Celebrations in Wellington

We flew up to Wellington last week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Aglow in New Zealand. We'd already had our local celebration and now it was time for the national one. Women and men came from all over New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands and we had a wonderful few days, and evenings, together. Our first event was afternoon tea at the Beehive, or more correctly, at Parliament Buildings. 

It began two hours after our plane flew in, which gave me just enough time to get to our hotel and store our luggage and catch a cab to parliament. I had no idea where I was going and the taxi driver didn't know where to drop me off either so we just went to the front entrance where I ran into another three people who were just as lost as I was. So we went looking together. 

 Afternoon tea was served in the Grand Hall. As we were going in the press were just dismantling their equipment and one of the party leaders was walking through so I guess they had just finished a news  conference of some sort. Tea and cakes was preceded by welcome and speeches, brief. The Grand Hall is quite impressive, the colours are not dark but nice and light. Mind you I'm not sure which part of the building we were in, the old or the new.

My GKB went for a wander around the area near the hotel while I socialised and he waited for our room to be ready. We had a lovely room, on the 11th floor overlooking Oriental Bay.

The rest of the conference was held in the Michael Fowler Centre and it was only a twenty minute walk from my hotel so I walked there and back. Once more I really didn't know where I was going so when I saw three ladies who looked like they might be going there I stopped them and asked the way. Yes that's where they were going and when I said I was lost one of them laughed and said turn around.  I was across the road from the entrance with my back to it!

Mostly I had a great time but the first night when our group sat at the back I couldn't make out anything the key speaker was talking about. That improved when we managed to get seats nearer the front for the remainder of the time. All in all it was a wonderful few days although I wasn't much company for my GKB when I arrived back at the hotel in the evenings. Late nights (late for me anyway) and early mornings meant I pretty well fell into bed when I got back.

In the foyer of the MF Centre were two beautifully carved Pou (pawh). I wish I had taken a photo of a section of one of them as they are very intricate. The eyes are whole polished paua shells.

I have to admit it was nice to get back home and sleep in my own bed when it was all over though. I had a great sleep that first night home, I didn't realise I was so tired. :)

Now I need to go and catch up on some blog reading.

Keep well, I'll see you again soon.

Diana