Wellington, New Zealand - December 2010

In December 2010 we were on a cruise around New Zealand, one of the stops was at Wellington. We had never been to Wellington before but came away with a new favourite city in New Zealand. The shopping and cafes were excellent, with the city small enough to get around on foot so it was a hassle free day.

The view from our balcony.

On our walking tour of Wellington.

The ship docked right beside the Westpac Trust Stadium, from our balcony we could see over the stands into the ground. We had the option of a shuttle bus into the city centre but we opted to walk the couple of kilometres. On the way into town we visited the Beehive and then Parliament House, New Zealand's seat of Parliamentary power. From there we walked along Manners Street to the mall so Sam could get in a bit of retail therapy. After the shopping we headed to the trendy Cuba Street and its mall where we found a nice cafe where I kicked back whilst Sam continued on her shopping mission.

That'd be the Beehive.

Walking back to the ship in the afternoon was a little harder as we were now carrying the spoils of the shopping expedition. Wellington is famous for its weather and it looked like we were indeed going to get some. Just as the ship was leaving a gusty front came through, bringing with it strong winds and rain, the waters of Lambton Harbour whipped into a bit of a frenzy.

Heading back to the ship with the spoils of the shopping expedition.

Hmmm...looks like we may have some weather on the way.

Leaving the harbour we passed Pencarrow Lighthouse as our our ship headed south east so it could round Cape Palliser and then start to head up the coast to our next stop at Napier. We spent the early evening watching the changing colours on the hills as the storm abated and the sun started to set. All in all, another hard day of cruising!

Sailing out of  Lambton Harbour.

The pilot boat as we clear the harbour.

The Dirt.
We cruised with Princess on this trip, it was our first cruise with them. We liked the experience a lot and they have now become our cruise company of choice. I can't remember the name of the cafe in Cuba Street but there are plenty of options and they all seem pretty good.

Pencarrow Lighthouse.