Can't Beat A Good Day in Wellington

Wellington. Located at the southern tip of the North Island, Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. It is a nice little city kept condensed by water on one side and mountains on the other. A typical day in Welly consists of rain, wind and bone-chilling cold. I had the great pleasure of spending roughly 6 weeks in Welly for work between September and November.
As my days on the project began to wear thin, I decided to stay the weekend to get a true look at Welly outside the business district and windy rainfall. As it turns out, I picked the most perfect weekend to stay – the sun was shining and it was a comfortable 70 degrees the whole time!

To kick the weekend off I started my Saturday morning off with a leisurely jog around the harbor. As much as I love New York, the view of crystal clear water and luscious green mountains around the footpath put the Hudson to shame (actually landfill was the word that originally came to mind). However, I suppose the true surprise was that I actually packed my running shoes…

I spent the rest of the day exploring…becoming acquainted with Oriental Parade and the bohemian charm of Cuba Street, taking advantage of its hip cafes and boutique shops. I later gave into a weakness at the popular Schoc Chocolaterie and made my way to The Embassy, a historic movie theatre that also hosted the premiere for Lord of the Rings not long ago. Feeling ambitious, I thought I’d take a stroll up Mount Victoria. After all, who goes to Welly and doesn’t check out Mt. Vic?! Well, let me tell you, Mt. Vic is one heck of a ‘stroll’…I’m pretty sure I found the one path with most vertical inclines on the mountain. Definitely worth the haul. The views were spectacular…not to mention how good the chocolate was by the time I got to the top.

Anyway, I rolled back down the hill just fast enough to meet a friendly work mate for my very first NZ rugby game. We were only a few rows from the field, so close to the action! Although I’m still a bit unclear of the rules, I think it’s safe to say I’m a fan of the players…I mean the game, of course ☺

After a great night out around Courtenay Place on Sat night, Sunday was dedicated to brunch and some low key sightseeing. A new Kiwi friend was happy to take me around starting at the notable Te Papa museum. Living in DC for 7 years, I’ve seen my fair share of museums, but I have to hand it to NZ - Te Papa was fantastic! A definite must-see if you’re in the area. Later on we took the cable car up to Kelburn and walked back down through the botanical gardens. Hard to believe such a peaceful place can exist so close to the city.

Although I’m glad I live in Auckland, I can certainly understand why they say, “you can’t beat a good day in Wellington.”