Made it to Wellington

Wellington Harbour

We made it to Wellington!  Home of our Nat.  Yeah!  As she is currently tied up in a training course her lovely parents, Roger and Robyn, welcomed us at the airport and have been just wonderful hosts.

Robyn and the evacuation sign

They took us for a drive to see a few of the sights around the harbour before heading to their home.





I got a kick out of the new tsunami evacuation signs.  I just don't know how those little penguins know how to read the signs or will make it up the stairs.

Wahine Memorial Park honours the 53 people of the 733 passengers and crew that perished in 1968 when Tropical Cyclone Giselle capsized and sank a ferry in the harbour.

Victoria University of Wellington has a research programme on the captive breeding of tuatara and there's a viewing station open on campus.  Tuatara are reptiles native to New Zealand and are one of the four types of reptiles.  The species dates back about 230 million years.  It's estimated the population is between 60,000 to 100,000.



Today, they took us out on the inaugural Horowhenua Taste Trail and we got to see a lot of beautiful scenery along the way.



We didn't stop at all nine stops but we did a few.  At RJs Licorice I picked up some all sorts for my niece and nephew.





The Levin Eel farm was interesting.  Apparently New Zealand smoked eels are popular in Europe and Asia.




The most interesting stop for me was at Tendertips Asparagus where we learned about all things asparagus and an up close view of the assembly lines.


This was my first time ever seeing purple asparagus.  Who knew that there was such a thing as purple asparagus?  It's good; just a bit sweeter than "normal" green asparagus.

Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand

The Moeraki Boulders Scenic Reserve lies along a stretch of Koekohe Beach between Moeraki and Hampden.

It's about 75 km (46 miles) north of Dunedin up State Highway 1.  By bus it takes less than 1,5 hours.

The boulders were created by the cementation of mudstone which have been exhumed by coastal erosion.

Scientists date the formation of the boulders to be between 60 - 65 million years ago.

The boulders all weigh several tons each.  About one-third of them are 0,5 to 1 metre (~1,5 - 3 feet) in diameter.  The rest range from 1,5 to 2,2 metres (~5 to 7,2 feet) in diameter.

The Māori legend is that the boulders are gourds that washed up from a canoe several hundred years ago.

Visiting the boulders is well worth a little day trip.  I expect that the busiest times would be sunrise and sunset when all of the amateur photographers are all trying to get the perfect shot.



The best part of the day was just getting to see the Pacific (or actually the South Pacific) Ocean.

Dunedin, New Zealand

Dunedin is home to about 127,000 people.  It is the 7th largest city in New Zealand but the second largest on the South Island.  The city is named after Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, as "Dunedin" is the Scottish Gaelic word for "Edinburgh".

The area was settled by the Māori around 1300 and it is known as Ōtepoti.  Europeans settled here in 1848 and Dunedin was incorporated in 1855.

The Octagon is the eight-sided plaza in the city centre.  There's a statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns and a number of plaques on the paving around the Octagon make up a "writers' walk" of notable local authors.  In 2014, the city was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Literature.

Near the Octagon is the Town Hall.  Initial construction was completed in 1880.  It was renovated in 1989.






St. Paul's is the city's Anglican cathedral.  It was consecrated in 1919.

First Church of Otago is Dunedin's primary Presbyterian church.  It was consecrated in 1873.





All Saints' Church serves the Anglican parish on the north side of the city.  It was completed in 1865 and is the city's oldest church.

The Cenotaph is located at Queen's Gardens and is the city's main war memorial.  It honours those from Dunedin who died in WWI and WWII while serving in New Zealand's armed forces.

Europeans settled the area during the Victorian era so it makes sense that there's a statue of Queen Victoria at Queen's Gardens.



The Botanic Garden was established in 1863 and is the oldest in New Zealand.






Cadbury World is a popular destination featuring a self-guided tour.





The Otago Settlers Museum opened in 1898.  It is the oldest museum in New Zealand.

The Otago Workers Memorial was dedicated in 2003 to those who have died as a result of work-related accidents.

The Dunedin Railway Station opened in 1906.




The Chinese Garden opened in 2008.  It is one of only three authentic Chinese gardens outside of China and is the only one in the southern hemisphere.




According to the Guinness Book of Records, Baldwin Street is the steepest street in the world.  It's a short street just under 350 metres (1,150 feet) long.



Its gradient is 1 in 2,9 and it makes for a nice little hike up to the top.

Napier, New Zealand

Napier is a city located in Hawke's Bay on the east coast of the New Zealand's north island.  It is about 320 km (199 miles) northeast of Wellington or just an hour flight from Auckland.

Napier has a population just over 62,000 people.  The city of Hastings is about 18 km (11 miles) south of Napier and together they make up "The Twin Cities".  Combined they are home to 131,000 people making it the country's sixth-largest urban area.

Napier was established in 1851.  The city received its coat of arms in 1951.

In 1931, most of Napier and Hastings were razed by a massive 7,8 earthquake.


Napier was rebuilt in the then popular Art Deco style.  It kind of has a South Beach, Miami, Florida feel to it because of the Art Deco buildings.





Every February, thousands of people descend on the city for an Art Deco Weekend festival where people all dress in the style.

In 2007, it was the country's first city to be nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site but in 2011 the nomination was declined for not meeting the appropriate criteria.

The Spirit of Napier

At Memorial Square is a monument for those New Zealand soldiers who died in WWII.



The Sunken Garden was established in the 1960s.  It is along the promenade but hidden below road level of passing cars.




St. John's Anglican Cathedral was consecrated in 1967.

The Pania of the Reef statue was unveiled in 1954.  Pania is a figure from Māori mythology and is king of the Kiwi version of Copenhagen's Little Mermaid.


The Sound Shell is on the promenade right by the sea.  The Art Deco venue is used regularly for concerts.






The National Aquarium of New Zealand opened in 1976.  It is home to more than 1500 animals of +50 species.



MTG Hawke's Bay Tai Ahuriri is a museum, theatre and art gallery. It was established in 1865 and the buildings were renovated in 2013.



The National Tobacco Company was founded in 1922.  Following the earthquake this building was built in 1933 mixing Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles.  Today it is a furniture store.

Napier Prison, built in 1862, was the country's oldest prison.  Besides being a prison it was also used an an orphanage and as a psychiatric unit.  It was decommissioned in 1993 and in 2002 it reopened as a tourist attraction.  There are many ghost stories associated with the prison.



The Centennial Gardens were established in 1974.  The gardens were once a quarry that was manned by prison labour.



The historic Napier Cemetery is no longer used for burials.  The 4,5 acre cemetery contains graves dating from 1855 to 1917.




The Botanical Gardens sit on about 17 hectares (42 acres).  Like the Centennial Gardens it was originally the result of prison labour.  Today it is a hidden gem and a great place to wander for a couple of hours.

Bluff Hill lookout is about a 40 minute hike from the centre.  It gives a great view of Hawke Bay.

For me the highlight was just getting to see the Pacific ocean.  I grew up in California and the beach was less than an hour away.  Living in landlocked Czech Republic just makes me miss the ocean more.