What was with the Skyline last night?

There are two superior locations for restaurants in this city. One is the Band Rotunda at Oriental Bay, the other is the Skyline complex in Kelburn.

Yet for some reason there has never been a decent restaurant in either location.

However, the Skyline does get used for private parties now & then - July 4th for example, I predict that the cul de sac end of Upland Road will be packed to the gunwhales with limos & sports cars, many of which will sport diplomatic plates, on Independence Day next month. That's what happened last year, residents had to stop & ask chauffeurs to move forward a few metres so they could park in their own driveways. I passed through & idly suggested to one of the policement on diplomatic protection duty that he should get a booze bus in for later on. he told me that there was no point, since the chauffeurs were all gathered outside, smoking, but not drinking.

But last night... I was shambling up Salamanca Rd, when an SUV coming in the opposite direction stopped in the middle of the road & a lady with a mid european accent asked me if I knew where the Skyline was.

I gave her directions "U turn, straight ahead, turn right up past the University, turn right at the roundabout, at the top of the hill, turn right again & there you are."

What I should have said was, "Give me a lift & I'll show you", because what she did was: a U turn, and the "turn right" must have stuck because she turned right immediately into the Met Office & disappeared over the hill.

I caught up with her a few minutes later, just before she descended to the Treehouse & main gardens in Thorndon & went through the directions again.

And this time, just as I walked past the Skyline, she turned up. Gave me a cheery wave, and turned into the carpark which was the fullest I have ever seen it!

And there were limos, and chauffeurs again, and a BMW Roadster, license plate DC501 (I think, possibly 5501), parked across our driveway. No police this time though to have a bleat about useless diplomats to.

And I rang Mrs Llew & told her not to exercise her road rage option when she got home & couldn't park on our car deck, because the diplomats don't care! But as it happens, by the time she got there, it was gone.

And so... anybody know what was going on there? Oh, and if you're wondering what's so cool about the Skyline spot, all the photos of the harbour that get posted here are prety much taken from beside the place.

Random link - borderline disturbing photo from the fieldays.

Bachelor farmers strut their stuff - Stuff.co.nz