Where the heck are we now?: Wellington, capital city of New Zealand

After some great days in Napier we were on the bus to our next stop which was Wellington and as usual here the landscapes were beautiful...

Lots of farmland and pasture...

When I am not looking out the window I pass the time with my audiobook and knitting...

As we got further along the landscape became greener and hillier as we passed over some high terrain...

When we arrived in Wellington we realized it was a city built in a bowl surrounded by a harbour on one side and high hills on the other and our accommodation was located almost at the top. Here was our view overlooking Wellington harbour

Notice the airport is located right in the middle of the city...

We walked down the hill every day but took an Uber back up...

Even our driveway was steep...

Wellington is a city of around 220,000 and the capital of New Zealand. It is also the most southerly point of the North Island and our last stop here before taking the ferry further south. We only spent a few days here and did a lot of walking around as it is a very compact city. The architecture was quite interesting...

Large modern homes in the hills...

Many Victorian style homes further down in the city which reminded me of San Francisco...

Lots of older building repurposed...

Our view walking down everyday...

One of the most popular things to do in Wellington is to take the cable car...

The Wellington Cable Car built in 1902 is a funicular railway running between Lambton Quay, the main shopping area in Wellington and Kelburn, a suburb in the hills overlooking the central city, rising almost 400 feet. It is recognized as the iconic symbol of Wellington, in fact I had seen this picture before but did not know it was taken here. I am always pleased when we are travelling to discover these little facts.

The Botanical Gardens are also located on top of the hill but we took the wrong turn and did not see most of it, only realized we missed it after we came down! But here are a few photos...

There is a Sculpture Trail including this Bronze Form by the famous Henry Moore...

The Begonia House...

The Rose Gardens...

Wellington was declared a city in 1840, and was chosen to be the capital city of New Zealand in 1865 instead of Auckland. Here are the Parliament Buildings....

The government here is a constitutional monarchy with a Governor General that represents the Queen, much like Canada. They also have 120 Members of Parliment plus a Speaker and Leader of the House.

This is one of the newer buildings which the locals call “ The Beehive”.

Wellington has a well developed water front which on the weekend was full of people enjoying the day...

Lots of pop up shops...

There is also a small city beach which was crowded on a hot Sunday afternoon...

These boat sheds have been here since 1905...

Lots of public art...this one is called Solace in the Wind and is a life sized bronze of a naked man arched towards the water on the Waterfront.

These oversized sea urchins portray kinda, a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. It is titled, “ Nga Kina” as a tribute to the Maori settlement that once lived on this point of land.

And here is Te Papa (Our Place), the National Museum of New Zealand which was magnificent as well as free. Many of the exhibits speak to the Maori culture...

At the entrance are these large carved poles called waharoa and are used to welcome visitors. The stand here to honour the various peoples who have settled in New Zealand, including:

the great Māori ancestor Kupe, and the many ocean-going people who followed him across the Pacific
Abel Tasman, James Cook, and other European navigators
other ethnic groups who subsequently arrived here

Many exhibits explain the history of the Maori, the founding Peoples of New Zealand...

A replica of one of the boats that carried the Maori across the ocean to discover New Zealand. When land was spotted the cry was “ a cloud, a cloud, a white cloud, a long white cloud” resulting in the Maori name for the place, Aotearoa.

There are exhibits showing the nature of the country, lots of interactive displays for children..

However the one that fascinated us most was this one, with description notes from the gallery...

Gallipoli: The scale of Our War combines the world of museums with the world-class creative artistry of Weta Workshop to immerse you in the eight-month Gallipoli campaign.

The ground-breaking exhibition tells the story through the eyes and words of eight ordinary New Zealanders who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Each is captured frozen in a moment of time on a monumental scale – 2.4 times human size.

The giant sculptures took a staggering 24,000 hours to create, and countless hours were spent researching their rich histories.

Cutting-edge technology was also used to create 3-D maps and projections, miniatures, models, dioramas, and a range of interactive experiences that bring New Zealand’s Gallipoli story to life.

In total, 2,779 Kiwis lost their lives on Gallipoli, and many others were scarred for ever. Gallipoli: The scale of Our War takes you to the core of this defining event.

First of all I knew that Weta Workshop had designed for the Lord of the Rings series so the sculptures would be well done and they were unbelievable!

Don standing next to one of the sculptures, he was a private who was sentenced to death for falling asleep at his post but later his sentence was overturned. Each of the fiqures told their stories of their experiences in Gallipoli in their own words...

Closeup...

A nurse...

Another...

This exhibit was so well done and educational that we both know a lot more about the Battle of Gallipoli, one in which Newfoundlander fought as well. This museum visit was amazing and we didn't even get to see all of the exhibits.

Wellington has a lot of vibrant street life...