Windy Welly: Part 2

Apparently Windy Wellington (read Part 1) wasn't so windy when I arrived. The city was surprisingly calm and peaceful, despite all the crazy breeze tales I read and heard from websites and guidebooks.




The lodge I stayed in Wellington was rather quaint and quirky. Like this complaint buzzer.


haha!


Or this little birdy sitting on the window sill chillaxing (chilling + relaxing).




But the lodge itself was really cozy.





a sneak peak at another room while the cleaner left the room door ajar


And the best part was that it's facing the sea. :D







It would have been utterly romantic if I wasn't travelling alone.

That's the thing about staying alone in your own little luxury space when you travel solo.

There's no one to distract you when you miss your love one back home more so than before, wishing them here to be with you, sharing this with you. Sigh~


Another thing I learnt about New Zealand, apart from no ticket stub machines on trains, was that cars here were really cheap compared to back home.


Second hand Corrolla LX at NZD3k? Where to find this price in Malaysia?


So was car rentals.




If I weren't travelling solo, I would have hired a car and roam all around kiwi land with whoever's travelling with me. It's so bloody cheap. Compare to their counterparts Australia, price of car hire here was like heaven!


I also did find out that internet in New Zealand was F*CKING EXPENSIVE!!!




It's fine and dainty if you're just checking email in basic html or chatting on msn. But can you imagine how much it would cost to youtube?~ Holy shit, NZD5 gone in just a minute. *snap*


Anyway I was ready to go out for a walk into the city, though it was almost noon by the time I stepped out.




By the time I reached town, it was almost time for lunch, and I stopped by few shops to buy some stuffs for love ones back home (to be revealed soon) on my way.


Mirror image of me carrying my fruitful harvest


Seeing that it was afterall the capital of New Zealand, there were a few monumental government buildings to take note in Wellington, at least according to lonely planet guidebook on my hand that time.




Like this architecture that clearly resembled a beehive.




They call it the beehive building.


proof that I was here.


Following the walkthrough map on my guidebook, I managed to finish more than half of the walking route and to-dos listed on the book.

It's the best way to get to know Wellington.


an interesting phrase in front of a secondhand bookstore


The map brought me to fancy shopping malls with branded goods, and taught me how to appreciate the beautiful architecture along stretches of road.


luxury mall





Like this old bank that's converted to a mall of boutiques and cafes.





Starbucks in front


Underground you can still see the money vault that came with the bank last time.




Such nostalgia! I love buildings like this!

In some random shop along the street, I also spotted a Guess trolley luggage bag (which I've always wanted, not the design, but a Guess luggage in name) that's on sale.







Cheap!! I was so tempted to buy. But how was I going to carry everything, I already have two bag loads with me!


Took photo of a bronze man walking his dog in some alleyway.





okay, this photo did show that it's a bit windy. But it's not really.


Then, with dusk nearing and everything about to close. I traced back my footsteps to take the cable car up to the top where a botanical garden lied.





NZD5 for one adult ticket please


At first I thought the cable car was just a tourist trap, which I willingly took.

But turned out that it's not that simple.




In fact, up along the hill, there were many people who lived half hill and they took the cable car up and down to work everyday, like's it's the most normal thing in the world.

Now that's a bizarre transportation to go to work.


On top, the view of Wellington was breathtaking.













On one side, you could see the building in which the cable came in.




On the other side, you could see houses popping out from hill top and side all the way down to the town below.




There wasn't any golden moment that particular evening, I was standing there as the sky got darker and darker from pale blue to a navy shade.

So I decided to make a quick stroll in the Botanical Garden before heading back down.




This must be the highest botanical garden I've been to.




There were some scientific offices or old observational buildings inside, along with skateboarders and some Hong Kong tourists.

And also this cannon ball, which I had no idea why it was there. Must have some sentimental value to the town.







By now, I still hadn't had any food, so I took the cable car back down to town to look for some dinner, or brunner if you may (breakfast + lunch + dinner = brunner).

Then, out of no where, I stopped in front of this shop that literally brought me to laughter.




You gotta be kidding me?! Hahaha!!!

Check out Wellington style AUTHENTIC Kajang Satay.




Where 80 cents (in ringgit if you can find a cheap one, and dollars if you stumbled across a costly one in Malaysia) Roti TISU (in NZ say tissue la) cost 4.50 dollars here.










Okay, customers (presumably Malaysians) were giving me the I-think-she's-crazy stare already. Better get off.


Anyone up for a strip bar?





it made me questioned about the age of the bar seemingly the movie of that title wasn't that old


Maybe not tonight.
(or any night)


I came to Sweet Mother's Kitchen in hope to grab some grub for my hungry hungry stomach.




It said here on the guidebook that it's highly recommended by the editor, favoured by locals and tourists.

But alas, with such high recommendation, you would expect the place to be full.




:( :( :( *emo*


I went in to ask for a table for one, but to no avail either. I have to wait at least one hour on their waiting list in order to get anything.




SHIT.



what a way to ask you to drink


So with much reluctance, I left the restaurant and dined in a pub where the mascot was a pig.


wild boar, whatever



waiting for food.


Wasn't that bad really. But enough to cover my disappointment over not able to dine at Sweet Mother's Kicthen I couldn't measure.

It was pretty disappointing not able to dine at your chosen restaurant. :(

Though their portions were really big. They slapped half a whole avocado on top of my chicken. Yum.




I continue to explore a bit of the night scene in Wellington before heading back to my lodge on the train.


It's not New Zealand until you spotted some thrill rides in the middle of the city


I had to sleep early.

Because the next day, I was going on a ferry ride.




I was heading South. :D