Wellington - Travel Diary

We stayed in the Gilmer Apartment Hotel in the CBD. The room was, as you can probably guess by the name, set out like an apartment, so included all the facilities you could require - kitchen, washing machine etc. It was well located near one of the main streets of the CBD and walking distance to all main attractions. There was even a lift nearby that took you straight down the main city streets to avoid the steep steps. 

 Once we had dumped all our belongings in the room, we decided that we craved pizza for dinner - but then when do I not crave pizza? After a little research, we headed to Pizzeria Napoli which was a tiny little restaurant located on Courtney Place. The place was buzzing and we did have to wait for a table but before long I had a pizza in front of me. I was so hungry that I failed at my millennial duty to take a photo of the pizza, so you are just going to have to take my word that it was a delight and maybe even made the list of 'top 5 pizzas Megan had in New Zealand' - it's a real thing. 

On Saturday we woke up nice and early (okay, my friend woke up early and went to yoga, and I lounged around watching MTV for an hour or so). I had a fair idea of what I wanted to do whilst in Wellington, and there were a few things we needed to fit into our short amount of time, but first, we needed some fuel so went on a search for brunch. We had a couple of recommendations but ended up at Floridita's on the popular Cuba Street. Adventurous as always, I went for the Eggs Benedict with avocado - admittedly it was average and I'm not sure I would recommend, but maybe that's because New Zealand was turning me into a brunch snob? The place was cute though and lucky you, I remembered to take some photos. 

First on the agenda was the Te Papa museum. A colleague had recommended that I go to the Gallipoli exhibition. It was incredible. The exhibition is the story of 8 New Zealanders who were involved in World War 1. Each person has a wax figure created of them and (if we look past the fact they are about 3 times the size of an actual human) they are incredibly realistic - with blood, sweat and tears. Each story is equally as heartbreaking, and the exhibition is a must see if you are in Wellington in the near future (before April 2019 - ok, I realise I have had this post in my draft folder since December and it is now the end of March so you're probably not going to make it). Bear in mind it was super busy and there was a pretty long queue to get in, so go early!

Te Papa Museum is pretty impressive, with lots of other interesting exhibitions throughout. And, if you head up to the roof, you can get a great view of the city.

Next up was a visit to the underground market located on the waterfront. The market is held every Saturday and is a place for local artists and designers to sell their work. There were lots of beautiful prints, and jewellery to pick from. On this occasion, I didn't make any purchases because I was only travelling with hand luggage, but if I ever return to Wellington I would be sure to visit again as there are some great gift ideas there.

The thing I most wanted to do in Wellington was the cable car (which is weird because I still really hate heights)- to be fair it was the only thing I had to associate with Wellington as I didn't know much about it. You will find the cable car station in the city centre - a lot more central than I expected! For $9 (approx £4.50), you get a return trip to the top of Kelburn Hill. 119 metres up, you get great views across Wellington. There is a couple of cafes, a small museum and Wellington's botanic gardens at the top. So you can spend a good couple of hours there. A little chilly for a walk, we stopped in the cafe for an afternoon pick up - for me that meant milkshake and cake. Before we headed back down I purchased a little cable car fridge magnet from the gift shop because my mum loves all the fridge magnets I buy when travelling. 

Joke. 

She hates them. 

Sorry Mum.

Before we headed back to our hotel, we went to look at the parliament buildings. Not quite as extravagant as London's Houses of Parliament, but it was still an impressive place. The Executive Wing is referred to as 'The Beehive' because, well, it looks like a beehive. I, however, think it looks more like a Darlek from Doctor Who. Second picture down is me pretending I'm Jacinda and running the country. Obviously. 

We did some research and eventually decided on Viva Mexico for dinner which, after a little bit of confusion, was a short Uber journey away in the suburb of Newton. We did initially end up in the smaller version in the city centre and had a very upset chef when we realised we were in the wrong place and didn't want to stay (their menu was a lot smaller and I had my heart set on enchiladas). 

When we arrived, Viva Mexico was buzzing. We ordered margaritas and soaked in the atmosphere. I did order the enchiladas but had major regrets as I had picked a chilli chocolate one which, it turns out, my tastebuds are not a fan of. Completely down to my poor choices though - because the place was great and I would certainly go back.

For breakfast the following day, we headed to the Cuban themed 'Fidel's Cafe'.  Another place with a lot of character that was an enjoyable experience. Completely didn't help my strong desire to visit Cuba of course - it's on the list! The only downside was the hour wait for our food! My baked eggs were delicious though and it was definetely my favourite of the two breakfasts!

We decided to spend the rest of the day on a bike ride. I really wanted to see the windy Wellington sign which was quite a long way out of the city centre - probably a bit too far to walk. We found some Onzo's (bikes to rent) and took a wonderful ride along the waterfront. The wind was very strong so we were gliding along for about an hour. This was great - until we had to turn back the other way. The wind was so strong I had my feet on the ground, holding the brakes, and I was still rolling backwards!! Needless to say, I spent a lot of the journey back walking/contemplating an Uber. The weather was glorious though (for November) and we did indeed make it to a spot where I could see the sign. In total, the ride cost us about $1.95 and was really fun - cheap day out!

The end of our bike ride almost meant the end of our time in Wellington, but not before a quick trip to Wellington Chocolate Factory which is oddly in the city centre (I was expecting some warehouse in the middle of nowhere - but no it's just a small hidden little building on Eva Street). I would absolutely recommend a visit here - the hot chocolate is delicious! 

After a final stroll enjoying the Wellington sunshine it was time to head back to Auckland. This time I was prepared for the wind, as I had been watching the planes taking off on our bike ride (so I knew they were going to be bouncy), and I can happily say I did not leave my handbag on the plane this time - just my water bottle, but who needs those anyway.

*following my trip to Wellington, I decided that I actually quite liked New Zealand, and therefore cancelled my flight home and extended for another 2 months. Which meant more trips to come..!