Waking Up in Wellington

It is a wonder that we woke up at all this morning in Wellington. We arrived at our B&B at around 11p.m. last night.  Our train from Auckland was four hours late and we were a little tired. I remember once travelling across Ontario in the winter. We were exactly 24 hours late getting into Toronto because the undercarriage of the train had frozen solid somewhere north of Lake Superior. We sat all night in the freezing cars, with all the toilets frozen as well of course. Yesterday's adventure was not as uncomfortable as that one...in fact it was very pleasant to sit in a luxurious and clean car with comfortable seats, watching the New Zealand country side roll by. Just a long haul as we had boarded the train at 7:30 a.m. expecting to arrive in Wellington at 6:30 p.m.

The overnight in Auckland had been fun. We drove back down from the Whangarei Heads without incident, finding this Italian bakery on the way as advised by our hosts at the B&B. The baked goods looked like works of art, but we resisted and had just a latte. After checking into a central hotel we meandered through the downtown core of Auckland and settled in a little bistro for dinner in an alley full of such places....Vulcan Alley.

We were really looking forward to the Book Lovers B&B here in Wellington. Set in a residential neighbourhood, overlooking Oriental Beach, this is a tired old place, whose 19th century charm is barely showing through the clutter and attempts to modernize. It reminds me of an old time boarding house.

There are books....shelved, stacked, piled all over the place. There is an ironing board and iron standing in the main hall upstairs, quilts hanging on the stair rail.  It is one of those places that once you get over the eccentricity of the hostess and the boxes piled in the dining room, the filthy windows and unkempt yard, it becomes fodder for one's next novel and a yet another joy of travelling.

But the house is positioned well, just below Mount Victoria, so this morning found us climbing through the green belt for a view of the harbour before descending through the neighbourhood of cliff hanging houses to the beach.

There were mothers with toddlers on bikes and scooters, runners, cyclists, strollers out on the walk way. And when we got close to the city centre it was lunch break from the offices and stores.  Outdoor seating abounds and some of it is pretty unique. These giant bean bag chairs were outside two different eateries.

The highlight of the morning was a visit to the Te Papa Museum...a national treasure. Admission is free and children, for whom much of the museum is designed with interactive and learning centres throughout, were there today by the hundreds.

My favourite displays were of the Maori history and culture. Softly lit, a replica of a village stands at the centre of the huge hall, with smaller displays round the sides to tell the stories of these early settlers. The wood carvings, mat weaving and feather garments were stunning.

What surprises will we find as we head south to Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula?