It felt like being in a biker gang as a dozen or so of us got to unload first, inch down a gangplank, and cruise in single file as we snaked through the docks and dispersed throughout Wellington. We continued to try to find things on the whim, as Nick was the only one with a working cell phone, so we rode around for a bit and asked strangers where a hostel could be found. Eventually we located one that was close to the waters edge and the Te Papa Museum. After checking in we walked down to spend some time getting educated in the Maori culture. Then we returned and cooked up dinner before having another night out on the town. At one point, Nick got stuck in a fancy public bathroom that had an automatic door and a robot voice that thanked you for your patronage. Video below!
Wellington.
The Maori were amazing wood carvers.
The video below contains bathroom humor.
The following day we took a stroll around the Wellington Botanical Gardens and then hit the road to Martinborough to settle in for a big New Year’s Eve music festival called La De Da. The sun was shining, the roads were bendy, and we all synced our phones to play some Bob Marley as we tore through the countryside. It was fun rolling up on motorbikes and we got tons of attention from other festival goers. “Wait, you all flew here from the States and have been riding those motorcycles all over the country?? That is amazing!” We also weren’t sure how tight security was going to be with the “no outside alcohol” policy so I stashed a bottle of rum in my pants in case they searched our luggage. After setting up our tents, enjoying a great sunset with our new neighbors for the weekend, we walked up to the concert to kick off the festivities.
NYE was a long day. We played some tag rugby with folks, day drank, had pillow fights, and threw an inflatable turkey around. Sam brought an inflatable turkey on this trip for some reason. We also saw some police go down a massive waterslide so we knew it was safe. The deal on the waterslide was $5 for one slide, $20 for an unlimited pass, or free if you went down naked. The choice was obvious! The music began and we partied the night away with all of our new Kiwi friends. It was pretty amazing celebrating the new year during warm summer weather instead of the bitter cold of the East Coast back in the States.
WARNING: Video below contains censored nudity, vulgarity, and general antics.