We forgot to put one of the pictures in yesterday's blog, so here it is now.
The Welsh flag raised in our honour at Napier (You may or may not notice that here's an English flag behind it, that's because there was an English couple staying there as well, although we didn't get to meet them).
As we have a long drive today, it was a fairly early start. There was not too much of note on the journey south, although many of the hills along the route looked like bread dough that someone had pushed their pudgy fingers into, possibly Slartibartfast's cousin (for those of you not in the know, you need to read 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy').
There was also one huge wind farm ( this is just a small portion of it) with nearly all the turbines spinning.
We stopped at Greytown for lunch. This is the first planned inland town in NZ, and there are quite a few old houses and a big gum tree, plus some boutique type shops and art galleries. Apparently it is now a trendy out of town place for Wellingtonians to live.
As we crossed the Rimutaka Ridge the road lived up to it's reputation for bendiness. For about 10 miles we slalomed up and then down the far side. We did stop at the top for this view.
Arriving at Wellington a little earlier than expected we had some time to kill before we could book in to the Homestay B&B. as always, being near the sea meant a trip around the local headland and beaches. Driving carefully to avoid the local fauna.
Wellington is an amazingly hilly place, with steep cliffs fairly close to the water's edge in places. We find out later that the beaches in this area exist because the land was lifted up about 8m during the 1885 earthquake (not sure if that date is right). There are houses nearly everywhere you could fit one, and some places that look almost impossible, like halfway up the cliff with the only access appearing to be a personal funicular railway. Lots of the houses had these. I think we could do with one of these to ensure our trips to the top of the garden continue into our dotage! An incredible landscape.
Our accommodation is on a hill so steep it almost needs an escalator. It's also a cul-de-sac, which makes turning the car around fun! Book in, have a cup of tea with the host, and then hit the town.
The B&B.
Across the road to the Botanic Gardens, which are free to enter. Tulips in full display,
plus lots of other interesting garden bits.
Duck pond yields some Grey Duck, one with her chicks.
Onwards, or should I say Upwards, we go to the Observatory that is on the top of the hill in the Botanic Gardens. Shut at the moment but there is a good view from the gun emplacement over the downtown area and the aeroplanes coming into land.
Is Eric trying to shoot down the plane?
Find the cable car station and descend to the city centre
- it was 50c cheaper to go down than to go up, so we decided the exercise was good for us and that we would walk back up.
Before tackling the hilly bits we walk along the waterfront.
Wellington is the capital city and has the Parliment building, which is called 'the beehive'. Quite a lot of interesting architecture, with old interspersed with new.
Getting a little lost on our return to Tinakori Street for something to eat we ask a local person - she kindly offers to show us as she is walking the same way. Striking up a conversation she said she had been to Wales once, to Powys Castle - whilst married (for a short time) to a lad from Shropshire. As we approached a row of old houses she said that she lived in a flat in one of the houses (on the left of picture, with the blue window frames) and told us a little about the history of the street.
We had an excellent dinner at the Bistro on Tinakori Street. Fillet steak for some and mushroom risotto for others. Finished off with a gluten free chocolate cake, creme Anglais and raspberry sorbet.
Eric still puzzling over what had made those bird tracks in the cream again.