A Sunday morning necessitated a lazy breakfast, so that is exactly what happened. Though, it was inside in the warm, as it was too cold out in the elements! The sign said it was 14 degrees, but I’m sure that wasn’t true!
Visited the Te Papa museum. Points to NZ for a great FREE museum! Spent a couple of hours there checking out all the exhibits.
The museum is situated on the waterfront in a prime location. Everybody in Wellington recommends the museum, but it does cause a bit of controversy, as the cruise ships come in, the tourists go to the free museum then get back on the ship not having spent any money. Still, a definite must see on the Wellington ‘to do’ list. There is a lot of information on earthquakes. Makes sense, given that New Zealand is on a major fault line. Sitting between the Pacific and Australian plates, NZ has a long history with earthquakes. Even our hotel advised us we were staying on a faultline.
After the museum we decided to take in the natural beauty and enjoy the sun (while it was out) so headed out on a harbour cruise ($21 NZD round trip). Honestly, Wellington is just so pretty. 3 stops at different points. It seems to be primarily a mode of transport for Wellingtonians who live across the harbour, however on the final stop all the tourists boarded. Didn’t matter, by then I was blissed out. Sitting in the sun, on the water… Add to that, that I got to see penguins (yes real live penguins) on the way back. That was a bit special.
I was very grateful for the chill out time, as the next 3 days were work…and lots of work. The conference I was there for was for the NZ Cancer Society, and was taking place at The Miramar Golf Course. I am unsure how people play golf in Wellington, as I’m sure the wind would most definitely blow your shots off target almost every time. Anyway, the golf course was situated literally BESIDE the airport…you walk across the road. Very handy when you need a coffee before a big day! I did get to do a little sightseeing during that time. Philip and Skye took me to the Weta ‘cave’ in Miramar, which is a workshop and showcase of all Peter Jackson’s films….I can now say I have been to ‘Middle Earth’. It had some of the actual props from Lord of the Rings, and other films. Didn’t tell my hosts that I am still yet to see any of the Lord of the Rings movies…. The ‘Wellywood’ industry is pretty big here. You can do tours of film sets from Lord of the Rings.
And then it was all over…just like the rugby, which they absolutely LOVE to bring up at any occasion. My final day I woke up to the wind howling against my window, making me worry about how my flight was going to be. It ended up being an uneventful flight, but you did get some spectacular views…
(Photographic credit to A. Mackenzie)
And now, like an addict suffering withdrawls, I am home once again, shaking and already trying to plan where and when I can get my next hit…
