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We’re relieved to be staying in one place for a few days. (F: Boy howdy.  I don’t think either of us realized how much energy we were expending on traveling around NZ until we, well, stopped.  Phew.)  Our 10th floor room overlooks the Wellington harbor and town centre. Felicia woke up around 5 Friday morning  (F: I hate that.) and I nodded off and on until 7, just before the sun came up over the harbor.

We got massaged yesterday morning across from our former hotel. (We saved some $ by moving from the Novotel to the Bay View where we’ve signed up for 24 hr internet access in the room. NZ hotels use a third party to handle all of their internet needs; as we’ve said before, it’s not cheap. We’ve made the mistake of signing up for 2-hour blocks, thinking it meant two hours of usage. Nay, nay. Fifteen minutes online? You pay for two hours. We did this four times yesterday, not knowing until we checked out. We convinced the manager to give us the better, yet still expensive, 24-hour rate. It amounts to about $36 per day.)

Anyway, we came back from our massages relaxed and ready to check out, (F: Yup.  I was like walking butter.)  dealt with the internet charges, and drove down to Cuba Mall where we found Little India. Very good lamb and chicken. (F: Understatement.  Rogan Josh and “Butter Chicken” that was so rich and yummy.) The naan was hot and thinner than in CA. Delicious. I sat the camera on the table and snapped a series of mall-traffic shots. (F: I think I’m going to call it his Cuba Mall series. The setting is stationary and unchanging.  The people move from frame to frame.) Even when the temperature is in the 40s, sunshine draws people out.

I got my haircut at Amy’s; Felicia, whose hair was dissheveled from her massage, (F: It was a tangled and oily mess.  I looked like a backpacker who hadn’t showered in a few days.  Ugh.) got a wash and style. We drove up the terraced city hills, looking for the botanic garden, but couldn’t find the entrance. We did, however, find the wildlife sanctuary, where we met the famed kaka parrot and cousins of Hercules.

Before checking in to the Bay View Hotel, we drove the harbor highway toward the airport, just because. Unbeknownst to me, Felicia already knew approximately where WETA studios were located (home of Peter Jackson, LOTR, Heavenly Creatures, the Halo series, and many more).  (F: I had wanted to actually go and see the Weta Workshop from the start, what with my brother being a film editor and my friend Tim being a Hollywood sculptor and make up artist.  It was very neat.  And as you can see, Hercules got some serious Golem action.  I had been trepidatious about putting him there, but a quick check with the Weta Cave Manager and all was well.)

On our way to WETA, we spotted the White House restaurant, which was known to us before leaving the states. ‘(F: Some website said Elijah Wood and other cast members of LotR ate there while filming.) We popped in, early it turned out, but got seated anyway. It was the best meal of the trip. (F: OMG.  Bluff oysters on the half shell – creamy and full of ocean, slightly sweet.  I had lamb.  Steve had venison.  Both were spot on.  But Steve’s dessert, the Grand Marnier souffle, stole the show.)

It’s Friday for us and we’re heading out for a late breakfast.  (F: Really late.  But it’s been a very nice and very lazy morning.)

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