Wellington, New Zealand’s gorgeous compact capital, crackles
with the spark of a major city and the charisma of a small town.
Sandwiched between Wellington Harbour and undulating green
hills, it certainly lives up to its reputation as being the windy city. It is
also earthquake prone but from the laid-back attitude of its inhabitants you
would never know it.
After crossing the Cook Strait, swaying between rocky shorelines and hard-to-navigate
headlands on the three-and-a-half hour ferry between the South and North
Island, I arrived in Wellington.
My eyes had been treated to so many wonders on the South Island and I had prepared myself to be underwhelmed by this next stage of my trip. How wrong I was.
My eyes had been treated to so many wonders on the South Island and I had prepared myself to be underwhelmed by this next stage of my trip. How wrong I was.
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| The Kiwi capital of cool, glistening like a rare precious jewel |
The Kiwi capital of cool, glistening like a rare precious
jewel, was out to impress. A fusion of sophisticated and avant-guard it has
clearly carved out for itself a unique identity.
From Mount Victoria Lookout the city, harbour and ocean
stretched out beneath me. Modern and old buildings tumbled down the steep
slopes to the bustling water front. Crammed in between were quirky wooden
houses that could only be reached by restricted winding roads, steep stairways
and funiculars. Imagine being stuck there in the winter. I would never leave
home.
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| Wellington from the waterfront |
Fans of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and The
Hobbit will recognise this location and many others around Wellington.
The Botanic Garden, home to protected native forest and
stunning floral displays, showcased more wonderful vistas of Wellington. The
city was like a film set that was continually playing out before your eyes.
If you want to know what an earthquake feels like, a visit
to the Earthquake House at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is a
must. This “container of treasures” (what its name literally means) has
to be one of the most fascinating museums that I have ever encountered. The
guide was simply amazing. Fusing educational information with entertainment they gave me a wonderful insight into
New Zealand, its people and the Māori culture in a short period of time.
I joined the long queue to see the highly-acclaimed
exhibition Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War. It depicted the story of the
eight-month Anzac campaign in the words of eight New Zealanders. Each of them
was captured in a crucial moment of time in the form of a giant sculpture that
is 2.4 times human size. Created by Weta Workshop, the special effects company
that also worked on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, they have a
commanding presence.
Almost three thousand Kiwis lost their lives on Gallipoli
while others were left with indelible scars that would last a lifetime.
Powerful and poignant, this was a thought-provoking and extremely moving
presentation. This museum has such high standards that if you are in
Wellington, you should go to see
its featured show.
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| Botanical Gardens |
It was now time to get up close and personal with the city.
It is so small that you can almost walk everywhere. Ambling around the
Parliamentary District, I got a taste of its colonial past. Around Lambton Quay
there was great shopping to discover.
Wellington is renowned for its culinary delights. It is crammed with remarkable
restaurants and bars as well as wonderful cafés so you will be spoilt for choice. The bohemian and edgy
Cuba Street is jammed with buskers, boutiques and an abundance of
eateries.
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| Part of New Zealand Parliament |
Lovers of wildlife should head to the outskirts of the city to ZEALANDIA, which claims to be the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary. Here you can see rare wildlife living in a valley as close as possible as it was before the arrival of humans.
At night the waterfront is the place to be. Take a stroll
along the water’s edge, littered with artworks and sculptures. With all the sea
air you are bound to work up an appetite and there are plenty of
outstanding restaurants.
Shed 5 was my choice. This superb institution is housed in
one of the oldest wharf sheds. It dishes up fresh tasty seafood in a lively
unpretentious atmosphere. Just like Wellington, itself classy without being
ostentatious.
By Daralyn Danns
Getting there
Which city you fly into in New Zealand will depend on where
your tour starts from and therefore, which airline you choose. Highly
recommended are Cathay Pacific cathaypacific.com
and qantas.com The
service and inflight experience is spot on. Ensure that the flight you book is
operated by the company and not just code-sharing
The tour was part of the Grand Pacific Ultimate Small Group
Tours which I booked through Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) as I did the flights
The advantage of travelling aboard the Ultimate Coach is
that instead of carrying the normal 48 passengers, it only carries 20. You sit
in comfort in leather fully-reclining seats so no neck ache at the end of a
long day. (Distances are vast in New Zealand.) There is plenty of personal
storage. It is much easier being in a small group, no hanging around waiting
for people, no long queues for the loos, overall much cosier
Stay at the Intercontinental Wellington, an elegant and
modern well-situated hotel
