Day 3: To Upper Hutt

Scottie’s Story

Changeover day today – we moved out of our hotel in Wellington, picked up our rental car and headed north to Upper Hutt. Our rental car (Suzuki Swift – someone was having a laugh when they named it) is not the fastest thing on four wheels, but that is probably just as well as so many folk we have talked to have had speeding tickets here. Famous last words, I think we’ll be quite safe! 

Apart from a couple of minor “Powell Paths”, one of which was contested as being a Google flaw, (VAR needed?) we got to Upper Hutt easily and too early for check in. We found a supermarket that felt like a hybrid of Costco and Aldi / Lidl and it had everything you could want, so we stocked up to use up some time, then ate some of the food as a picnic snack, in a car park overlooking a cricket pitch. Cordon bleu our “lunch” was not, but it did the trick.

Our rental accommodation is nice, as well as quirky. There is a Jack and Jill style toilet & shower room, between the living area and the main bedroom, so basically if you want to go to bed and someone is in the toilet, you need to wait. The only entrance is via the main bedroom (which is unusual in itself) so if someone is in the toilet, you cannot get through to the kitchen or living area. The accommodation is in a quiet, residential  area, up a hill – I am seeing a pattern here … hills – and we have a nice wee sitooterie where we can rest up after climbing the numerous hills 😊 It will be a nice, cosy bolt hole for me until Rob has finished refereeing.

We’ve not really done much today apart from checking out where the APLU event is happening – just over 5 minutes away in the car – shopping, unpacking and (out of character for us) spending time on the computer.

Rob’s reflections

Ever so slightly better acclimatised to the time-zone this morning, but not enough to return to the gym first thing. Body says ‘no’.

We had breakfast in the hotel, then took an Uber to the airport to pick up a rental car. The Suzuki Swift is small but perfectly formed, and will do the job nicely. Couldn’t get Apple Carplay working for love nor money, so I sat with my mobile phone reading from the Maps applet while Lorna drove. One near accident, before we had gone 100 metres (not yards – we’re not in Kansas anymore Toto). This was avoided by good solid defensive driving by Lorna. There was one slight challenge of leaving the airport in a gear marked ‘L’ but after a couple of kilometres of high noise but low progress driving, worked out the issue and resolved. Just in time for Rob to send her on some “Powell paths”, to see parts of downtown Wellington that we might otherwise have missed.

Less than an hour later we were in Upper Hutt, traipsing through suburban roads to get a quick look at our AirB&B. We had time to kill so also did a drive by of the lacrosse tournament venue, where we saw a team out on the practice field. Next a wander to a supermarket in town where we picked up groceries. We stopped to have a bite to eat at Trentham Park, and then made our way to our accommodation.

Today’s objective: stay awake until 8pm. Update: target achieved.