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The weekend started as planned, in that I got to the airport and parked in good time. After that things went a bit awry. It turned out that fog had prevented some earlier flights landing so (at least) three flights /out/ of Christchurch had been cancelled, including mine, due to not having the aircraft available.
I felt this was a minor setback, as I had had several hours up my sleeve in Wellington before the wedding was due to start. Unfortunately although Air NZ laid on an extra flight at lunchtime to take the overflow of passengers it was going to Wellington via Auckland. (This then was further delayed between boarding and take off.) During the couple of hour-wait in the airport I spent the complimentary snack vouchers that came with my replacement boarding pass and made some Russian flash cards. During this time I also was required to get on the phone and clear up some confusion about events happening at the Hall this weekend.
Wellington was eventually reached about half-past-three and I caught an (expensive) taxi directly from the airport to the wedding site, arriving too late to see the ceremony (the mother of the groom happily showed me photos on her tablet) but in time for the cutting of the cake and the photos. Stayed around enjoying the weather and view until most everything had been packed up only to miss the next bus back to the city by a scant few minutes resulting in another half hour wait.
Walking the length of Cuba St to get to my motel (located a convenient couple of blocks from the reception venue) allowed me to start reorienting myself to Wellington (something like 12 or 13 years since I was here last) and note several potential places to eat when necessary. Dropped my bag and then forgot to take my camera to the reception with me, so doubled back for it and then proceeded to fail my "find shortcut" roll. A somewhat circuitous walk later I had my camera, returned to the reception and enjoyed the rest of the evening (despite knowing very few people apart from the (very beautiful) bride and (somewhat pole-axed looking) groom before fading out about 10:30 - 11pm.
Slept well, once my brain had tuned out the traffic noise just outside. Woke rrasonably early, opted for another couple of hours sleep and was re-awoken by a call from someone wanting to use the Hall. Showered, checked out and found a nearby source of breakfast which was probably worth the money. Having looked up 2nd hand bookshops on zenbu.co.nz I had a to-visit list.
Pegasus Books had a good Pratchett selection including a couple of the stage scripts but nothing I wanted enough to add to my luggage. Arty Bees (oddly not listed on zenbu) had a couple of copies of Monstrous Regiment (new) which I nearly bought on the basis that someone had told me that one is out-of-print for the foreseeable future but resisted (already have a copy), and a lot of D&D materials that I was very interested in, in as-new to good condition but also at new-to-near-new prices even for some of the "obsolete" stuff, like the stack of D&D&3.0 splats (I was looking for 3.0 stuff for a young group of gamers I am aware of). In the end it wasn't so much the prices that decided me against buying more than one item but the fact I would have had to acquire another piece of luggage to send them back to Christchurch. (I bought tickets with the option of checked baggage but did not need it for the small amount of stuff I was actually taking with me for an overnight.)
The one item I did pick up was "The Diamond Throne" supplement for Arcana Unearthed because it might be the only copy in NZ, there are probably exactly two people in the country who would be interested in owning it, and we are both in Christchurch.
After that I sat in the sun and watched some pigeons and other birds for a while, then found some lunch which probably wasn't worth the money, then walked up to the train station and caught a train to a "day after" BBQ at the happy (and very tired) couple's house. Earlier in the day I had had to have a stern talking to myself about the ridiculousness of a 40 year old man being afraid to try catching a train just because he didn't know how the ticketing system worked, especially when said ticketing system was surely set up to be easy for visitors to follow. (This is an issue I have with going anywhere via 3rd party transport including flying, so I'd already overcome it twice for this visit.)
Arrived a little late for actual BBQing but there was grumpy-cat cake (naughty of me) and ice-cream and ginger beer and cold sausages and people (the latter to chat to, not to eat). I spent some time enjoying the view of damp green hills from the balcony - something which is quite novel to my canterbury flatlander mind. I can see the appeal. Afterwards scored a lift to the airport (yay) via a tiki tour out to Island Bay dropping other guests home. I have seen more of Wellington this trip than on all previous trips combined, which were all taken up by KapCon (and one when I was just a kid by the Correspondence School conference my family were attending).
I am writing this in the airport as it is now .. 7pm and my flight is npt scheduled to leave until after 9pm. Plenty of time to do some more reading, writing or русский.
