on the road with jed - day 12 / picton - wellington

But we, escpecially I, are (am) very lucky again: I don't know what is shining more, the sun or the sky. There is a balmy breath of air, no signs of wobbling ships at all. All along the passage we sit on deck, which is surprisingly blank of men. Some minutes later the secret is disclosed: Rugby world championship! Men [and of course some women] are sitting inside watching tv :)

Still in Picton we have noticed some oldtimers and hot rods driving onto the ferry - is there a festival on the northern island? One of the cars is so outstanding, we have to take a picture at the end of the ferry ride. Then it is becoming a little bustling, we have arrived at Wellington and must leave the ferry. Thanks to Navi we promptly get the correct direction to our chosen campsite, nevertheless we miss it with flying colours. It is so unimpressive and hardly to be noticed as a campground when you look from the street: A freesiter at the back of a marina! Try that in Germany: Free parking for campervans on the ground of a marina - unthinkable!

In the evening we take a little walk and get some food at the China-Snackbar, a hamburger [yummie!] and a hot-dog [in NZ it is a sort of hash bar on a stick, also completely enjoyable] and go back to Jed. We see those huge traffic signs at the street but do not read them, why should we, we will be gone tomorrow... We are taken aback only by the asphalt-trucks in one corner of the carpark, they become more than less. Strange.

At 8 o'clock, shortly before bedtime, we become clear of the signs and trucks: Road works at night. Here. Directly behind us. They scarify the road surface, remove the rocks and bituminise again. Sometime at night the lads are ready and in the morning we walk along one kilometre of a brand spanking new street.

[Just to point it: 1 km street is built up at Wellington within 5-6 hours. Completely new. At night, when there is less traffic. No kludge within 5-6 weeks, at day-time, when you have the most traffic, as Lübeck and other cities are used to do.]