A full day in Wellington

Wednesday 19th February

We were up early and out for coffee and croissants.  We 've  only one day in Wellington so need to make the most it.

We walked right down the waterfront which was great.  Full of colour, sculptures and humour, and they are renovating the whole waterfront, taking old warehouses and turning them into offices or restaurants, instead of knocking them down.These are mixed up with new builds.

Fish painted car park

Our first stop was the Te Pape, museum of Wellington.  I have to say that every museum we have visited has been just brilliant, they really do it well.  The museum was stunning, lots of Maori art and history, plus lots about the European settlement of the Islands, and life through each of the decades.

Te Pape

 

Maori War Canoe

Maori  Carving

An amazing exhibition of 'wearable art'

We went into the National  Library to see a small exhibition of NZ technology, fascinating, especially their work with robotics, with amputees.

Then we walked up to Cuba Street, an area of shops and restaurants, a bit like Soho really, not particularly up market, but interesting.  There is a lot of arts and crafts, clothes designers, furniture and painting in NZ generally, I have been very impressed.

After a long sit down, we ventured the other way from the camper and saw the new cathedral (1960) and the old cathedral (1860), the parliament buildings.

Stained Glass in new cathedral

Old Cathedral

Parliament buildings

 

After that it was the museum of Wellington and Sea, another small but fascinating museum, about the people both Maori and European, who migrated to NZ.

Wellington is a tiny place really, and we probably walked the majority of the inner streets in the day.  Of course there are loads of other things we could have done, if staying longer; cable car, observatory, botanical gardens, trolley buses, but you can't do everything.  It is a very nice city and has a lot of life, I would come back, anytime.

Edwardian Railway Statio 

We took another stroll down the waterfront at 6pm, by way of the BruHouse, well you have to try it before having a Lebanese dinner, mind was a platter of veggie foods, hummus,babaganoush, falafels, dolmades, salad and bread, yum.... I definately had my 5 a day, today.

Wood Art Bridge

As we walked back we looked out into the bay and saw a bank of fog rolling in towns the city.  The sky changed colour and it looked very spooky and like a storm was coming.  The light was really weird.

What a lovely day in Wellington..... lovely city.  Some other pictures

BruHaus Ceiling