Wellington (Te Whanganui a Tara in Maori )is the capital and the second largest city of NZ. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range.

Once again we are blessed with sunshine but a rather bracing wind ensures we know which city we are in !! The city centre is a short (15 minute) complimentary shuttle bus ride from the cruise ship with 2 stops; at the Beehive and then south of the city center in Wakefield Street. With a compact and vibrant city centre it is easy to grab a map and get out exploring on foot. I decided to start at the "Beehive" and work my way south meandering along the laneways and streets to discover what Wellington had to offer.

Parliament buildings - The beehive-shaped building houses the most ferocious animal of the country, the politician. Designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence and built between 1964 and 1979, the building with its distinctive shape is the city's most love-it-or-hate-it piece of architecture. Next door is the more classical building of the old Parliament House which now houses the archives, built in 1907 in Neoclassical Edwardian style. On the other side of the road is the old Government building (now the Victoria University Faculty of Law) which had the distinction of being the second largest wooden building in the world (after Todai-ji Temple in Japan). The imaginative use of kauri, one of New Zealand's premier native timbers, could never be replicated in any present-day building because New Zealand's remaining kauri forests are under permanent protection. As a side note, the foundations are made from Tasmanian hardwood!!

Walking along Lambton Quay I locate Cable Car Lane off to my right and the Wellington icon - The Kelburn cable car. The cable car departs every 10 minutes (Cost $9 NZD return for an adult) and provides amazing views of the city. I did the return trip but you have the option of a single trip and then visit the cable car museum or walk down to the Wellington Botanic Garden. (I did this last time I was here so opted for further exploring today)

Cuba Street. Cuba Street is a creative, quirky, eclectic and culinary melting pot of street buskers, art galleries, vintage clothing, graffiti-filled alleyways, quirky cafes, nationally acclaimed restaurants, and community exhibition spaces. Here you will see a mix of soberly-dressed business suits, holidaymakers and people generally having fun. It is full of life and character.

The Bucket Fountain is an iconic kinetic sculpture located in the pedestrianized mall section of this famous street. It consists of a series of "buckets" that fill with water until they tip, spilling their load into the buckets and pool below. The fountain was designed by Burren and Keen and erected in 1969. It is fun to simply sit and people watch.....who gets splashed by the fountain? .....what performance might I see???

Waterfront. Another enjoyable and popular place to walk is the Waterfront which has been revitalized. It is flat with a wide range of cafes, bars etc to enjoy. For those with children, I recommend Frank Kitts Park with its wonderful playground including a lighthouse slide. Close by is Te Ngakau (Civic Square) where you can see some amazing street art and sculptures. I have since discovered that you can download a free map for a city walk to view the sculptures which I wish I had known about (this website will not let me give you the link but suggest you google city sculpture walk)

Te Papa Museum If you only do one thing in Wellington be sure to visit this fascinating, amazing, interactive museum and it costs absolutely nothing. That is right, admission it is FREE.

The national museum of New Zealand is for curious minds of any age to discover the treasures of New Zealand's land and people. Spread over 6 floors, the exhibits are innovative and interactive, telling stories of New Zealand's unique geological, biological, cultural and social history in new and exciting ways. To be honest I think you could spend days here and still not see everything. I started from level 6 with its viewing platform offering a panoramic view of the harbour and worked my way down. I can only hope my photos will give you some idea of the diversity of exhibits.