So long Polytech! So long Wellington!

OK guys, I finished my last day of work at the Polytech forever on Friday... I have really enjoyed my time there, and met some great people! I'll be coming to visit everyone again I'm sure!!
Back to last Friday: Myself, Brian and two lovely French gals, Fanélie and Benedicte, got up at 0530hr to head to the top of Mt. Vic in time for the sunrise.. We donned our "running" gear and ran the massive hill to the lookout. 0624hr came and, as expected, the sun rose over the surrounding hills bringing warm sunlight into the valley and harbour below, where Wellington is situated. It was such a beautiful sight, I have not seen a sunrise in a such a long time.
I didn't particularly feel like going to work after that, and since Brian had finished on Tuesday I decided I'd call in sick and hang out with him and the girls instead. Later, we headed to the botanic gardens and sat admiring the view over the city for a good few hours.
Both Brian and the girls were leaving that Sunday so we decided to all get together at Pablo and Rob's place and cook a multicultural feast Friday night. Brian cooked haggis again, the girls brought wine and made lovely a entrée goat's cheese and paté on french-style bread. Myself being Australian couldn't really come up with anything truly Australian apart from shrimps on the barbie or pie floater, so I went with an old favourite of mine, cheese and chives baked potatoes (Thanks mum!). Everything was delicious, and later on the girls even made us all crêpes... Fantastique!! Out that night and on the piss to some of our favourite pubs including what has very quickly become my local, Irish pub Kitty O'Shea's.
The next day Brian and I walked upto Wellington's only wind turbine on top a hill in the suburb of Brooklyn. I'm not sure why there aren't more turbines in NZ's windiest city!?! Then out on the piss again Saturday night for Brian's last night and back into Kitty's for one last hurrah! We lost Brian just after 0500hr so we all decided to go to bed. At 0930hr, I was awoken by Brian who climbed up the ladder to my bunk and then proceeded to punch me right in the balls! Bastard!! I believe he was still quite drunk, as was I... Not to worry... I still was nice enough to take him to the Interislander ferry terminal that afternoon. You owe me a drink buddy!!! Hahaha.
Monday night was another fairwell with Melina, a gal from Germany, leaving for the South Island. So a BBQ was organised, but not before I was again woken from a rather nice sleep this time with Mel refusing to stop jumping on and poking me until I got out of bed. Can I not get a decent sleep in this hostel?!? :P
This Friday, I went to Pablo and Rob's flat for some drinks. Erica has just moved here from Adelaide, so she came over aswell and we had a good old yarn! It was really nice (and also a little weird) meeting up with someone I know from home over here in NZ.. Familiarity and all that jazz...
Saturday, I met up with Sash for our weekly joke exchanging session. Funny times, funny times... During this time were approached by a couple of people from Oxfam wanting to produce a 4-tier human pyramid to promote their cause (not sure how that works).. I thought I'd oblige by forming part of the base... The problem? They somehow only ended up with 7 people willing to participate, but decided to go ahead anyway. Needless to say, we looked a bit silly. Good to see Oxfam following their tasks though to completion...
A bit later on Wayne, Gaz (2 English dudes from the hostel) and I ventured to the Westpac Stadium to watch the Wellington Hurricanes and South African Bulls compete in the Rebel Sport Super 14 Rugby competition. The Hurricanes thrashed the Bulls 17-9. And what about the Hurricanes' theme song? "Hurricanes.... Hurricanes...." hehe, I guess you had to be there to find that funny!
A bunch of us went out Saturday night but just after midnight myself and Rob decided to chill out and instead hung out at the local coffee shop with the mostest, Espressoholic on Courtenay Place, with a flat white and chatted into the wee hours.
Rock climbing was on the agenda again for Sunday. Suze, Mike (Suze's workmate), Rob (a climbing virgin) and I gave it a crack this time. That was my exercise for the week right there!! That night all my hostel crew cooked up a storm on the BBQ. Wickid!
Today we played a bit of 2-on-2 basketball with a German guy name Phoenix whom we met on the court. Then I browsed, with a Swede named Hannes, the Museum of Wellington: City and Sea - Basically a detailed history of the windy city, including the story of the inter island ferry, Wahine, that sunk in the Wellington harbour on 10 April 1968, killing 51 people, after it was forced onto the rocks of Barrett Reef by 100mph winds.
Well that's my life up to date. Oh, one more thing, I'll be leaving Wellington on Thursday, heading to Taupo for Easter. After that, who knows where I'll be going, but this means I will now be starting my travels around the North Island!!! Yay!!! "Bout bloody time" I hear you say.. So next time you hear from me, I'll be somewhere else in Kiwi-land. That's quite sad, but I guess that's the nature of travelling. I'll have to make sure I finish off the actual touristy stuff here before I leave.. And lots of photos!!!!

In the mean time, here are a few photos depicting my antics in this post...

Photos:
1. Looking spunky at my desk on my last day at the Poly
2. On top on Mt.Vic with (from left) Fanélie, Brian, Benedicte and someone else
3. As morning breaks
4. Friday feast at Pablo's - Brian, Fanélie, Andre, Lou and Benedicte
5. On the piss in Kitty's - Friday night - Pablo, the girls and me
6. Me under the Brooklyn turbine.. In case you can't see the turbine, I'm indicating its location by pointing..
7. On the piss at Kitty's - Saturday night - Brian and me
8. Pablo and Rob! Hooo-ahhhh
9. Ah, drunken photos ey?
10. The semi-pyramid
11. Hurricanes fever! Paul, Wayne and Gaz!
12. Biggest hot chocolate ever...
13. Climbing the wall.. Headless?!
14. I found this post-it at the museum.. Cool!