Wellington to Waikanae

A 9 o'clock breakfast again this morning as we do not have far to go today - Waikanae via the classic car museum at Paraparaumu. 

Fruit again, including the infamous Tamarillo ( who sung that song, oh no, not quite the right title).  

The aforementioned Tamarillo.

All packed and ready to go, we take a last trip around the waterfront as we say goodbye to Windy Wellie, rain has stopped and sky is brightening, looks good for the journey.  Around the corner we pass the art gallery and shop, consider stopping for a gander, but doesn't open until 11 and since it's only just gone 10 we give it a miss.  Some derelict piers provide a good photo opp. though. 

As we hit the coast above Poriru a raft of birds is seen in the sea, but nowhere to stop and too far away to ID, although they looked like some kind of Petrel. We follow them down the coast for a while.

We have plenty of time, so call in to see what the metropolis of Paraparaumu has to offer on our way to the car museum. Sun is out and shining brightly.

Sign looks familiar, but it's a different place (just).

And the beach - well I guess they all look the same!

The car park at Southwards the Classic car museum is almost empty - hope it's open. It is. 

 Cor blimey, that's a lot of old cars (and other things!).  

The cars are in a very large hanger, 

and there's a downstairs too.  

Plus a 'corridor' of motorbikes/bicycles upstairs, 

and several alcoves with a variety of 'collectibles' including quite a few cabinets full of different novelty salt and pepper shakers (this has shades of the Bakelite Museum in Willenden). 

A number of hours are spent wandering around the display cars.  Some particular ones of note or peculiarity perhaps 

An MG that is older than ours

A car with handmade wicker bits on it

What?  they went round the world in that?

A Mumbai bus - do they really need that many mirrors? 

A row of old fire appliances

Harley Davidson motorbikes have changed a bit since this one

There's an old Gypsy Moth plane too. 

Managed to escape the cars by mid afternoon and find our way to B&B on the beachfront at Waikanae.  Good views from the balcony, bedroom and lounge area. 

Eric soaks up the rays (with Factor50 on of course)

Filled up with tea, drop scones and chocolate cake we venture out the 50yds to walk along the beach to the estuary.  See if we can spot any of the birds we missed on our tour last Monday. 

There are large flocks of mixed birds in the sea, with terns ( both white- fronted and Caspian) diving for fish, gulls, two different types of Shearwater (Sooty and Fluttering) we think, Black-backed Gulls, Red-billed Gulls, Shag and potentially and Arctic Skua. A good start.  It's Whitebait season and there must be shoal of those or some other fish out there as the birds are in a feeding frenzy. 

Kapiti Island is in the background, a very important site for birds in NZ.

We catch up with those feisty Oystercatchers further along the beach, so give them a wide berth, 

and the White-fronted Terns on the edge of the estuary. They are nesting and we do not want to disturb (or be dive-bombed!).   

There is plenty of driftwood on the beach, and here people have taken to making 'artworks' with some of the pieces.

The smaller driftwood here forms it's own little barrier to temporarily hold the tide back, until it is breached in some places. 

Also quite a lot of shells on the beach - we think this is a new one for us.

Stroll back to accommodation, miss the sunset as

we are out for dinner just a little further along the road. Two starter meals with sides, just to leave room for the pudding - divine!

Restaurant is busy and late when we return, and so to bed.

Wet & Windy Welli.

Well last nights rain was still with us when we awoke this morning. And Wellington is certainly living up to its nickname of the Windy City. 

We ponder what to do for the day given the weather forecast looks pretty grim for the rest of the day too. 

All that has to wait until we have had breakfast, which we meant to photograph yesterday, but in our enthusiasm we had tucked in before taking the picture. We requested a repeat this morning (not just because we needed to take the picture though).

This may explain why!

One came with bacon, the other was with added fruit. 

