All posts tagged: Wellington

The tramp part two

Day Four – Tutuwai Hut to Kaitoke and the track end The evening of day three, we realised we had a problem. We had scheduled our pickup at the trail end for 1pm on day four. While this was easily achievable based on DOC’s estimation of a 4.5 hour hike, our track record wasn’t looking good for making the pickup on time. So we set our alarms for 6am – before dawn. Ouch. So, after bashing round the dark hut at zero dark thirty in the morning making porridge and getting our stuff together, we set off at first light. Unlike the 3rd days hiking, the last days track became not exactly easy very quickly as it wound along the bluffs above the river. Sometimes the track barely scraped the cliff edges, and at other times it dropped quickly down into ravines with streams at the bottom that we needed to ford, and then climbed up steep scrambles of hillsides. It was beautiful, but hard, hard work, and we were all tired out from our …

The tramp: or why I really don’t like DOC very much right now

This is the story of the hiking trip I just went on. It started with Shell and I popping into the Department of Conservation (DOC) shop in Wellington and asking for advice on an easy and beautiful 3 to 4 day hiking trip suitable for a group of four hikers: two with no experience and two with a bit of experience. They enthusiastically told us about the ever so easy, beginner suitable  Holdsworth to Kaitoke track, and supplied us with maps, track guides, and DOC passes.  They told us about how easy it was, and how it was a popular family track.  Sounded perfect. Umm.  Yeah. Day One – Holdsworth to Totara Flats Hut We got up early, checked all of our equipment, loaded the car, and drove over the Wairarapa mountains, and parked at Holdsworth Lodge.  Packs on, we started off. And climbed.  Up, and up, and up, and up, the ironically named “Gentle Annie” track.  30 minutes in we were all puffing, stopping every few steps, and seriously questioning why were were doing …

Friday Review: Three Buckets Full

Three Buckets Full 509 High Street Boulcott Lower Hutt City Wellington What it is: an antiques and notions store with a focus on textiles, sewing, and beading. Three Buckets Full is the Wellington areas best-kept secret: everyone who has ever been to it raves about, and loves it, but the shop does no advertising, isn’t on the internet, doesn’t really even have a phone line, is in the most unpromising location, and has the most inconspicuous, uninteresting shopfront.  If you don’t hear about the place by word of mouth, you are never going to find or visit it. Luckily, word of mouth in the Wellington textile world is alive and well, and once I discovered it, Three Buckets Full became my favourite store ever.  Or at least, one of the more dangerous stores ever to take me in to.  It carries all of the most delightful and drool worthy pogey bait types: vintage jewellery, beads, buttons, lace, antique trims, old sewing notions, fabric, vintage textiles.  The only thing I don’t care for is the dolls. …