57. Rainy Day in Auckland

Saturday, April 6: Rain in the morning, clearing by late afternoon

Jocelyn’s

Everyone was up and about for their various activities today – Jocelyn was going on one of Stephen’s hikes to Mt Auckland and was thoroughly prepared, and I put the pieces of my breakfast together in a leisurely fashion because I suspected that the rain was going to put a damper on all of Rayna’s plans. Toasted my toast with care not to set off the smoke alarm again.

Rayna reported for duty on the dot of 8:00 with a suggestion to wait an hour, which soon became more than two. The eventually agreed upon plan was to spend the morning at the museum, and she called by pretty soon after to check out my digs and take us there. Cameras went along for the ride, but there was not much in the museum to photograph (very dark), although there was an exhibition of early Auckland landscape photography that we blithely walked past. Had a more intensive look at the volcano and geology sections which confirmed my surmise that Whangaroa (an old volcanic field) was rubble that was the remains of the disintegrating volcano more than 20 mya.

Then it was out into the now lighter rain to visit the greenhouses – pretty much the standard fare of begonias, cacti and banana plants, with one (forbidden) wedding photography session that was underway. Next stop was Parnell where Rayna was keen on something chocolatey, but I was keener on a pie, and with the necessity of visiting the library at St Helliers to print out my boarding pass, we took off there, first to the first bakery on St Helliers Rd for the pies, and then to the library for printing. And with that out of the way it was back here where I gave her a copy of the book and away she was for another two years.

I started sorting through the documents I needed for tomorrow and it occurred to me that the SkyBus ticket needed was nowhere to be found, so with the help of L. I determined a bus that would bring me to St Helliers again before the library closed @ 4:00. Was there soon after 3:30, had ten minutes to find the email with the link to the ticket, and printed out OK. Was back here before the hour was up and started sorting through what remains of the stuff. Damage on the backpack was inspected for the last time and it was deemed fit for one last journey. I put the QR code for the bus onto the camera and will see if that is acceptable tomorrow, and I did find the original printout – in the pouch where it had lived from day #1 (should have been taken out and filed with the other travel documents, but jetlag).

Had a shave and considered what the last supper might be. Rayna had also recommended the Eatery, but it was very full, even just after 5:30, so I took off down to the beach to say farewell to it (had seen some ASK people getting ready at St Helliers) and noticed that the Asian Fusion restaurant Otto Woo, 6 Patteson Ave, had chicken fried rice, served in a box with a slice of lemon and some mung bean salad for $15.8, which while not as overwhelming as the takeaway portions I was used to, was quite tasty and had some aldente cauliflower and broccoli. The convenience store next door had Chateau ice cream (hokey pokey for $4.9) and then I returned via the supermarket for some final purchases.

Am feeling like some of the older tours – especially 2009 and 2010 have become as much history as 1974/75 – things do change, have changed, and my relationship to the country and to travel have changed. Journeys now across time.

And then the undoubted melancholy of the austral autumn like the closing of the briefest period of hope. It is getting colder & wetter, but it is not actually that bad, it just “feels” that way. Perhaps cycle through all the seasons once more, but I think the hope and the disappointment would remain the same.

Wondered if packing the Evolution 38 full causes the stitch failure because there is nowhere else the load can be diverted to except to unbend the steel air circulation mechanism & thus put even more stress on the containing stitches?