Not-so-windy Wellington!
Trip Start
Feb 17, 2005
1
12
123
Trip End
Feb 27, 2006
Wellington,
New Zealand
Sunday, March 13, 2005
After about 15 minutes of trying to squash my sleeping bag into it's ridiculously tiny bag, I was ready to set off. The roads were fairly quiet, and so it didn't take too long to reach our planned stop off point about halfway...except we missed the turn off! So instead we stopped at the next place called Paekakariki which was a very quiet little place with just a few shops and a black sand beach. A perfect retirement spot!
We had a quick bite to eat and went to the supermarket for some food (Mars bars, Chupa Chup lollies, fake Pot Noodles, etc)
1. The Beehive
. We were suitably refreshed, and off we went to Wellington...The last leg only took about an hour, but it was a bit of hardship trying to find the hostel we had chosen. I had been ringing them all journey to see if they had any vacancies, but noone was answering. So I suppose it was no surprise that when we did eventually find the great Maple Lodge, they were fully booked! I tried ringing Rosemere Backpackers and they were full too. Some forward planning might well have been in order here, but the last couple of days had been a little hectic to say the least with my plans changing completely.
No worries though (as the Kiwis would say), as I tried the Cambridge Hotel (www.cambridgehotel.co.nz) and sure enough they had some dormitory beds available and it was much closer to the city centre, and it was easy to find. I think this was a blessing in disguise as it was superb! Basically, it is a plush hotel and the bottom level has been converted into backpacker-style accommodation. So the rooms, showers, kitchen, lounge etc are all of a high standard and it is the nearest I'm going to get to luxury for a while!
I went for my traditional wander around while Kathy slept (these Swiss girls just can't keep up with the pace!)
2. View of Wellington
. It seemed like a buzzing city, and Courtenay Place had bar after bar, restaurant after restaurant! As it was a friday evening, the place was already quite busy with people enjoying a few beers after work. I walked around the harbour too and my first impressions were that it was a nicer city than Auckland...cleaner, livelier, more relaxed.When I got back, Kathy said she had got talking to a couple of Brazilian girls in the Kitchen and they were going out tonight. She asked if I wanted to join them so I agreed and we all met up at 9.30pm. Also there was an Israeli girl and a nice couple from Australia - a real mixed bag as usual! It was a decent night and I particularly enjoyed talking to the Ausralian girl as she had done a lot of travelling in Europe. Her boyfriend, Russell, was a really good bloke and this was the first time he had been outside of Oz in his life, but you could tell that he had now got the travel bug!
So it was good to experience the Wellington nightlife I'd heard so much about!
The following day, I went to the Te Papo Museum with the girls, although we all split up once we got inside. This place is known as the 'Museum of New Zealand' and it is such a huge place that dominates the waterfront. The great thing about it is that it is interactive, and my highlight was experiencing a virtual earthquake! Basically, everyone crams in this little 'front room' and watches the news until the house starts shaking...quite scary actually!
When we met up at 1pm, we went for a free BBQ in the city centre and watched a band play. It was good because you could keep going back for more, and I made sure I got my fill on Hash Brown sandwiches!
After this, I went off on my own to see some of the sights that were on my to do list. First up was the 'Beehive' that formed part of the parliamentary complex. A very interesting building! Then I had a ride up the cable car which provided amazing views of the city. I decided to be brave and just get a one way ticket, which meant walking down the steep hills of Wellington! But it was a nice walk as it went through Botanic Gardens and past the Lady Norwood Rose Garden.
I went for a stroll on the harbour front and enjoyed an ice cream...it was like being in Filey on a summer's day! The weather was perfect, not a hint of the wind that Wellington is famous for. I'm sure I'll experience that in time though!
So my initial thoughts on Wellington have been positive, but even so I plan to leave for Napier on tuesday to try and get some fruit picking/packing work for a while. I have to return here eventually though in order to get to the South Island, and when I do I'll definitely be staying at the Cambridge Hotel!
