Capital of Kiwi Wellington Most Windy City in the Southern Hemisphere

Kiwi slide

Top of Victoria Mt. Our white ship in background next to the Westpak round stadium

Wellington from Victoria

Part Way Up

Due to arrive at noon today it was COLD and foggy. Temps of 63F on deck we had a long breakfast in La Terrazza inside with Mary K. the Kanuk from Canada that loves to give us a hard time about the Donald and the Gestapo Homeland Security of the USA. We give her a hard time back for all we are worth. She is a lovely lady from Ontario so we have things in common. She shaved her head yesterday as she likes it short, just a little stubble left it looked good. Her late husband was a medical educator and worked and talked all over the world so she is well traveled. Five years ago we did the big Milford Trek in the NZ with a lot of hiking and one of our impromptu hikes was Mount Victoria in Wellington. Today we walked from the shuttle drop off for about 3 miles along the waterfront to the start of the same hike. We knew we needed to get to the church on the hill but were not sure how. Found a street that lead up but it ended so we took switch back after switch back of stairs that are meant for traveling to private homes on the hill. Finally got to the church and them up some streets and to the trail head. Up very steep clay trails through open grass, pine woods, ferns, etc. It was a HARD HIKE but we made the top again! 200 meters up from sea level is not a lot but not easy either. After getting back to town by feet we stopped at a restaurant we had been to before in town. Very fantastic "platter" of "fried food" It was fondue, chicken, beef, polenta, foie gras, olives, and bread, wonderful. The first item on the beer menu was "Black Dog Chomp" Beer. This is amazing for reasons you will later hear about in a separate blog about a new American Hero!

Side Note: I am going to post so we are up to date but because of the poor internet in NZ we cannot upload photos. They will come later.

Platter in Wellington