Yup, that’s right.  Nice place.  Good coffee.

Not easy to get here...Long drive south.

Clean bathrooms too.  Maybe someday world peace as well!

And, onward south past the high plains of Tongariro we go…

Beautiful high plains of Tongariro

After six hours of driving south across the north island today, we’re staged within an hour of Wellington in a little town called Paraparaumu (go ahead and try to pronounce it-Ann did and the lady said, “Well, that’s one way to say it”).

We’re staying at a “Youth” hostel called Barnacles Seaside Inn.  When Ann told the proprietress that this was our first “youth” hostel she informed us, “Our clients these days are between the ages of 40 and 80”.   Hmmm.  Where are the “youth”?  Anyway, a good deal to keep the costs down.  For about $68 US, we get a room.  The bathroom is down the hall and the kitchen is downstairs.

Tomorrow we’ll get on the ferry across the Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton where our South Island road trip officially begins.

Our friends Mark and Anne from Blue Rodeo are just finishing their trip round the South Island and we’re going to meet up for dinner Friday night in Picton as they stage to go back across to the north.  Turns out we’re staying about a 15 minute walk from each other.  We’re looking forward to catching up and picking their brains for the best way to see the South Island.