A Day In Wellington

It’s time to reveal the secret of why I’m in Wellington. A little while ago, a YouTuber I watch that specialises in Victorian railway videos released one on Wellington’s rail lines¹. It looked like an interesting thing to see which, apart from just needing a bit of a break, is the reason why I decided to cross the Tasman. Today was meant to be the first line to tour. Alas, the best laid plans…

Something like this happening was budgeted into the plan though. I had a day free, so I decided to spend it today to around Wellington. After a brief stop at New World to grab an extension cord (the electric plugs are never where you want them) and another water bottle, I thought it was good to visit the cable car, followed by the botanical gardens. Unbeknownst to me, the cable car was about 100 metres from where I was staying. Also unbeknownst to me, the botanical gardens are right at the summit. So the morning was dedicated to that.

As nice as the gardens were, what really excited me was seeing the native birds. The tūīs are lovely. Their calls remind me of a bird back home that habitats temporal forests. I’m not sure what Aussie bird the kākā would be closest to. They’re a really interesting parrot to watch: I saw one of them was dangling on a branch from its beak. I really liked their calls too.

After a short lunch, I decided to walk the boardwalk for a bit. I went as far as Oriental Bay Beach when I realised how close I was to Mount Victoria. It was not an easy climb but the views were worth it. Spectacular vistas over the bay and Wellington Central.

Also, an amazing place for plane spotting.

Much of the day was spent at that time. I had a quick drink at the hotel, then went to Grazie Ristorante and Bar for dinner (pro tip: enter via the hotel lobby). I’m back at the hotel just resting now.

I don’t know if I’ll write one of these for every day that I’m away. Experience takes priority over blogging about it. And while this is hardly Instagram, I did heed the advice from various journalists recommending that those on holiday shouldn’t publish too much about their trip, lest they make others envious or reveal too much about a place that could be overrun by visitors (this from someone that decided to book the trip based on a YouTube video). That said, I do regret not sharing more of my trips in the past. I like it when others share details or photos about theirs, and I want to document it somewhere, so it may as well be here.