Day Two – 360 Degrees of Wellington

I was told Wellingtonians love their coffee (CNN recently named Wellington one of the top 8 international coffee destinations) and with a cafe on almost every corner, hitting at least one is a must!  So I started my Saturday sitting in the sun, sipping a latte from a coffee shop that is ranked among the top five in town.

I then began my hike to the lookout on the top of Mt. Victoria, a 693 ft climb.  The 360 degree views of the city, harbor and coastline were amazing and on my way to the top, I got a nice little tour of Wellington’s most pricey real estate… Serious life goals!

To reward myself for the calories burned, I treated myself to a nice lunch while laid out on a daybed overlooking the water.  (I know, counterproductive, but don’t judge!)  From the second floor deck, it was also great for people watching and go figure, I saw a Kiwi sporting a Tom Brady jersey.  I came all the way to New Zealand and that’s the jersey I see?!??  I can’t escape my favorite NFL player… (eye roll), lol.

People love being outside here and the waterfront is crowded with Kiwis running, biking or just lounging in the sun.  But whoever dubbed Chicago the “Windy City” clearly hasn’t been to Wellington.  I couldn’t even take a selfie without my hair blowing in my face.  (That’s supposed to be funny… but sadly, it’s also true.)

For those of you who know me, you know that while I appreciate museums, it’s not my favorite way to spend an afternoon.  But Wellington is home to New Zealand’s Te Papa museum, an essential introduction to the country’s people, cultures and landscape and listed as a must do in all the guidebooks.  With a closing time of 6pm, I stopped by at 4:30 and did a one-hour, fast-track, overview… and learned a lot about New Zealand in the process.  Now that’s how I like to tackle a museum!

Wellington is also considered the craft beer capital of New Zealand, so I decided I couldn’t leave without sampling a few.  I guess it only took one day to get over the insecurity of venturing out alone… I wondered into Malthouse, Wellington’s original craft beer bar and discovered a local brewery, Tuatara, was having their tap takeover kickoff party.  I had the bartender pour me a Hefeweizen and I saddled up on a bar stool in the back corner.  I must have looked lonely because not even five minutes later I was invited to join the group of Kiwis next to me.  Turns out it was the owner of Tuatara Brewery and his team celebrating their tap takeover launch!  I got to sample a nice selection of the beers he hand crafts and my tab was on the house!  Now that’s a proper Saturday night out in Wellington!

This blog entry was originally posted on www.KmayerAdventures.blogspot.com