Saturday 26 October 2024

WELLINGTON

 SATURDAY, 26th October.

Today dawned on a brighter note than yesterday, though rain was predicted for late morning/early afternoon.  We took a bus ride into the CBD rather than take the car as parking is difficult and we weren't quite sure how far it was to walk.  

It cost $12 each return on the cable car for the 5 or 6 minute ride to the top of the hill overlooking the city and harbour., a very popular tourist attraction.  

Through two tunnels with LED lights



First stop


At the top


Views from the top



We went walking through the gardens
admiring the gorgeous Rhododendrons which grow so well in New Zealand 






and before taking the ride back down, called in at the very busy Cable Top Eatery for coffee.  It had started raining while we were walking and we were finding the paths a little steep, (we don't remember them being at all steep on our last visit but that was 25 years ago, before arthrititic knees, backs etc came to stay!), so the walk was short.


At the front of the queue


for the ride back down, where we decided to walk along the harbour front, on the way passing the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, formerly the Harbour Board Building.


By this time the precipitation was hovering between a steady drizzle and fair dinkum rain but we soldiered on, enjoying the walk and the many plaques along the way







A Maori long canoe



We left the harbour then and made our way to Cuba Street where we had lunch at the Thai Top Kitchen, a small cafe, and ordered a noodle dish each, not realising that the servings were ginormous and we could easily have had one between us.  They were so huge we couldn't finish them so we are having our leftovers for dinner tonight.  A drive to Mt Victoria was discussed during lunch but the heavy rain had set in and we saw no point in going anywhere other than back to the motel for some R & R, and an early night before our early departure tomorrow morning for the ferry ride to the South Island.

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