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Wellington 2016 |
What's covered?
Wellington was the start of our tour of North Island.
22 November
Google estimated drive time to Picton of an hour and three quarters proved to be spot on. Hire cars cannot be taken from the South Island to the North Island but returning the car was easy as was check in for the ferry. It was a very smooth three hour crossing and breakfast was provided.
Rydges had a nice room with a harbour view ready for us on arrival so we dumped our cases and went for a walk alongside the harbour to Te Papa. We went to the Gallipoli exhibition that Grace had said was so good and we found it very interesting. The twice life size models of the soldiers and a nurse were very well made by the Weta works nearby who created lots of models for Lord of the Rings and other Peter Jackson films.
On returning to the hotel we booked a trip for tomorrow with Wellington City Scenic Tours but their website seems to have closed..
Dinner was at Shed 5 which specialises in fish but they did have meat dishes available. It was an excellent meal and the staff were good.
23 November
The tour was booked for 10.30 so we used the time before that to catch up on notes, emails and reading.
Bruce was punctual and we were the only two people on this morning's tour. It is a one man band. He has a clean and comfortable eight seater and explained he does better when cruise ships are in. He works nine months of the year and it pays enough to live on and travel for the rest of the year.
The tour took in (from the web site)
"Restaurant and entertainment district of Courteney Pl before heading up to Mt Victoria for famous views over the city and out towards the Pacific ocean. Then it?s down Mt Victoria ridgeline and out towards the surfing beach at Lyall Bay before swinging round the wild south coast. We drop into Miramar (Weta), home of Wellington?s film industry, before heading back into the city round the bays ? most famously Oriental Bay which gets packed with bathers on hot summer days.
Heading up into the western hills we climb for more spectacular views from the slopes of Ahumairangi and then drop down to the Botanic Garden and Wellington?s oldest suburb of Thorndon for a stop at Old St Pauls ? an unusual and beautiful example of a wooden neogothic church. Swinging past Parliament and the Beehive we head back into the CBD."
We were dropped off at the City Library where we had lunch and then went to Whitcoulls for Rebel's Christmas stocking. They didn't have one but did direct us to a bigger branch that did have one in stock. Rebel is our younger son's dog and the stocking told Santa Paws how well behaved he had been!
Bruce had pointed out that some traffic signals have a female image for the pedestrian green light. Gill was photographing one and a very helpful man explained there are two images. One of Kate Sheppard and one of Carmen. Carmen was a transvestite and quite a character by all accounts who is credited with starting up several businesses and putting some life into the area we were in (Cuba Street). Later on two occasions we were looking at our map and different ladies asked if we needed help. People were so helpful here.
We then returned to the hotel for a break before dining again at Shed 5. The staff were again lovely and welcomed us back, so pleased to see you here again and so on but in a way that felt real.
Opposite our hotel is a shop "Steph Lusted Jewellery". Not sure if that is a name or a statement!
Photos
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Inside Te Papa, the models were so lifelike
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... even though 4X lifesize
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The old St Paul's Cathedral
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Made of wood, it withstood the earthquake
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Modern building next door condemned
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Weta Workshop
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Kate Sheppard
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Carmen
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