It has been a couple weeks since I have blogged. I have been very busy with the move to the North Island and getting situated with my beautiful new family!
Let's go back in time.... Two Wednesday mornings ago I bid farewell and gave a huge thanks to my cousins. I have had such a wonderful time living in Christchurch with them. I climbed aboard the Nakedbus at 7am and began my trip to Picton. About 3 hours into the drive we stopped in Kaikoura for lunch. It was absolutely freezing but ever so beautiful. You could see bits of snow covering the tips of the mountains.
I stopped in at one of the local shops and bought myself some mittens... Absolutely obsessed with them!
We loaded back on the bus after some coffee and made our way to Picton. It was a very rainy day which was actually quite nice because I was able to relax for a bit in the hostel. I stayed at Big Cod Backpacker, a three minute walk from the ferry I would be catching in the morning. It was a cozy little place. I walked in and was greeted by a lovely woman who I chatted with about my adventures. She showed me to my room where I'd be bunking with two English girls.
I felt right at home and joined in with the girls watching Titanic in the lounging room. Perfect for a rainy day!
About two hours before dark the sky cleared so I decided to go site seeing around town and ended up trekking one of the shorter trails near my hostel. Bob's Bay trek was very muddy from all the rain but was still rewarding.
Bob's Bay led down to Shelly Beach where I was able to snap some of my now favorite photos. So much color even though it was a cloudy day. What a view!
I trekked back the same way I came; managing to only partially cover myself with mud, and returned to the hostel just before dark. I made some dinner and met a lovely family from Australia that was on holiday and also enjoying the beauty of New Zealand. The kids (about 7 and 8) told me they were only allowed to watch PG movies... We shuffled through our options and after much contemplation, I introduced them to Grease. Their first comment was "this looks OLD" haha. But the music had them dancing soon after. What a classic!
I was able to get a good nights sleep before waking up at 4:45am to catch the Interislander Ferry. Another freezing day. Good thing I had some sweet mittens to keep me warm! I boarded the ferry and was greeted by a very sweet employee, Mafi, that I chatted with a bit and then he showed me around the boat a bit, introducing me to the front room that had the best views. We sailed along through the Malborough Sounds with six foot swells beating the sides of the boat.
I caught a bus into town and was dropped off at the railway station where I asked directions to the nearest backpackers. Directly across from the railway station was Downtown Backpackers. How convenient! It was massive... The size of a hotel! And really pretty :)
I quickly noticed that Wellington was at a completely different pace than that of the cities I'd been to on the South Island. I felt like I was back in the states, waiting to cross six lanes of busy traffic and passing one large building after another. Still beautiful though! I reserved a bed, dropped my bags off, and went back out to explore the city.
I walked around The Harbourfront (seen above), map in hand; first stop- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (meaning "Our Place"). It is the one of largest museums in the world and definitely the largest I've ever been to. Exhibition space is equal to that of three football fields!
The first exhibit I visited was the "Mountains to Sea" exhibit that had a variety of New Zealand's plants and animals on display.
The gorgeous insect and snail exhibit had me thinking about my beautiful mother and everything she taught me about moths and butterflies. One of my favorite exhibits.
The New Zealand Kiwi and other assorted animals.
A life sized Moa, I used the gentleman in front of me to show this flightless bird's size.
The Colossal Squid!! Can you say MASSIVE! This is a Colossal Squid that was found in 2007 when it was caught on a longline in Antarctica. He is measured at 4.2 meters and weighs 495 kilos. The Colossal Squid is the largest known invertebrate on earth. If you want to read more about this beast CLICK HERE.
This room was fantastic. You could walk along the map and every square you stepped on had informative facts about that certain area which were revealed on the wall next to you.
There was obviously much more but I don't want to give it all away! You will just have to see it for yourself. :)
Just down from Te Papa was Te Raukura- the wharewaka (canoe house) exhibit that is home to Wellington's two waka (canoes). Before 1880, this area was home to one of Wellington's largest Maori communities. These canoes were the Maori's main mode of transport. The exhibit stated that this building is "a fulfillment of a vision to establish and return a Maori presence to the area."
I then walked on to cross the City-to-Sea Bridge that links Frank Kitts Park and Civic Square.
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| Frank Kitts Park |
The bridge is decorated with Pacific-style woodcarvings-
I was fascinated by the carvings and excited to see what lay on the other side of the bridge. And there it was! The Civic Square.
What incredible architecture! The square is lined by the City Gallery, the Town Hall, the Visitor Information Center, the Public Library, the City Council Center, concert venues, and the Michael Fowler Centre. Many of which I was able to visit!
Suspended in the middle of the square is Neil Dawson's ferns sculpture.
After I finished admiring the magnificent architecture of Civic Square, I popped into the City & Sea Museum just around the corner.
It was created between 1925 and 1926; board members met here to discuss operations of the port and deal with various issues. The exhibit offered headphones that could be worn to listen to real past events and issues that took place in that very board room.
I went on to explore some of the other exhibits--
I was able to learn a lot about Wellington in one day. Ever so exhausted, I returned to my hostel and passed out for a few hours. When I awoke, I was greeted by my hostel mates, Benjamin and his lovely girlfriend from France. I got to know them a little and learned they would be studying at Victoria University right there in Wellington, both studying psychology. Benjamin took me out on the town to show me the night life. After discovering there wasn't much on a Thursday night, we stumbled upon a small bar which seemed to be the only happening place in town. We were instantly urged to join in on conversations carried on by people from all over the world. In one circle I met people from Brazil, Germany, France, Canada, Switzerland, and a few other places. It was incredible hearing everyone's stories, their different backgrounds, and how we all shared similar dreams to see New Zealand. A lad I met from Brazil, Paulo, and I spent a lot of time together sharing stories and I learned he was also a surfer. He agreed to show me around to the local surf spots in Wellington the following day. After a fantastic night of meeting new people, Benjamin and I said goodbye and headed back to our room.
The next morning I met up with Paulo and of course it was pouring but we didn't let it hold us back. He showed me all the different spots where the locals paddle out. There had to be at least ten spots he showed me. What a surfer's heaven Wellington is! After, we went for brunch at a local cafe where I had some of the best coffee and food of my life.
He ordered the fish and potatoes and I the big breakfast-->
SCRUMPTIOUS!
It was a great rainy day. Thanks so much Paulo!
That night I just hung around the backpackers, packing and preparing for my eleven hour Nakedbus ride to my new home.
Wellington was wonderful and I hope to visit again before I leave New Zealand. The bus ride north was very long but I was able to see heaps of snow and many gorgeous places in passing as well as meet some very sweet people on the bus. I arrived in Te Kauwhata at 7:30pm where I was met by my lovely new host mum, Mareet! She drove me to the place I would call home for the next six months and in shock I was; never did I ever see myself living on a cow farm!
What an adventure! Feeling so very blessed and ever so excited. Many more adventures to come! Thanks for reading. Will share again soon.
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