Helen and Randall on the road

After driving down from Hawkes Bay in glorious sunshine, we crossed the Rimutaka range and emerged into cold, wet and windy Wellington where I went for a swim (in the pool!) on the waterfront and then we went to meet up with David Beer (old family friend) and his New Zealand family:

Someone looks like Aunty Rachel…

They kindly put us up in a spare room, then David took a day off his landscape design business Eden Gardens to show us around Wellington, starting with the Waterfront:

Stylish public loos, Welly waterfront

Coffee Bus

City to Sea Bridge

Then to the incredible Te Papa which reminded me of the old Commonwealth Institute building but bang up to date.

Curry menu del dia for lunch!

Constitutional up Mt Victoria after calling round to pick up Lucy and Jasmine:

Then off to The Weta Cave – the public face of the company that has made the special effects for Peter Jackson from Bad Taste through to Lord of the Rings as well as for loads of other films – where Randall got to meet Gollum:

Little CJ from District 9

with a stop off for Hokey Pokey ice cream:

before a short hike up to the Ataturk Memorial for fabulous 360 views of the city.

Then it was beer-o-clock so we started in the legendary Welsh Bar:

Before heading over to Hashigo Zake, one of David (a craft beer buff)’s favourites, then the Tap Haus with it’s astonishing range of beers and incredibly enthusiastic bar man who had me tasting several of the the 8.5% (I)IPAs (yum!):