Well, the last couple of weeks have been a real whirlwind. Preparing, packing and traveling from Baringo to Nairobi, then on to Dubai and from there to Sydney and on to Wellington to teach at the Wellington Quilt Symposium proved to be quite a safari! We left home on April 2, had a couple of days in Nairobi running errands and taking care of last minute details before I flew out on Saturday afternoon for Dubai. All went well except for a minor hiccup about excess baggage. By shifting heavy things to my carry-on bag, I was able to pass through without paying for excess – an inconvenience but not a hardship. Watch out for Emirates – they charge US$70 per kilogram of excess baggage!
The flight was pleasant enough. I arrived in Dubai for a 12-hour layover and enjoyed the hospitality of the Millenium Hotel right next to the airport, courtesy of Emirates Airlines. On Sunday morning, with a two hour time difference, I caught a plane for the next leg of my journey. I was most fortunate to be upgraded to business class for this 14 hour marathon flight! The difference between economy and business class on an Airbus is terrific! I felt like I was in first class, with a video monitor larger than my computer’s LCD, and space to stretch out flat for a nap. I later heard a rumor that a first class ticket, including on-board shower, would have cost some US$ 27,000!
I arrived in Sydney with a three hour layover, and needed every minute of it to get through immigration, retrieve and recheck my baggage, and make my way to the gate just in time for boarding. A quick three hour flight put me in Wellington at about 3:00 p.m. Lovely Trish, one of the volunteers for the Symposium, collected me at the airport and drove me to the hotel along the scenic route. I arrived very tired, but in good shape for all that.
Wellington is a beautiful city. It sprawls all over the hills facing the bay, but seems to run only about half-way up them before being capped by a top line of forest. The city itself is easy to negotiate and strangely not over-crowded as are so many places I visit these days. The weather is a bit temperamental, quickly shifting from full sunlight to heavy clouds, and there can be a fairly fierce wind that accompanies the cloudy times, but we were spared any serious downfalls of rain.
Wellingtonians have learned from past experience that earthquakes and fires can occur suddenly and without warning. Fire escape routes are carefully planned and posted, and we were all cautioned about how to behave in the event of an emergency. Apart from someone accidentally placing a coffee urn right beneath a smoke detector which triggered the fire alarms on the first day, we experienced no further such distress. Even so, we all marched quietly out of the buildings and assembled on the playing field behind the school to await the outcome. Luckily, it was a false alarm!
My classes went well and were great fun to teach. Jetlag slowed me down a tiny bit, leaving me feeling very tired in the mornings, but picking up some energy late in the afternoons. The time difference is nine hours earlier, so it was no wonder that I really did not wake up until about 4:00 p.m.
 Darned Quilts class in progress |
The students here were great! They are enthusiastic, informed, hard working and willing to learn. It was a pleasure to teach them.
 Melanie, hard at work |
And in truth, this Wellington Symposium was one of the best organized such events I have attended, despite having been presented entirely by volunteers. My thanks go in particular to Marge Hurst (tutor coordinator), Maureen Moore (treasurer), and Fiona Vining (post-symposium teaching coordinator).
While in Wellington, we stayed at the Kingsgate Hotel Portland, a charming and comfortable but unpretentious hotel only two blocks from the Wellington Girls School where the Symposium was held. If you have any reason to stay in Wellington, I strongly recommend the hospitality and especially the food at the Kingsgate!
The highlight of the Wellington Symposium was the Gala Dinner held on Sunday evening, April 12, at the marvelous Te Papa Museum.
 Maori house in the Te Papa Museum |
If you’re ever in Wellington, do not miss seeing this wonderful facility for culture and the arts. Full of Maori art as well as contemporary and classic visiting exhibitions, Te Papa Tongarewa is a must for any visitor!
So, today, it’s on to Christchurch and then to Hokitika on my way to Reefton on the South Island. I’ll teach Ladders and Crystals there tomorrow before moving on to Hamilton to teach Darned Quilts next week. I’m going to see some wonderful scenery and meet some lovely new friends over the next few days, and I’m looking forward to that. Everyone tells me Reefton is “the back of beyond.” Coming from Baringo, I ought to feel right at home there!
