On the way home
2 December 2004
Posted this morning, so will just catch you up on the rest of the day. Got the K bus to Picton at the info kiosk as planned, and was happy to get on it and be, finally, on the way home. Unfortunately, even though we left at 3:15, there was a massive accident about twenty minutes from Picton, and we sat in traffic for half an hour, so there was some radio-ing back and forth, wondering if we would make the ferry in time. We ended up pulling into the ferry terminal at 5:50, cutting it close, if you ask me.
The ride to Picton wasn’t nearly as exquisite this time. Or maybe I’d gotten used to it. The mud flats were actually ocean-filled, so it must have been near high tide. I asked the driver what the large cleared areas on many of the mountains were, whether there had been a fire or if it was deforestation. He said that it had been clear cut, and then went on to explain that timber is New Zealand’s largest export. I was horrified. They cut down the native forest for timber, then plant evergreens. That would be why the evergreens I saw were always in such neat rows. Then, every ten years or so, they cut down the evergreens for timber, too. “Leaves a terrible scar on the land,” said the driver. Then they plant more evergreens and the whole thing repeats. The good part is, they’re not allowed to cut any more native forest, so they have to work with what they’ve got. The bad part is, the evergreens are not staying where they were sown, but sprouting up in other places, and they’re not native to New Zealand. I asked the driver if he thought they would eventually strangle the rest of the forest. He didn’t seem to think so, but I have heard too many horror stories about how imported plants or animals take over and become real problems for the countries in which they are newcomers and without predators or natural inhibitors.
The ferry was a different boat than on the way over, and it was surprisingly non-boatlike on the inside. I think I like the other one better, since it was easier to see out the windows. The windows on this one were very high up. I also couldn’t seem to find stairs (if there were stairs) to other decks, so I was stuck on this deck with 15 teenagers, all part of some program, and one of them had a guitar, so they were singing and talking and laughing the whole way. About half an hour out of Wellington, they and their chaperones went out on deck, and the kids lined up and did some sort of choreographed dance, which looked to me very much like that dance in Whale Rider that Koro was trying to teach the boys to do, with the slapping of chests and such. They were pretty good and everyone inside applauded when the kids came back in.
I finished up my Bryson book (again), and found that his little 8 inch woman was in a museum someplace in southeastern Australia, so not the Wellington Museum of City and Sea. I also took a brief nap, but not very comfortably since whenever I leaned to the side or to the back, my sunburn prickled and I had to move it. I intend to slather myself in aloe as soon as I get out of the shower tonight. By the way, my shoulders and arms hurt muscularly as well from the untrained effort of paddling.
Mary was waiting right at the entrance to the baggage claim when I got into Wellington and my bag was nearly first off, so I grabbed it and we headed to the car where I tried to get in the driver’s side. “Other side, girl!” Mary chided. In my head, I’m home already. We talked about my south island experience all the way home, and I told her how much better I liked her house than the B&B where I’d stayed in Nelson! I’m having blueberry pancakes again tomorrow morning. J When we got here, she brought down another bowl of fruit and some chocolates, and I had a pear and showed her my pictures of the kayak trip. She tsked maternally about my arms and neck, and we talked about my plan for tomorrow. Unfortunately, she’s going to be at a school again, so won’t be able to take me to the airport. It looks like a taxi is my best option. I’ve been finishing a cup of tea while I write this, but it’s done now. I’ll load my last few days on my keydrive, upload them to my blog through Mary’s computer, and head for bed. I will be online tomorrow morning for a bit, so I might catch some of you on then. It’ll be 3ish in the afternoon for you, Thursday. And 30 hours later, I’ll be home.
Posted this morning, so will just catch you up on the rest of the day. Got the K bus to Picton at the info kiosk as planned, and was happy to get on it and be, finally, on the way home. Unfortunately, even though we left at 3:15, there was a massive accident about twenty minutes from Picton, and we sat in traffic for half an hour, so there was some radio-ing back and forth, wondering if we would make the ferry in time. We ended up pulling into the ferry terminal at 5:50, cutting it close, if you ask me.
The ride to Picton wasn’t nearly as exquisite this time. Or maybe I’d gotten used to it. The mud flats were actually ocean-filled, so it must have been near high tide. I asked the driver what the large cleared areas on many of the mountains were, whether there had been a fire or if it was deforestation. He said that it had been clear cut, and then went on to explain that timber is New Zealand’s largest export. I was horrified. They cut down the native forest for timber, then plant evergreens. That would be why the evergreens I saw were always in such neat rows. Then, every ten years or so, they cut down the evergreens for timber, too. “Leaves a terrible scar on the land,” said the driver. Then they plant more evergreens and the whole thing repeats. The good part is, they’re not allowed to cut any more native forest, so they have to work with what they’ve got. The bad part is, the evergreens are not staying where they were sown, but sprouting up in other places, and they’re not native to New Zealand. I asked the driver if he thought they would eventually strangle the rest of the forest. He didn’t seem to think so, but I have heard too many horror stories about how imported plants or animals take over and become real problems for the countries in which they are newcomers and without predators or natural inhibitors.
The ferry was a different boat than on the way over, and it was surprisingly non-boatlike on the inside. I think I like the other one better, since it was easier to see out the windows. The windows on this one were very high up. I also couldn’t seem to find stairs (if there were stairs) to other decks, so I was stuck on this deck with 15 teenagers, all part of some program, and one of them had a guitar, so they were singing and talking and laughing the whole way. About half an hour out of Wellington, they and their chaperones went out on deck, and the kids lined up and did some sort of choreographed dance, which looked to me very much like that dance in Whale Rider that Koro was trying to teach the boys to do, with the slapping of chests and such. They were pretty good and everyone inside applauded when the kids came back in.
I finished up my Bryson book (again), and found that his little 8 inch woman was in a museum someplace in southeastern Australia, so not the Wellington Museum of City and Sea. I also took a brief nap, but not very comfortably since whenever I leaned to the side or to the back, my sunburn prickled and I had to move it. I intend to slather myself in aloe as soon as I get out of the shower tonight. By the way, my shoulders and arms hurt muscularly as well from the untrained effort of paddling.
Mary was waiting right at the entrance to the baggage claim when I got into Wellington and my bag was nearly first off, so I grabbed it and we headed to the car where I tried to get in the driver’s side. “Other side, girl!” Mary chided. In my head, I’m home already. We talked about my south island experience all the way home, and I told her how much better I liked her house than the B&B where I’d stayed in Nelson! I’m having blueberry pancakes again tomorrow morning. J When we got here, she brought down another bowl of fruit and some chocolates, and I had a pear and showed her my pictures of the kayak trip. She tsked maternally about my arms and neck, and we talked about my plan for tomorrow. Unfortunately, she’s going to be at a school again, so won’t be able to take me to the airport. It looks like a taxi is my best option. I’ve been finishing a cup of tea while I write this, but it’s done now. I’ll load my last few days on my keydrive, upload them to my blog through Mary’s computer, and head for bed. I will be online tomorrow morning for a bit, so I might catch some of you on then. It’ll be 3ish in the afternoon for you, Thursday. And 30 hours later, I’ll be home.
posted by Jen at 11:02 PM
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