Seduced by the charms of Wellington on a previous visit, we were keen to return this time even though it added considerable complexity to our itinerary. Getting to Wellington from Picton is delightful, as the ferry serenely cruises out through the Queen Charlotte Sound and we did it on a bright sunny morning. Upon entering the Cook Strait the wind picked up sharply to a “walking requires effort” bluster and the outside rear observation deck emptied quickly. Inside there was a revitalising fry up to compensate for our early start, and free wifi to help pass the three and a half hour crossing time—although the coffee was not of the same standard I had come to expect after two weeks of visiting only Lonely Planet recommended cafés.
Disembarking in Wellington we immediately realised that campervans are not the ideal accommodation in a city when the nearest campsite to the city centre is an hour’s bus ride away! We worked around this by using Uber (thank goodness for free roaming in NZ on three.co.uk) but it was an inconvenience that the guide book had glossed over. On our subsequent day we just drove into the city. The SatNav made even Wellington’s one-way system straightforward and campervan-suitable parking is available near the Te Papa museum.
Having our own transport did allow us to enjoy a few sights not easily accessible from the city centre. The Zealandia wildlife sanctuary was a very worthwhile expedition allowing us to get up close to some native birds (Kākā, Tūī, Kakariki, Hihi plus the flightless Takahē) as well as Tuatara reptiles. The onsite café was excellent too, which is always important at these attractions! It was another fine day too so we also took in the views from Mount Victoria, although driving up there in a campervan was rather exciting and reminiscent of some of our South Island driving experiences! We even managed an hour in Te Papa just before it closed—it remains as excellent as ever.
After the rural and remote pleasures of the South Island, it was also a lot of fun to enjoy some city life. We were there for the weekend so there was a buzzy atmosphere wherever we went. One relaxed afternoon was spent in the garden of Fidel’s café in Bohemian Cuba Street, then later that evening we had cocktails at The Library, a fun theme bar who did not bat an eyelid when we arrived carrying a baby in a hiking rucksack and asked for a table. After dinner we found ourselves in Midnight Espresso, a late night café with a great vibe and a selection of vegan cake so large that Rosie could not eat all items then-and-there and some had to be taken away!
After the vibrant weekend scene in Wellington we expected our final night in Auckland, a Monday, to be rather quiet. The guidebook had also suggested the CBD where we were staying was not the most exciting part of the city but when we ventured out of our hotel in search of dinner about 6:30pm the streets were nicely lively. With a little bit of luck (our first choice of restaurant was a little too busy) we found ourselves having dinner at Masu. The Japanese food was excellent, accompanied by some lovely NZ wine and there was an enjoyably buzzy atmosphere—more like a Thursday or Friday than a Monday. It was a great note on which to end the holiday.