All posts tagged: New Zealand

The Sunday market in Wellington

I’ve been going to the Sunday vegetable market in Wellington ever since I first came to Wellington to study, some 8 years ago. Mr Dreamy and I love vegetables and fruit. We have a massive fruit bowl, and if we got to design the ideal refrigerator, it would be 50% vegetable bins. My vege buying habits are just as extravagant, but my market going has changed a little since 8 years ago. I’ve moved from the Aro Valley market which was near the university housing, to the waterfront market, which is more convenient to where we live now. Also, it has way better views. The market has changed a little too. When I first shopped there, it was a mad dash for cheap vegetables: long lines at every stall, all the veges sold by bulk resellers, and no time for chatting and visiting. The market has slowed down a little since then, has diversified, and gentrified. Now you can sit in the sun and eat a breakfast bought at the market, or stop for …

The tramp part two

Published by The Dreamstress

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

Published by The Dreamstress

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 …