Day 64: Whanganui Holiday Park to Whanganui (1370-1375)
Wednesday, February 1
I woke up around 8 am and did a load of laundry with Julia. I ate some breakfast with Creya and Marjolein and we shared photos we took during the river trip.
Since Puff Puff and Julia walk every kilometer of the trail with their packs, they were planning on walking into town. We all really enjoyed the holiday park but it was a long walk or expensive taxi ride back if we wanted to stay in town after 8 pm. I packed up to join them and Dave and Kristen decided to join us too. Like Julia and Puff Puff, Dave is walking ever kilometer of the trail.
We had a fun walk into town and got to the BBH that had room for our whole group. The YHA didn't have beds for all of us, but it probably worked out for the better. The BBH was wonderful and the man who runs it was so nice!
Julia, Puff Puff and I had a busy day planned. Two movies in one day! First up was Lion at 12:30. As soon as we got our backpacks in our rooms we left. The theater was really nice but they didn't have popcorn as good as they do back home. Incase you ever travel to New Zealand and want to spend time going to movies, it's usually not worth it to buy the popcorn there. They have popcorn machines like they do at US movie theaters, but everywhere I've gone they give you a box of popcorn that's been packaged for awhile so it's room temperature. And they don't have the unhealthy butter to add on top. But not buying popcorn is probably better for my budget!
When we went in the movie theater to find our seats, Julia and Puff Puff saw a couple they had spent a few hours with in Whanganui. They walked from Whanganui to Palmerston North already because they had time before we started the river trip, and the day they came through town it was pouring. This couple had let them inside and talked with them for a few hours while they waited for the rain to die down. The commercials were starting so we found seats and talked with them after. All of us had red and puffy faces because the movie made us cry so much. It was an amazing movie, but was definitely on the more somber side.
After the movie I sat in a little park in town and called my mom, then headed to the post office to get what I needed from my bounce box before I mailed it on to Wellington. I quickly walked back to the hostel to drop off what I had taken out of my box. Then Julia, Puff Puff, Sara and I walked to the theater to watch Hidden Figures. It might be my favorite movie I've seen in New Zealand! And I'm glad we watched Lion earlier because after watching Hidden Figures we all felt like we could do anything.
We all enjoyed the Thai restaurant so much yesterday we went back. Erinn, Trevor, Vicky and Marjolein were there too! After dinner I made a quick supermarket run before heading back to the hostel. I wanted to stay awake because most of our group was leaving tomorrow, so I pulled out a puzzle to work on and keep myself awake while we talked. Mike had gotten a job he applied for so we were all happy for him. Around midnight I was exhausted and went to bed.
Walking into Whanganui.
Whanganui