I felt this was a minor setback, as I had had several hours up my sleeve in Wellington before the wedding was due to start. Unfortunately although Air NZ laid on an extra flight at lunchtime to take the overflow of passengers it was going to Wellington via Auckland. (This then was further delayed between boarding and take off.) During the couple of hour-wait in the airport I spent the complimentary snack vouchers that came with my replacement boarding pass and made some Russian flash cards. During this time I also was required to get on the phone and clear up some confusion about events happening at the Hall this weekend.
Hi Auckland. Don't need to change planes just seats. Closest thing to a literal flying visit. Bye Auckland.
- Me, via FB
Wellington was eventually reached about half-past-three and I caught an (expensive) taxi directly from the airport to the wedding site, arriving too late to see the ceremony (the mother of the groom happily showed me photos on her tablet) but in time for the cutting of the cake and the photos. Stayed around enjoying the weather and view until most everything had been packed up only to miss the next bus back to the city by a scant few minutes resulting in another half hour wait.
Walking the length of Cuba St to get to my motel (located a convenient couple of blocks from the reception venue) allowed me to start reorienting myself to Wellington (something like 12 or 13 years since I was here last) and note several potential places to eat when necessary. Dropped my bag and then forgot to take my camera to the reception with me, so doubled back for it and then proceeded to fail my "find shortcut" roll. A somewhat circuitous walk later I had my camera, returned to the reception and enjoyed the rest of the evening (despite knowing very few people apart from the (very beautiful) bride and (somewhat pole-axed looking) groom before fading out about 10:30 - 11pm.
Slept well, once my brain had tuned out the traffic noise just outside. Woke rrasonably early, opted for another couple of hours sleep and was re-awoken by a call from someone wanting to use the Hall. Showered, checked out and found a nearby source of breakfast which was probably worth the money. Having looked up 2nd hand bookshops on zenbu.co.nz I had a to-visit list.
Pegasus Books had a good Pratchett selection including a couple of the stage scripts but nothing I wanted enough to add to my luggage. Arty Bees (oddly not listed on zenbu) had a couple of copies of Monstrous Regiment (new) which I nearly bought on the basis that someone had told me that one is out-of-print for the foreseeable future but resisted (already have a copy), and a lot of D&D materials that I was very interested in, in as-new to good condition but also at new-to-near-new prices even for some of the "obsolete" stuff, like the stack of D&D&3.0 splats (I was looking for 3.0 stuff for a young group of gamers I am aware of). In the end it wasn't so much the prices that decided me against buying more than one item but the fact I would have had to acquire another piece of luggage to send them back to Christchurch. (I bought tickets with the option of checked baggage but did not need it for the small amount of stuff I was actually taking with me for an overnight.)
The one item I did pick up was "The Diamond Throne" supplement for Arcana Unearthed because it might be the only copy in NZ, there are probably exactly two people in the country who would be interested in owning it, and we are both in Christchurch.
After that I sat in the sun and watched some pigeons and other birds for a while, then found some lunch which probably wasn't worth the money, then walked up to the train station and caught a train to a "day after" BBQ at the happy (and very tired) couple's house. Earlier in the day I had had to have a stern talking to myself about the ridiculousness of a 40 year old man being afraid to try catching a train just because he didn't know how the ticketing system worked, especially when said ticketing system was surely set up to be easy for visitors to follow. (This is an issue I have with going anywhere via 3rd party transport including flying, so I'd already overcome it twice for this visit.)
Arrived a little late for actual BBQing but there was grumpy-cat cake (naughty of me) and ice-cream and ginger beer and cold sausages and people (the latter to chat to, not to eat). I spent some time enjoying the view of damp green hills from the balcony - something which is quite novel to my canterbury flatlander mind. I can see the appeal. Afterwards scored a lift to the airport (yay) via a tiki tour out to Island Bay dropping other guests home. I have seen more of Wellington this trip than on all previous trips combined, which were all taken up by KapCon (and one when I was just a kid by the Correspondence School conference my family were attending).
I am writing this in the airport as it is now .. 7pm and my flight is npt scheduled to leave until after 9pm. Plenty of time to do some more reading, writing or русский.
