We visited Wellington and now it’s time for a recap of the weekend!!
Friday after Kepa and I finished up work we headed south. We left around 5 and ended up getting to Wellington around 1:30 am. Yes, it was crazy. Luckily, the full moon was out which made the drive very cool a I could still see the mountains during the drive.
When we arrived in Wellington we crashed at Kepa’s cousin’s. It’s nice to have family in the area!
Saturday was our only whole day in Wellington. We wanted to make the most of it so we woke up early and headed into the city. Our first stop was Cuba Street where we wandered around looking at the various shops and art.
All the public art and colorful buildings in Wellington make it feel like a very creative, fun, artistic city. There is a lovely vibe there.
I love that it’s right on the water as well!
After wandering around the waterfront we headed off to Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand.
I loved this museum! We didn’t have nearly enough time there but I tried to read and absorb as much information as I could about NZ and Maori culture. I really enjoyed the current exhibit on Maori cloaks. It was fascinating to watch a few women as they made cloaks, truly an intricate and time-consuming process.
After the museum we headed out to have coffee with Kepa’s aunt. Meeting his aunt and cousins was great – I always love expanding my family.
Saturday night we ate dinner at La Boca Loca with Kepa’s cousins. I highly recommend this place – all of our food was quite lovely.
Later we had drinks at The Library – an awesome choice because Kepa fell in love with the place and the Earl Grey Crème Brûlée. All in all it was a great night.
Sunday morning we woke up early again to hit the rest of the places we wanted to visit. Our first stop of the day was the Wellington Cable Car which we road up the mountain to the Botanic Gardens.
After a walk around we headed back down then walked over to Parliament. We took a tour so I could learn all about Parliament and the NZ government.
I highly recommend it for anyone visiting Wellington – it’s free and only takes an hour.
After lunch with Kepa’s cousins we left the city for a long drive back. We stopped a few times to take photos because there are some amazing landscapes along the drive.
Beautiful views!
Our entire weekend involved lots of walking, probably somewhere between 10-12 miles. We ate a ton of great food but since it was a very active weekend it balanced out. It was amazing to get away even if only for a day or two. I can’t wait until we make it to one of the cities in the South Island…. I bet that will be even cooler!
{ 13 comments }
Such beautiful pics!!!!!!!!!!!! Really Mary – you are a lucky lady! :-) That one building is so cool looking & Cuba street – WOW – fun looking and CLEAN!!!!
You look great!!!!
Jody – Fit at 54´s last [type] ..Gratitude Monday/Happy Labor Day;Gardein Giveaway;Happy Bday
Whoa..What a beautiful place! You two look adorable too. Just saying.
What a wonderful trip even if it was short. Looks like you guys packed a lot into the time you had!
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh´s last [type] ..Leslie Sansone: Five Really Big Miles DVD review
Gorgeous! And love the pic of you with that pensive look on your face. ;-) Sounds like ’twas a great trip.
Oh it looks like a fabulous city! So glad you had a good time!
Wow it looks so beautiful there! I hope someday to make it out to that part of the world to do some exploring of my own.
Lisa @ Lisa the Vegetarian´s last [type] ..Lunchtime gym-going at the office
Wow, the drive from Auckland to Wellington looks breathtaking. Is it that beautiful the whole way?
Would you recommend the drive for someone visiting NZ for only week, or would it be better just to take a short flight and spend the day enjoying exploring Wellington?
Hey Nathalie,
It’s a pretty drive in some parts but some parts are pretty average/boring. I would say just fly to Wellington and save yourself a ton of time. That way you can see more. You can always get a car and drive up the coast around Wellington and see the pretty spots. Also the east coast is nice from what I’ve seen but I haven’t done that drive. And Taupo in the middle of the north island is really cool but you can fly there too. If you drove from Auckland to Wellington in one go it would be like a waste of a day but if you were planning to hit Taupo or spots in the middle on the coast then it wouldn’t be too bad. I guess it just depends on your other plans. I’d do Auckland, then fly to Welly, then go to the South Island where it gets really pretty (or so I’ve heard)!
Cool, sounds like flying is the best bet then…thanks for the tips Mary!
Nathalie´s last [type] ..4 Common Dieting Mistakes That Make You Fat
I LOVE the photo of you on the steps! Sounds like a fun weekend!
merri´s last [type] ..Black bean salad with avocado lime dressing…
Now that…
Looks like an awesome time! Those views are stunning. Kev and I need to visit that part of the world, that is for sure.
Hi Mary
From a Wellingtonian I am pleased you enjoyed our city. I love it but boy it’s not called Windy Wellington for nothing … hope you missed that part … and get to visit for longer next time you can get down here.
Hi Nic! I really loved Wellington! It was windy when we were there but I liked it. We will definitely visit again in the future. :)