Getting to Know Wellington

Chaffers Marina (Wellington, NZ)

Thursday 23 April 2020

Was it really only yesterday that we sailed down the west coast, around the corner, and up into Wellington.  From what I could see of today’s weather – mostly from inside my warm and cozy saloon through the small coach-house windows – I think we picked the best day to make the move.

The clock is ticking, as my departure on Monday looms ever closer, and so today – being an inside-kind-of -day – I thought I would sort out all the remaining food onboard – not such an easy task.

The problems arise in a few key areas … but it basically boils down to …

WHAT is onboard

WHERE has it been stored, and

HOW close are we to the “Best Before” date

Take canned bake beans and spaghetti, for example … our culinary conquests generally extend beyond using a simple can opener and saucepan to prepare the evening meal, but what do you do if the “Best Before” date is in the past?   Most people would say … “it depends” … how far “in the past” are we talking??  

Well, my opinion is that it’s OK, if you’re within a few years of it.  Other people may differ.  I mean, we have a real attachment to those cans.  Most have been to Vanuatu and back in 2017, and it wouldn’t be right to just throw them out, just because they are approaching the food-equivalent of retirement age … or palliative care perhaps …

What about Salada biscuits, or bags of pasta, flour, dried apricots, cans or peaches, or long-life milk … surely “Best Before” is only a guide … a legal manufacturing requirement  … and the “Taste Before” test also needs to be applied when opening – whenever that might finally be in the future.

Anyway, so the task of cataloguing every food item on board took a little while, with lunch deferred till mid afternoon – an omelette to use up the last of the eggs; I know THEY don’t last three years.  

Around this time, Keith gave me a … “how ya going” call … and in passing, mentioned that the other yacht we saw on the water yesterday might be in a “spot of bother” with the authorities. 

As we were rounding the southern coast yesterday, we spotted a yacht that looked like it had made its way across Cook Strait and was heading up into Wellington Harbour to another marina called Seaview; not such an imaginative name, when you think about it. 

From what he’d heard, the owner of the yacht needed to get back to the North Island to get his business ready for opening next week; when the current Alert Level 4, drops down to Level 3.  HOWEVER, until we are actually in Level 3, his travel could not quite be classed as “essential”.  Whether it’s true or not, I heard the police were waiting for them when they tied up, and I don’t think even the marina were aware of their arrival.

I haven’t been bold and curious enough to ask the Harbour Master and Maritime Police whether they fielded any calls yesterday about our appearance out on the water … but I did hear that a local-residents-Facebook-page in the Porirua area – next to where we left from at Mana Marina – was abuzz with comments about “this yacht” … “in breach of regulations” etc etc etc … Again, from what I heard, indirectly through Adam, someone else who was aware of my situation and that legal authority had been granted for our travel, posted a comment to put everyone straight.

As they say … “you can run, but you can’t hide!” … as the French “intelligence” agents discovered to their detriment in 1985 when they were caught trying to secretly bomb the protest ship, Rainbow Warrior.

In chatting with Keith, he suggested I might like to walk along the sea-front towards Oriental Bay and past the swimming pool and the sea-baths, where our dads would have played as kids.  It might also have been the place where our respective dads spent time in the sea cadets back in the 1930s

The task of food-sorting complete, I took Keith’s advice and armed with a rain jacket and iPhone, I headed off on foot to get some fresh air. 

It was good to be out and about, and there were a surprising number of people on the move.  No cafes or shops open of course, but there was a lot of exercising taking place, dogs on leads, babies in pushers and cycling lycra.

Along the road there were the occasional historical information boards.  And at one point I got to read about Nancy Wake, the French Resistance agent, journalist and all-round war hero, known popularly as the “White Mouse”. As it turned out Nancy Wake … in keeping with other famous Aussies like Sam Neill, Russell Crowe and Tim Finn … was born in New Zealand (and just for the record Sam Neill was born in the UK) and would you believe … in this very street … Grass Street. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Wake

Walking across the road and up the rather short, but steep Grass Street, I spied a set of steps which led, basically UP.  Thinking I still had a couple of hours of daylight I started the climb. 

These steps naturally led to more steps, which then connected to a bush path, then more steps … all the while climbing higher and higher, till finally I came upon a sign.  The sign included a map of Mount Victoria, showing the lookout at the top, plus several lines indicating a range of walking and cycling paths.  Further on I walked along a road in the direction of the airport and Evans Bay, until a sign that pointed up and to the right … Mount Victoria Lookout.

http://www.newzealandtravelinsider.com/day-walks/mount-victoria-wellington-walk-scenic-lookout.htm

As you can see from the photos, the views were commanding, with some of the houses I passed-by effectively built on cliffs, their garages supported on poles off the pavement with just fresh air underneath.

Coming down was a little bit easier, although locating the pedestrian access down to the seafront was at time a challenge, as the steps were often squeezed between buildings, with some steps being access to a house further down the slope

Back on board again, in the fading light, it was starting to feel like home. 

Smooth seas, fair breeze and getting to know Wellington

Rob Latimer