22/06/2018 - South of Wellington

We spent four nights at the "Camp Wellington & Coastal Lodge". Now it was time to say goodbye. After all the "cooler" campsites (both socially and spatially), it was good to be able to take a seat in a spacious living area and interact with people of the same age. We thanked Simon for his loving hospitality and got the car ready. But before we finally left "Shelly Bay", we redeemed a voucher at the neighboring café that Simon gave us at check-in. We ordered a piece of cake each with our free hot beverages. (Note: It was only 10:00 am!) It didn't take long for the hot chocolates, chocolate and carrot cakes to be brought. Despite the early hour, we enjoyed the sweet sins. After everything was eaten and drunk, we had to take a deep breath... The delicious feast brought a lot of sugar with it - we felt full and sluggish.
With elevated sugar levels, we started a new day in New Zealand's capital. Without any big plans, the road spontaneously led us to a parking lot with a view of the "Wellington" airport. From here, we had a good view of the runway.

On YouTube, you can find various amateur videos documenting turbulent landings in "Windy Welly". Fortunately, there were no strong winds on this day and all pilots safely landed their aircraft on the first attempt.

Mostly, we saw smaller propeller planes that only travel within New Zealand. Before departure, it got exciting again. A turbine airplane from Singapore began landing. Compared to all the other planes, it used the entire length of the runway and then drove past us to the terminal - what a noise!
During the observations, we let ourselves be inspired by the internet about what else we could do in the vicinity. In a remote district of Wellington, "Owhiro Bay", we started a walk by the sea. In addition to a few hikers, we encountered occasional SUVs that were allowed to drive on the same track.
The further we progressed, the more we saw of the South Island! With good visibility, the other main island of New Zealand is actually easily visible - hard to believe, but true. :)
After 45 minutes, we reached the goal of the coastal walk. Actually, we didn't expect it anymore; but every now and then, you are taught otherwise. ;) Sea lions! They were spread all over the rocky cliffs. As we crossed a high gorge, many more were lazing on the other side of the hill. Some slept by the side of the path, while others found a sleeping place further up. We have seen the lazy snouts many times before - and yet it is always a pleasure. :)
From information boards, we learned that mainly males retreat here to search for new hunting grounds at night.
On the way back to the car, we discovered red rocks between the cliffs and on the shore. They are remnants of former volcanic underwater activities that left behind iron oxide.
After the spontaneous excursion, we crossed the city center of Wellington to "Petone". This led us into a traffic jam - what an unusual situation. A look at the clock explained everything. The rush hour was in full swing at 4:00 pm - big city life.
Back at the new, or rather familiar, accommodation, the hunger slowly set in. We were satisfied from the café visit all day long. But for dinner, it could be leftovers from the previous day.

Tomorrow, we are going to another sports event at the "Westpac Stadium"! :)