Ironically it was cheaper to fly from Christchurch to Wellington then it was to get the ferry across the small passage. I think it was the shortest flight I have ever taken, and it appeared that just as we took off we were coming into land. Very bizarre.

Again due to time constrictions I only had one night in Wellington, which is a shame as it appeared to be a lovely city from what I saw. Our flight landed at 3.30pm and I was panicking about getting from the airport into the city in time to see some things. Luckily on the plane I was sat beside an English lady who had moved over to New Zealand 10 years ago. She very kindly offered to drive me into town as her work place was near my hostel. This offer is just typical of the spirit of New Zealand. Without having to go through passport control it meant we were out of the airport in no time and whizzing into the city. My ride explained about the city and took a small detour to show me the sights.

Wellington was designed by the British back in London, who unfortunately did not take into account how the land actually was. Therefore, roads apparently end or do not meet other roads. They had also designed to have an inland port but due to an earthquake raising the land several feet it was no longer possible as they could not get the water to flow uphill! Wellington is also the capital city of New Zealand but only houses around 386,000 residents. Imagine London that size.

From what little I saw of the capital, it appealed a lot. It appeared very relaxed with a variety of locally owned shops displaying a vast range of wares that were not massed produced. It meant that there was a sense of freedom and individuality. My hostel was really nice and modern whilst set in a historical building. I did not spend much time there though!

My first stop was the renowned Te Papa museum. This was wonderfully interactive, great for kids and adults! There were some interesting Maori displays, along with a great section on natural Earth where you could see a giant squid or experience an earthquake. It was definitely a highlight and I could see why it had been recommended to me so much.

My only evening there I met a friend of a friend, called Zowie. She took me out to see the bars of Wellington and it was an awesome night. We started in a lovely bar, where oddly you had to walk through a well to do restaurant to get there. The bar was outside allowing me to enjoy the warmer weather, a definite change from the south! The next bar was slightly quirky with a seaside fair feel to it. Hard to describe but interesting all the same. Following this we entered a bar which looked like someones home. The small outside entrance opened into quite a large bar and outside space. Finally the last bar was my favourite. It was called Alice and based on Alice in Wonderland. A small bar was met with tall chairs, and around the bar the furniture varied in height. An old version of Alice played silently on a old fashioned TV. Our drinks were served out of a teapot into teacups. It was just magical and a great place.

As I was able to see a version of Wellington that was not mainstream, I think it appealed to me greatly. I had excellent company and a fun night. Wellington is definitely a place I would like to return to. Unfortunately I had too little time there as early the next morning I rolled out to Napier, art deco and wine country.