!
So with a rather brassed off Ron (oh dear, the puns get worse!) Here’s a few pics to give you a feel of Wellington.
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