We couldn't continue to be as lucky with the weather as we have been, and so it duly chucked it down for most of our time in Wellington. But no matter, we found plenty of indoor distractions to keep us happy. And there are always coffee bars open in what is apparently the coffee capital of the country, or perhaps the world. I'm told you can get proper good coffee 24/7 in Welly. We didn't try of course, that would mean staying up late.
Really should have worn orange
It does feel like a young a trendy place, given the number of bars and late night venues we passed on our way back to the hotel on Tuesday night. Most of them would have refused me entry anyway, 11pm being long past my bedtime. I particularly liked the Vinyl Bar, where as far as I could tell the tunes were indeed provided by a proper DJ setting up large discs of coloured grooved plastic. If it wasn't for the fact that virtually everyone was at least 40 years my junior I could have been tempted.
That said, we had a pretty packed day. An early morning walk, before the rain came, along the harbour front brought us to Weliington's iconic cable car from the city centre to the Botanic Gardens.
The sea is down there somewhere
Even the cable car museum, which might have been bypassed in sunshine, was a worthy recipient of well over half an hour of our time, and then the aptly named Cable Car Cafe served up good coffee (see above) and excellent home made muffins. So far, despite the inclement weather, the day was going rather well! (We'd stoppped for coffee twice, and it wasn't even lunch time)
On one of the old cars
A short, and rather wet, stroll in the Botanic Gardens led us to the Space Place at Carter Observatory, which had the weather been more clement, we would likely have passed by. But exotic trees and plants are very well, but not with soaking shorts and water dripping down you nose, your back and your socks. So in we went. As it turned out the planetarium show was excellent (narrated by Ewan McGregor - why does everyone love a gentle Scottish accent?) and the display informative, even while inhabited by every grandparent from the Wellington suburbs trying to entertain their young charges in the school holidays. (The sky did not look like this!)
This being the Pacific, a Japanese ramen bar was not hard to find for an extended lunch and then Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum, which seems to be the size of a small town, drew us in for the last couple of hours of daylight. There is far too much to see in this extensive celebration of New Zealand life to see in one visit, but we gave it our best shot and Nareesa managed to be the last one thrown out at 6pm. The display, in memory of Anzac Day, which is next Tuesday, commemorating the huge (and arguably pointless) loss of New Zealander and Australian lives in Gallipoli was particularly good. The stories told via giant models of soldiers who served there was particularly moving. As were the terrible statistics about loss of life.
Which left an evening of shower dodging to find an admittedly somewhat mediocre meal at a fancy bar called Lulu's, chosen primarily for its proximity and so called atmosphere. Close it was; full of atmosphere, not so much. Should have gone back to Mac's Bar where we had started our Wellington adventure the previous evening. But it was dry then.
Eejit!
Our second day started with more meteorological promise, drizzle rather than outright downpours, so we headed up to Zealandia, a nature preserve on the edge of the city, in which indigenous species of birds and reptiles have been given the chance to re-establish themselves by the simple measure of excluding their predators. And regrowing vast numbers of trees. Beautiful place although I think we were expecting to see Kiwis - and they aren't actually there!
Blending in
Admittedly we didn't see huge numbers of birds, but we did spot a Kaka
... and a Tuatara,
... amongst the numerous tuis, shags and variously breeds of duck. And it had coffee! Indoors!
And so that brought us to the end of our short Wellington adventure, during which we actually needed wellingtons for some of the time. It's a great city and I'd love to think I might return one day. We returned to our adopted home on Thursday evening (via Jetstar, not giant eagle) and are spending the day locally, catching up with washing, and writing this rubbish, before thinking about gathering our stuff to head home.
We leave on Sunday for a night at Auckland Airport and an early Monday morning flight to Singapore. A little over 24 hours there for some Indian food and a final look at the Gardens by the Bay, hopefully in the sunshine and then lit for the night. And without a limp!
An overnight flight to London via Zurich on Tuesday night will see us back on home soil early on Wednesday morning.
It just remains for me to say a huge thank you to Colleen and Craig for allowing us to occupy their home here for the last two months. We have had an absolutely fantastic time and hope they have enjoyed our home as much as we have theirs. If they have had half as much fun as us it will have been a trip to remember.
I can't think I will have much to report from Singapore that I haven't already said previously so this is my sign off for this trip. But there will be another one!
I'll finish with what is probably not the most flattering of pictures of us. I have another, slightly better, with us the other way round. But that would be rude! And we all know who is best and who is ugly! Good name for a coffee shop though! All round it seems an apt way to close. Bye for now, until next time...
Safe home you lucky people!