Visit New Zealand - Day Three

I wake up at 4.30am because I fell asleep so early last night! I pass the time until anything opens by reading in my room, then check out the Centre of Contemporary Art (left) before my meeting at the conference begins. I’m pretty nonplussed by all of it, although the retro posters for old TV shows like ‘I Love Lucy’ are quite interesting.

After the meeting, I scuttle back through the rain to my hotel, where Canterbury Tours call me to cancel the gondola trip and Maori dinner due to the bad weather. Booh. Instead, I eat at Dux De Lux (right) again - crab cakes, salad and another pint of Ginger Tom - and wandered to Cathedral Square and back before going to bed.

Feel slightly disheartened and lonely tonight. I can't really socialise with the conference delegates because I'm not a doctor, and I'd rather meet some backpacker types or people my own age anyway. I just don't know how to do it - people seem to be in pre-formed cliques. Tried looking for suitable openings at the pub but chickened out. Hopefully things will be better once I'm on the bus.