Excursion Down Under part VIII

Down Under- part VIII

Saturday, April 5,2014 Wellington, New Zealand

During the evening hours, The Dawn Princess motored across Hawke’s Bay, rounding Cape Kidnappers and down the east Coast. She rounded Cape Palliser and on into Cook Strait which separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It is a three hour ferry ride acroos the Strait. Finally, she passed between the Palmer and Pencarow headlands and on into Wellington harbor.

We were up early and made our way to the deck 14 cafeteria for omelets and coffee. Then we assembled at 9:30 A.M. and joined our bus, ship side tour of Wellington.

Wellington is the nation’s capital. She sits astride the far southern flank of the North Island, just across from Picton on the Southern island. In 1840, three English ships had landed here, The HMS Oriental, the Tori and the Aurora. The differences with the Maoris over land rights had started from the inception of their landing. An 1841 Treaty of Waitingi had supposedly ironed out a compromise between the two cultures but the violent land wars continued for several more years until the Maoris were forcibly subdued.

Our first stop in Wellington was the old Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul’s. Made entirely of wood, she dates back to 1866. Though no longer in use as a church, the magnificently carved structure is managed by a trust and serves as a popular wedding and reception hall. We admired the many religious items on display denoting her former glory. One anomaly caught our attention. A united State Marine Corps banner hung from her rafters. Further inquiry elicited the fact that the Marine Corps units during WW II had used the building as a gathering place for their men. Some 60,000 troops were stationed here during WW II. The relations were favorable and 1500 NZ girls went home to America as War Brides.

The West Pac soccer stadium nearby seats 35,000 fans. The country, like Australia, is mad for soccer. We passed by the New Zealand Parliament, an imposing structure. Local wags call it the Beehive Parliament both for the building’s shape and the incessant buzz that goes on inside. The Thistle Inn, the oldest pub in NZ passed by as we drove along Queen’s Wharf. It is a newly renovated waterfront area with shops, restaurants and commercial activities. A scenic waterfront walkway runs for several miles here passing many of downtown Wellington’s museums, marinas and restaurants. We viewed the imposing Te Papa museum, which houses a huge Maori history collection and a geological record of the area. We planned to stop there later in the day.

The bus took us up several narrow and winding roads to the top of Mt. Victoria. The 360-degree view of the ocean, surrounding mountains and valleys is impressive. All of Wellington laid spread out before us in the hills and valleys atop Evans Bay. Sir Peter Jackson, famed director of the whole Lord of the Rings series, lives here on an island in nearby Merma Bay. The driver told us that they call the City “Windy Wellington” because for 170 days of the year in which they experience winds over 35 knots per hour.

We were passing through Kelburn an upscale and hilly suburb. Here sits the Royal Botanical gardens. We stopped by for an hour to admire the scores of beds of colorful rose on its grounds. A glassed in botanical structure and a small café serving tea and biscuits drew in throngs on this sunny and warm Fall day.

The bus dropped us off in Courtney Square in downtown Wellington. There are over three hundred restaurants within a few miles of here. The daily river of some 20,000-college students attending Victoria University make the downtown area a happening place to be. We set off walking along the beautiful waterfront. Throngs of New Zealanders were kayaking in the harbor, swimming in the jetty or lounging about in seaside cafes.

The Te Papa museum sits here astride the water. We entered this four-story edifice and settled into its first floor cafeteria to enjoy sandwiches and coffee. The place has a Wi-Fi connection so we also caught up on correspondence with home. The museum is massive in size and scope. Huge Maori war canoes, ceremonial meeting houses and all manner of artifacts are artfully displayed. The geological history and make up of the island is displayed in interactive exhibits for NZ School children. We wandered the floors for a time, admiring the exhibits but were tiring form the day. We gathered our things and set off back along the waterfront to find Courtney Square and the bus back to the ship.

We did so without incident and passed back though the security gates and onto the ship. We sat for a time on our deck nine balcony, enjoying a late day glass of wine and watching sailing regattas flit across the ocean all around us. It really is an idyllic place. The sand man claimed us in late afternoon. We enjoyed the respite.

The Venetian dining room, on deck six, found us seated for dinner with only George. His wife had succumbed to the dreaded Noro Virus. She was confined to her room for the next three days. Teams of cleaners came in daily and changed her bedding and disinfected the place. What a bummer for her on vacation.

Prawns, with a Caesar salad, a mahi mahi fish course, ice cream and coffee, with a cabernet wine made for a wonderful dinner. We were tired from the day and made our way back to the cabin to read and retire. We had to turn our watches back one hour, for the change in time zones tomorrow, as we went further south and west.