Wellington

First stop Wellington – nice calm ferry crossing and good weather for my first sight of the North Island! We drove up to Mt. Victoria lookout and had superb views over the harbour. We walked through the city for an hour and had a brief preview of the Te Papa museum which looked really interesting, plus a visit to Molly Malones – an Irish pub in town that seemed to have a cool atmosphere. We stayed with Katherine (relative of the friend’s I’ve been staying with in ChCh) in Khandallah, a small suburb just north of the city. Just like Grandma’s are known for, we were treated like royalty – the Sunday roast was tremendous and the warm bed very welcome.


   Mt. Victoria lookout

We both went for a run up Kaokao hill the next morning, recommended by Katherine – she seems like an amazing lady, and despite being 93 I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s actually taken a run up there quite recently. It was a steep climb with rewarding views from the top, although we couldn’t quite see as far as Mt. Ngauruhoe (supposedly you can on a clear day).


   St. Paul's Cathedral;  Te Papa Museum

We spent the day as true tourists, wandering around Wellington to see the sights. Old St. Paul’s church is worth seeing, with an interesting history, and the wharf area provides a nice walkway skirting the main city. Te Papa is a fascinating museum with more information than you can really take in, but well set out with informative and interactive displays. The 2 for 1 Malaysian dinner at Satay India (confusing? It serves Indian too…) was also excellent.


   maori pose;  at home in Kirkcaldy!;  Katherine & I