In 1865, Wellington became the capital city due to its location at the bottom of the North Island, surpassing Auckland. We liked the city much better than the metropolis in the north, and we would have liked to spend more time here (unlike in Auckland).
We started our exploration with a city tour that began at Civic Square. Various postmodern and older buildings surround this square, and a bridge leads to the harbor.
There, we were able to see three rays swimming in the harbor basin, sharing the waters with swimmers and boats, thanks to the clear water and beautiful weather.
We walked along the harbor until we reached the Wellington Museum, which housed a modern exhibition on the city's history and maritime heritage.
The location by the sea and the surrounding hilly landscape reminded us of San Francisco. But what reminded us even more of the Californian city was the next tourist attraction we visited: the Cable Car. Since 1902, the funicular has been overcoming the 120 meters of elevation difference in about five minutes.Along the way, we passed through tunnels with light effects before arriving at the Cable Car Museum on the mountain. After visiting the old cars in the museum, we continued on to the botanical garden, which featured a large green area, greenhouses, and a rose garden. Behind it is Bolton St. Memorial Park, which houses many old graves. A large monument at the entrance is dedicated to Richard John Seddon (1845-1906), a former prime minister who died in office. Under his government, New Zealand became the first country to grant women the right to vote in 1893 - although women's rights activists of the time, such as Kate Sheppard, also played a significant role in this achievement. In the historic Thorndon area, we also saw some historical houses, many of them situated on hillsides, which made it challenging to navigate through the neighborhood... As we got closer to the city center, we saw several religious buildings, such as the Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul, which was inaugurated in 1964. Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul Although it was large, it was nowhere near as beautiful as its predecessor, the Old St. Paul's Church. Old St. Paul's Church The wooden church, which appeared small compared to the modern high-rise jungle, had a simple exterior but a very beautiful wooden interior. Old St. Paul's Church The government buildings are located in close proximity.The old Parliament building now serves as a library. Parliament House previously housed the two chambers of the New Zealand Parliament, based on the English model. However, the two-chamber system was abolished in 1951.Currently, there are first and second votes in the elections, which our guide presented to us during a tour of the Parliament interior as the "German system". Parliament House and Beehive The Parliament House was never fully completed due to world wars and economic crises. Instead of continuing the original construction, the Beehive was added in the 1970s, so-called because of its shape. The building is quite controversial and has been voted the third ugliest building in the world... Old Government Buildings On the other side of the street are the Old Government Buildings, which, despite their appearance, were built of wood. Te Papa Tongarewa Of course, we couldn't miss a visit to Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand. However, it seems to us that all museums in New Zealand cover the same five themes, each with a different emphasis: the settlement of New Zealand by Maori and Europeans, the Treaty of Waitangi, Maori culture, the impact of introduced species on native flora and fauna, and wars involving New Zealand. Exhibition on the Treaty of Waitangi We still visited all the exhibitions, including the one on World War I. It focused on the Battle of Gallipoli in Turkey, where many New Zealand men lost their lives. What stood out were the gigantic figures, 2.4 times life-size, which were created by Weta Workshops, usually involved in film productions, and depicted scenes from the war. As before, we found the glorification of the soldiers strange. We were also taken aback by the exhibition section where visitors could play as a sniper and fire from a trench. Old Bank Arcade We had some time to stroll through the city center during our stay but were surprised by the early closing times... After three days in Wellington, we took the ferry to Picton on the South Island.