So back to today's venture - we had been told by a number of people that Weta Cave was an essential stop on any Wellington itinerary. It is a film studio specialising in special effects and responsibile for an number of Sci-fi and adventure films including Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Godzilla and many more. 

It has a lot of merchandising for the Lord of the Rings films and does tours of the studio explaining their work. Some essential items to buy, we are told, include Hobbit feet and ears - who can resist that eh! Especially at 54NZD for a pair of ears (that's about £25).

The studio is just a short walk away, there is a bijou problem in that the walk is over what seems like a mountain. 

After finishing of the pancakes, and the fruit, and the toast, and the croissants, and several cups of tea we don the weatherproof gear and set out for the studios, having been provided with an idiot proof map by our host. (you guessed it- nothing is foolproof for a suitably qualified fool).

We have to start off by using one of the tsunami escape routes up the side of the hill/cliff/mountain. 

Eric starts off on the zigzag path. 

And keeps zigzagging 

After innumerable zigs and an equal number of zags we reach this point - Eric thinks there won't be room for many people at the Tsunami Safe Location - it's at the junction of one of the zigzags 

We get to the top of this pathway 

and take what turns out to be a number of wrong turns by not following the map as well as we should, eventually having to ask a local builder, who confirms what we already know - we are lost. 

Following his directions and retracing our steps we get back on track and easily spot our error. In our defence the public path clearly looks like it is down someone's driveway, which it is, only to subtly turn behind a hedge. So it will be obvious when we make the return trip. 

On the way down the hill we spot this...

Not sure which is Worser, the bay or the school or their grammar.

We hadn't booked a tour as we weren't too bothered given we are not great Sci-fi fans, but thought if there was space available we may well do it, we just wanted a peak at the Hobbit ears obviously. 

The reticence was coupled with the fact that we knew that two cruise liners had docked in Wellington and, as they are only there a day, the passengers may well fill up such venues. 

We have to start off by saying the tour was absolutely brilliant. 

After a short film on the initial founding and aims of the firm we are guided around part of the workshop and given detail of how the props are made and some of the intricacies of the work that goes into creating the effects. There are many to see, though they are very tight on security with no pictures allowed, and where some items are being made, they ensure that only part of the process is seen. This means no one could "spill the beans " on any upcoming project. 

We are able to take some pictures around the museum and shop. 

Eric confers with Gollum as to where he thinks the Ring may be

Has a quick chat with one of the trolls

Lunchtime now and there is a handy cafe that we were recommended just a block away en-route back to the B&B. 

We pass more Tsunami Safe Zone signage.  Is one safe on one side of the line and not the other?

After the large breakfast we limit lunch to a healthy snack - tea plus crepes and fruit for one and a coconut and lemon cake for the other. We are on holiday not in a health spa, so that counts as healthy. 

Consulting the map for the return leg we see the path we missed on the way and set off up the hill. Lucky we are not on an orienteering challenge as this time we take the wrong option on the way back, and after making our way down a suitable looking path that looked like it was signposted 'Pedestrian Access to Karaka Road' find ourselves in someone's back garden.  Back we go (up lots of steps) and try again, this time successfully. You really have to see the way the houses are piled on top of each other along the hillside here to appreciate how easy these mistakes were to make. 

The day is still best described by the blog title so we consider what the afternoon should be filled with. We haven't been to the cinema here this time round so make that the order of the day. Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore in "Miss You Already". The creative arts of Weta Studio not needed for this one, not a single battle scene.  We are the only ones watching the film. Seats are comfy and film enjoyable, who can ask for more.

Visit art gallery shop on way back to car, and manage not to make any purchases, even though there are zillions of gorgeous things in the shop. Picnic on the waterfront and return to the B&B, or 'hosted accommodation' as it may be alternatively called. 

Whilst sat in our lounge writing this entry we spy one of the cruise ships leaving Wellington for Akaroa on the South Island. 

Packing, cups of tea, chat with host and bed.

