Off to the south

On the journey to Wellington, we stop off in Palmerston North for another day. The mood is a little tense. Very little happens, so I’ll just philosophise about a saying that I come across every day on the trip. It’s mainly used as a slogan for hostels and bars. The slogan is: “Your home away from home.”. I ponder.

Why is the slogan so successful? What is home, and how many bars can claim to be home? Do travellers from faraway countries have to drink more beer to get home? Are Germans also at home in Irish pubs? What is the difference to “You come as a stranger and leave as a friend”? In my home country, the saying is at the entrance to the Palais d’Amour.

I’ve been a bit busy the last few days, so I’ll leave it to you to finish the questions here in a fun way. The deed of the previous night: www.tongariro-hostel.co.nz. Small, fast, effective. And sure to be in the Google Top20 for all desired keywords within a short time. *Yawn* and *self-satisfied and tired on the back seat*… I keep falling asleep on the journey to Wellington.

We arrive in Wellington in the late afternoon. The Base Hostel falls completely flat. The sign at reception announces an absolute alcohol ban with the threat of confiscation in the entire hostel area. But I didn’t have to search long for the best wine in Hawkes Bay. The intention becomes clear as soon as we leave. The hostel’s own bar goes by the name of “Basement”. Hell, Beelzebub is a completely different and cheap chap again today.

The next two hostels are full. The holidays start in a few days. We stay in the centre of Cambridge Backpacker Hostel for a day. I really wonder how some hostels in New Zealand finance themselves. A bed in the rustic, solid wood 6-bed dorm costs €12 a night. The reception looks like four stars and the bathrooms are plastered from top to bottom with sparkling marble.

The location is perfect. In the centre of Wellington. Today the kitchen stays cold, we go out for an Italian meal. Wellington has 166,000 inhabitants. Almost 100,000 of them are interior designers. On a short exploratory walk, we see more perfectly styled bars and restaurants than in years. The view through every front door is absorbed by countless funny little design details.