April 22, 2019 / Wellington
Sun started peeking out on Easter Monday morning. And I was off on my feet, hiking to Mt. Victoria (Matairangi) summit. The hike through Wellington green belt was one of the best experiences for me. Although the dirt trail was wet and muddy in spots, it was a brilliant hike with more than 600 ft. elevation gain through amazing urban forest with impressive views of the city unfolding every step of the way. Apollo would’ve had a field day here!
I got to see two fern plants along the trail. The fern leaves are part of NZ uniform in most sports – rugby and cricket. Shared by mountain bikers and hikers, the urban forest belt has multiple trails crisscrossing through it. But they were all well marked and I stayed on the lookout walkway to make it to the top of Mt. Victoria. The varied flora and fauna of NZ is celebrated along the way with informational markers.
At the summit the lookout point offers awe inspiring view of the Wellington city, the airport and all the bays surrounding it. The runway of the small airport serving the city can be seen clearly and I got to see few landings and takeoffs.
There was a cannon gun on top close to a Maori column. And I laughed to myself- the Maori is happy to put up a column highlighting their culture while the European immigrants would rather celebrate their culture with an artillery gun!
An informational board allowed me learn about windy Wellington and how the city’s location by Cook strait is responsible for strong winds throughout the year.
Descending from the top, I took the lookout walkway to Oriental Bay. The bay is beautiful – as with any waterfront setting. This bay distinguished itself by being very clean – I could clearly see the sand and rocks beneath the water.
Walking by the Oriental Parade, I made my way to through the various quays and marinas to the back of Te papa museum where the iconic Solace of the Wind sculpture leans into the harsh gales of Wellington bay. Hikitia, Australasia’s only floating crane was anchored in the harbor behind the museum.
Continuing to walk by the quay, I moved inward and stopped by the Wellington museum. The small museum has information about Wellington’s maritime history and how it became the capital, how things existed a millennium back as well as some Maori artifacts.
From there, I made my way to the Parliament House. While individuals do not need a booking to join the parliament tour, since the Christchurch shooting, tour sizes had been reduced temporarily and all tours for the day were booked in full. At the suggestion of the security guard, I called in and they accommodated me in a tour later in the afternoon.
In the time I had to kill, I strolled over to Old St. Paul Cathedral to see the stained glasses and bit of the church’s history. Interestingly, a star spangled banner (with 48 stars) hangs alongside US Marine Corp flag inside the cathedral celebrating the friendship of NZ and USA from WW II time.
Back at the Parliament, the tour started with a video & welcome message from the speaker of the house and an intro into NZ political process. A commonwealth nation with allegiance to the Queen, the island nation has only one house. The upper house, the equivalent of House of Lords in U.K., was done away with in 1950 as it became “redundant “. With elections every three years and mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting, the country’s political system is fascinating and a stark contrast to the dysfunctional political system in USA. The tour also took us through two significant rooms – the erstwhile upper house that is used only for ceremonial purposes & visits by the Queen or her representative. We also visited the subcommittee room that deals with Maori affairs.
The incredibly fascinating working allows for even a non-NZ citizen to participate in its bill reading & law creation process! I was ashamed at the end of the tour and confessed as such to my tour guide who was sympathetic and more optimistic than me that the current ills of the American politics will soon pass!
I had intended to visit Zealandia, an eco-sanctuary that I missed in my two day stay here. In addition, Wellington also has a zoo, day tours to LOTR/Hobbit movie locales and more.