13. Journey to the South Island

The first night's accommodation on the trip was in Wellington, and there was a funny incident. The room I booked online wasn't located in the city center, but on a beach in the Wellington area, some distance from the city. I had already paid online, and believe it or not, I only found out it was a different location when I went to check in at the hotel counter, which was part of the same chain and located in the city center. The receptionist told me, "I'm sorry, sir, but the room you booked is at another location outside the city." I understood that it was my fault for not looking carefully when booking, but I asked them to understand. Since they were part of the same hotel chain, I hoped we could come to an agreement. However, they couldn't fulfill that request, which I understood. Fortunately, the hotel had a bed available for that night. So, I didn't have to wait any longer. I paid cash immediately, at the price at the time of my travel. For a dormitory with 6 beds, the price was approximately $30 per night.

 

My activities weren't very complicated. I'm the type who just feels great walking around new cities I visit. Seeing new and interesting things and immersing myself in the nature of each city was enough for me. I had to admit and admire New Zealand as a country that has planned its cities in perfect harmony with the natural characteristics of each city. For example, even in the capital city of Wellington, which is likely the most crowded city as the capital, they have managed to allocate areas that allow people to experience the natural selling points of the city excellently. In this case, it's the coastline and harbor, along with the city's cleanliness and the pleasantly cool air, free of dust or pollution. There's only strong wind because it's by the sea. Therefore, it can be said that this capital city is one that successfully blends urban life and nature very well.

 

During the evening at this accommodation, I had the opportunity to chat with a French person in their early thirties. Since I enjoy exchanging perspectives with people, I asked him where he was headed next. He said he was also going to the South Island, but his destination wasn't as interesting as the method he was using. He told me he was currently halfway through walking from the top of the North Island to the southernmost point of the South Island. Yes, he was walking. I just learned that this kind of travel exists. People who travel this way are members of an application that provides travel information to its members. Most of the routes wind along national park boundaries. Of course, there are times when public transportation is needed, but for the most part, it's walking. I was completely baffled and just thought to myself, "Wow, this is a thing!"

 

The next morning, it was time to board the ship. To be honest, this was the first time I'd had the opportunity to be on a large ship like a cruise ship. And if anyone wanted to bring their car across, they could use this ship's services as well. The pre-boarding procedures were simple. I observed my surroundings, watched people, and used my intuition. Oh, and there's one thing I'd like to recommend. If you know you get hungry often or like to snack, I suggest you buy some before boarding and put it in your bag. Of course, you can buy what you want on the ship, but the prices of goods you buy elsewhere will be considerably lower. It's similar to the price of snacks in a movie theater. So, if you're someone who enjoys good food but wants to save money, I'd like to share this point.

 

As soon as I got on the ship, I went around exploring, walking up and down decks, reading signs here and there. The liveliest deck seemed to be the top deck. Of course, you could enjoy the most scenic views there, but it was also the windiest deck. Inside the ship, the various decks had minibars, restaurants, children's play areas, small movie theaters – in short, there were various ways to pass the time during the three-hour journey. But my favorite way was to take out the snacks I had packed and eat them while enjoying the natural scenery.

 

As far as I can remember, the scenery I found beautiful was during the initial departure of the ship and as we were approaching the South Island. This was because the ship was close to the edge of the land, where rocks and large or small hills alternated with the water. This created a picture of the sea's turquoise color combined with the green of the trees, blended with the brown of the land, with the sky and clouds as the backdrop. Personally, I think the elements mentioned above made those two periods the most impressive. During the two hours in between, the images we saw were mostly of the vast expanse of water.

After completely setting foot on the South Island, I continued my journey to Christchurch by train. The reason was nothing more than wanting a change of scenery. I just wanted to see what the trains here were like. Most of the passengers on the train were elderly, and the only activity was sitting and letting the train move. I listened to audiobooks during the trip.