Still hanging out in Wellington...

... busy creating a rough framework for the next few months of play. I'm planning on taking the ferry down to the South Island on Monday to do a few tramps that are coastal or lower elevation; the first one's going to be the Queen Charlotte Track, which traverses a long ridge separating Queen Charlotte Sound and Kenepuru Sound in the Marlborough Region at the top of the South Island. Then it's on to Abel Tasman Coast Track and the Heaphy Track. The logistics (hostels, buses, shuttles...) take a long time to shake out, because most of the tracks are one way, not loops. So arrangements have to be made for being dropped off and picked up, as well as accommodations before and after. As this is still winter season, many operators are not in business yet, so options are more limited too. It's taken me most of today to learn the details I need to know to be able to do the three tracks mentioned above! Still, I am hesitant to reserve everything just yet, because there's a very large variable to consider: weather! The MetService (like our Weather Service) provides 10 day forecasts, but the weather changes so rapidly in this country that any attempt at a forecast more than a couple of days out is wishful thinking. September is supposed to be one of the two wettest months in the northern part of the South Island...so I get to test out my rain jacket...which I already know is more rain-"resistant" than rain-"proof". So I'll just get out there and deal with it, I guess! :)