Wellington

jpetesd

March 15

Welly, Welly, Welly...welcome to Wellington, the final frontier of the New Zealand portion of out adventure.

Wellington is the capital city and political center of New Zealand. The city is nestled at the southern tip of the North Island and overlooks the Cook Strait which separates the North and South Islands.

Parliament building. Fondly referred to as the Beehive.

Welly is surrounded by hills and a rugged coastline, providing stunning natural landscapes. Its location causes Wellington to be famously windy, earning it the nickname "Windy Wellington."

Kris and I decided to tackle Welly head-on with a good ol' walkabout. Our journey took us on a whirlwind tour (pun intended) from the waterfront to the hilltops. The Wellington cable car offers a scenic ride from near the waterfront to one of the highest points in the city. Most people ride the cable car up and back down. Some people will ride the car up and walk down. Not us. We walked up and cruised down in style!

A Kiwi staple. Meat pies. Quite good.

Mullet, meet Dreads.

Wellington is populated by 225,000 Kiwis living their best lives. Welly may be a relatively small city, but it packs a punch of charm. We thoroughly enjoyed walking this intimate city with its vibrant energy and bustling waterfront.

My kind of place.

Kris wants to join the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Next we sail across the Tasman Sea. This stretch of water is known for its large waves. Shortly after setting sail, the ship started swaying to the rhythm of thirteen-foot waves. Dinner became a high-stakes game of "Don't Drop the Plate" as dishes waltzed their way to the floor. China casualties: plenty.

During this watery chaos, a man approached me at dinner. "Are you Pete?" he asked, making me a bit nervous. I asked him how he knew who I was. He had just finished reading the copy of It's Just Walking I had donated to the ship's library as suggested by Kris' cousin, Mary. He recognized Kris and me from the picture on the author page at the back of the book. I knew it couldn't be from the cover of the book! He thoroughly enjoyed the book. At least that's what he told me!

And so, as we embark on our three-day voyage across the Tasman Sea, we brace ourselves for the waltz of the waves. We should have strong sea legs by the end of this trek. Enjoy land while we rock the Tasman Sea!