My love affair with Wellington has persisted through another spectacular weekend spent in the city. My friends and I briefly considered going on a hiking trip with Victoria University's Tramping Club ("tramping" means hiking in Kiwi lingo... kind of an important distinction). Unfortunately Cyclone Lusi was on her way into town and we didn't want to get caught out in the wilderness in 130 km/hour winds. I mentioned it before, but one of the main reasons I chose Wellington was because I was really looking for a great "home base" for my travels. While I want to see as much of New Zealand as possible, I really wanted to immerse myself in one place. Wellington has turned out to be the perfect city for that. Allow me to continue on my "Why I love Wellington so much" spiel:
Cuba Street
Cuba Street is the heart of Wellington. Never have I ever seen a more adorable, spunky, and vibrant street than Cuba in Wellington. First of all, Wellington has the most coffee shops per capita than any other city in the world. This becomes very obvious as you stroll down Cuba Street. For every little boutique there seems to be two or three quaint coffee shops (and trust me, there are a lot of cute little boutiques). Additionally, there is this really cool "bucket fountain" in the middle of Cuba. Most cities boast fancy, elegant fountains, but not Wellington. Get too close to this fountain and you're bound to get wet.
The best part about Cuba Street (and the rest of the city) is that it's so accessible. Although Victoria is located on a hill above the heart of the city, it's just a quick 10-15 minute walk. It's a rare day when I don't get down to the city for some reason or another.
Cuba is also home to some bars and restuarants, but the main night life is found on Courtney Place (just a block away from Cuba). Our favorite bars (thus far) have been a bar called Alice and The Library. Alice was designed after "Alice in Wonderland" and you can purchase your drinks in tea pots and share with a friend in tea cups. The Library is a cozy bar complete with shelves on shelves of books.
Cuba is also home to some bars and restuarants, but the main night life is found on Courtney Place (just a block away from Cuba). Our favorite bars (thus far) have been a bar called Alice and The Library. Alice was designed after "Alice in Wonderland" and you can purchase your drinks in tea pots and share with a friend in tea cups. The Library is a cozy bar complete with shelves on shelves of books.
Mt. Victoria
Located above the city on the opposite side of campus is Mt. Victoria. Compared to the rest of New Zealand's geography, this is hardly a mountain. It's more of a glorified lookout spot with a 15-20 minute uphill climb (or a 5 minute drive to the top). I've now gone up Mt. Vic twice to check out views of the city and the harbor. It's STUNNING. We've discovered a great Fish 'n Chips restaurant right at the bottom of the mountain which is quite dangerous.... but way too good. We've been there a few too many times at this point.
Oriental Bay
Oriental Bay is a small bay in the city complete with a beach! While I have yet to actually have a "beach day," I have walked down to the water and enjoyed the views. I've found it to be a great place to go for a run (it's flat!) and just hang out to enjoy a beautiful Wellington day. They say you can't beat Wellington on a good day, and Oriental Bay is a perfect example of this.
this past weekend....
This past weekend was another great one in Wellington! Having no Friday classes allows me to start my weekend a little early which I've been loving. This past Friday my friend Liga and I explored the botanical gardens located near campus and then went down to the waterfront for our first swim! It was COLD and unbelievably salty. I mean, I knew it was salt water, but I'm pretty sure it's saltier here than anywhere in the states I've ever been swimming. Regardless, I'm so glad we did it and if the weather cooperates we may go again. It took us a little while to jump though, and we attracted quite a crowd. Everyone wanted to witness the dumb Americans take the leap. Afterwards, a man asked us if we had just gotten off the cruise ship, to which we replied, "Nope, we live here!" It was great.
The rest of the weekend was spent exploring the city, joining in on the nightlife on Courtney Place, and planning our trip to the south island! So far we have a car rental and that's about it. We have so much we want to see and two weeks to do it. I already can't wait!
OH and about the cyclone this past weekend. Well, it turned out to be just "kind of" a cyclone. We were supposed to get 130 km/hour winds (scary) from Cyclone Lusi but it kind of dissipated before it got to Wellington. It is pretty windy here though-- I've begun to embrace the "wind-blown" look.
Just classes this week and then hopefully we'll go exploring this weekend. We're thinking of finding Rivendell which is located outside of Wellington and was a filming spot for Lord of the Rings. Should be a good time! I'll keep you posted, as always :)
OH and about the cyclone this past weekend. Well, it turned out to be just "kind of" a cyclone. We were supposed to get 130 km/hour winds (scary) from Cyclone Lusi but it kind of dissipated before it got to Wellington. It is pretty windy here though-- I've begun to embrace the "wind-blown" look.
Just classes this week and then hopefully we'll go exploring this weekend. We're thinking of finding Rivendell which is located outside of Wellington and was a filming spot for Lord of the Rings. Should be a good time! I'll keep you posted, as always :)