Fragments from the Australia Diaries 2000 (part 26) - NZ South Island

SOUTH ISLAND...SWEET AS

We arrived in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, our last stop before the South Island. Wellington is terrific, I took to it a lot more than Auckland. It's got a great harbour that the town and its hills have bloomed around, and that's exactly what it feels like, a 'town'. It's very easy to get around, has a great relaxed friendly vibe and is confident in its coolness when it comes to food. music, and the arts.

At first we were scoffing it’s slogan “Wellington, the Windy City”, a balmy breeze at best. It wasn’t long before we were wearing everything we owned, battling the gale force gusts. These were fierce winds, the sensation was like being beaten in the face by a wet fish (who doesn't love a fish beating!). 

We had fallen on our feet, Sharon has relos there, so they scooted us around the city in their jeep. They brought us to the National Museum of New Zealand. If you like interactive displays and learning about a country's history, this is a wonderful example of how to do it seamlessly. We all loved it and could have spent all day there. We ended the day with a slap up meal, CHOICE! (this is one of my many newly adopted Kiwi phrases, which I will sprinkle throughout my thoughts… hee hee… you hadn’t thought I’d stop there had you?)

Due to time, money, and a general dread of organising, we succumbed to the idea the Kiwi Experience was our only option for the South Island. (NOOooooo).

Well as luck would have it, our bus driver is really laid back, none of this forced bonding, and the other passengers are pretty cool. It turned out to be the best decision we could have made…. TOO EASY.

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