The tour was great with a bunch of information from Craig, Gary and Maraea.  I only needed help a few times.  In the tall grass over looking the Wind Turbines, to get up the hill to feed the reindeers and in the bus a couple times.  I would have probably been easier to get in the bus the way I have in the past.  Transferring to the floor through the side door opening the transferring up to the seat.  My chicken salad at Bach Cafe was very good and the other people on the tour enjoyed their fish and chips and seafood chowder.  I would highly recommend taking a tour with Kiwi Coastal.  They were very professional, give a lot of information and you get to see some amazing views.

 

After the tour, I make the decision to visit the Botanic Gardens.  I took the cable car up to the entrance of the gardens.  The cable car was very easy to get on with plenty of room for a chair.  I have a map of the gardens that gives recommended areas for wheelchairs to go that are flat.  It also has the up hills, down hills and an idea of how steep the hills are.  I do the first small wheelchair route but there is not much to see.  After reviewing the map and seeing the first hill I decide to make my way down through the gardens.  The first hill is pretty steep but I make it down with no problem.  The second hill is steeper and longer and with no chance of wheeling back up the first hill I keep going down.  I probably should have asked for help up the first hill and made my way back down in the cable car.  I did purchase a round trip ticket on the cable car incase I needed it.  As I start down the second hill I need to zig zag back and forth to keep my speed down.  This is not very easy as my wheels start losing traction.  I go a little too fast into the face off the hill a tip over sideways.  Two people walking behind help hold the chair as I transfer back in.  Other than my ego and a slight road rash on my elbow, I’m fine.  I make the decision to continue down the hill but being more aware of my speed.  As I make it to a flat area, two garden employees meet me to see if I’m ok.  I say “yes” and ask if that’s the steepest hill the rest of the way down.  They reply “yes” but offer another way that should be more flat but will miss about 80% of the gardens.  Being stubborn and probably never making back to New Zealand again, I decide to go through the gardens.  The next two hills are not bad going down then two bigger hills follow then the one I fell on.  The first is long and steep which I make alone but had to stop half way to rest my hands and arms.  The second I asked a guy in the gardens to hold the back of my chair because it was much steeper but shorter.  Then at the bottom of that around the corner is another steep hill he helped me on again.  By now I’m regretting my decision to go through the gardens.  The rest of the gardens was not bad until I pass the rose garden and go through the cemetery and across the bridge to the city.  The cemetery was steep but nowhere close to the bridge and small section to get to the city.  I again had to stop on the bridge to rest my hands and arms.  By now I have worn holes in my gloves simply holding on for dear life going down hills.  The gardens are very nice but If your in chair don’t do the Wellington Botanic Gardens alone.

   

After my thrilling trip through the gardens I head back to the hostel because I have to pack to move to the Cambridge Hotel on Thursday.  As I enter the guy at reception says they have a cancellation and I can stay through the weekend.  I try to call from the pay phones but none will work.  I head back to the reception desk and he will hold the room until Thursday morning for me.  With my arms already hurting, I make my way 30 minutes wheeling across the city to the Cambridge Hotel to cancel my room.  They have no problem canceling because they will sell the room very quickly with Rugby Sevens going on.  Cambridge Hotel has 2 steps to the reception area entrance and a small lip to go through the bar entrance.  I don’t know how accessible the rest of the hotel is and the location is too far for me.  At Downtown Backpackers the location is good, price is cheaper but the laundry is on the 6th floor with the elevator only going to the 5th floor and I have to towel off because the shower is way too small.  I make the decision to stay at Downtown Backpackers.  So now Thursday I have to go to I Site Visitor Center and get a refund from them for the room because that’s who I booked through.  It was worth the trouble because I saved $216 by staying at Downtown Backpackers.

With the day I’ve had I needed a beer.  I head to the House Bar at Downtown Backpackers for a snack and a few beers then head to my room to load photos and do some writing.