Wellington Day Two

Leisurely 9 am breakfast again. This time our fellow tourists are already at the table, and we discover the reason for the 2am doorbell ringing. It was a taxi turning up to take them for another hospital venture. This time for an eye injury (to the young man, who's originally from Glasgow). The injury was sustained whilst out on our night walk and he had woken later in the night with it being swollen and painful. He had a cut on his cornea - ouch!  We make jokes about them writing a book about 'NZ hospitals we have known and loved'.  They are going to the zoo today to feed the Red Panda and walk the Cheetah (let's hope there's no more accidents). 

Plans for today include a roundabout drive along the coast (where else) to visit the Te Papa Museum. We briefly visited here last year and wanted a longer look. 

The route around the shoreline took us along 'Happy Valley Road' on the journey into the city.  We pass some interesting looking metal and stone sculptures 

but the other side of the road also looks a bit like a scrap yard. 

Then see sign saying it's a mini-golf and paintball place, then the sign showing it is Carlucci Land. 

Check it out on Google and it has four and a half star review on the Trip review site many people use to plan their holiday.

Parking at the museum is easy, but although Wellington seemed fairly quiet today, there are only three spaces left. We do find one of them without much trouble though. 

There is a special exhibition on about Gallipoli. A lot of New Zealand soldiers fought and died there. It was busy and we sometimes had to wait to read info in particular parts. The exhibition was very moving though, with some absolutely fantastic much larger than life size models of soldiers. It explained the real life story about each person modelled, based on real individual army personnel, including a nurse and a doctor. 

You were allowed to take photos as long as they were for personal use, but obviously not allowed to touch the models. This was quite difficult not to do as they were so life-like but just giant size. The people even had cuts and bruises on their hands, sweat on their faces and flies depicted landing on them, to bring the horror of the situation to life. The person's words from diaries were also narrated as you stood around the model. 

The doctor; can you see the fly on his hand?

The lady in the RHS of the photo should give you some idea of scale

The was also a life size kitted out body, with helpful little cut out bits, to show how much they had to carry and what sort of standard the equipment was

When the snipers were shooting out of the trenches, one person would shoot whilst one person would use a periscope/telescope thing to tell the other where to aim.

A model showed the complicated dug-outs on Quinn's Post - this was very detailed and interesting to see, together with diaries, movie and photos of people there.

A display of a lit up skeleton was animated to show the damage done to the human form from the various weapons used, with a different button to press for animating shrapnel, bullets, grenades and artillery shell fire.

This is some stills taken of the shrapnel one

We toured the remainder of the museum after leaving the Gallipoli exhibition, stopping at the comfy cafe on the fourth floor for a late lunch first 

(we did not partake in any afters i.e. cake, did I hear a gasp of shock?).

Our luncheon venue as viewed from above. The whole design of the building is very pleasant with a large open area through the centre spanning several floors.

Eric said could he have a go in that plane please. 

Eric takes a fancy to this luggage but wonders if we be allowed to get all of this in the hold. 

A quick walk along the quay to try and find an art gallery shop we were recommended ends in failure. So the wallets at least stay shut for the moment. 

Back in the car and it's more coastal driving travelling back to the B&B. The rain promised for this afternoon has not arrived yet and we stop at a cafe on Greta Point for the delayed cake fix. Lemon and coconut cake with a small bowl of sharp plain yogurt on the side - surprisingly tasty together. 

Further along the drive back we see this 'wind sculpture'

Every now and again there are also words painted on the road showing where the Tsunami evacuation zone exits are - Wellington has very steep cliffs along it's edges.

I bet it wouldn't take long to make it up the 280 metres if you thought there was a big wave coming!!

Back at the ranch several cups of tea are imbibed whilst catching up with blogging. As we've eaten quite well today we don't need to find a restaurant tonight. Our hostess offers a bowl of leek and potato soup - gratefully accepted by one - and delicious. Must get recipe.

Heavy rain starts about eight thirty - let's hope it's stopped by the morning.