Wellington, 2023: Harbor Scenes

From our campsite near the national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, we walked the harbor waterfront both directions on different days, toward the Bluebridge ferry terminal one way and then beyond Oriental Bay the other way. It's a lively and scenic area, day and night.

Initially we thought these were tourists gathering for boat rides...

But no, it's local civic dragon boat practice

The waterfront is a a place of memorials

Looking toward the Bluebridge ferry terminal and beyond it the
container city; sandwiched in between is the cruise ship terminal

Looking back across the harbor toward Te Papa and then Oriental
Bay

Huge climbing gym near the former customs house

The Deloitte team going for it

Sculpture commemorating the discoverers

Thus

Back to Te Papa

Interesting artsy house in Oriental Bay

Deco echo and more interesting stuff on the hill above

And looking back to Te Papa and the city from Oriental Bay

Wellington, 2023: Downtown Scenes

Mostly architecture, mostly art deco, from our several walks in the downtown area...

Still our all-time favorite art deco fire station

We're construing this one as deco echo, conceding
that other descriptions might better apply

There is much public sculpture in Wellington, this
among the more traditional

There are many glass and steel wonders in the CBD;
somehow they don't quite excite the imagination

Now in the government district, on the side of a government
building..."Queen of New Zealand"

The Beehive; seat of government; definitely not art deco

Older, classical government building

Back to art deco...look at the windows...

Interesting public art

The Pacific sculpture bridge

2010 Rugby World Cup commemorative sculpture...evocative
description below

And did you know that the All Blacks, NZ's national rugby team,
has been ranked number #1 in the world more times than all other
teams combined?

Back to contemporary architecture, the Michael Fowler Centre

Really old and huge fig just off the waterfront

One last art deco, with seismic reinforcement?

Wellington's Theosophical Hall; hey, Palmerston North has one...

Interim Update #1,275: On The South Island!

It's a long story, to be recounted in due course, but thanks to Vicki's persistence, we got on the 2AM Saturday Bluebridge ferry--delayed, of course, until after 7AM--but finally got to Picton, South Island, in time for lunch in Havelock at an old favorite, The Mussel Pot. We're now in Nelson, looking forward to its Sunday market, and then heading on to the Abel Tasman national park and some day hikes there. Hurrah!

Me, there, displaying a humongous 4" mussel shell;
the green shell/lip mussels, "greenies," are even larger
than I'd remembered...

Wellington, 2023: Botanical Garden

Wellington's a great walking town, especially near the harbor, where it's flat. Beyond that, it's even more hilly than San Francisco. To get the great harbor views, we always take the cable car, stop at the cable car museum and watch all the old cable car and funicular videos, and then walk down through the city's botanical garden.

Since 2018, they've installed new tunnel lighting...hoping
for a 2001: A Space Odyssey effect, I guess

An Interislander ferry crosses the harbor...we wonder whether this was
the Kaitaki, which subsequently lost power in the Marlborough Straits
and drifted for a mile, issuing a mayday call before finally being
rescued...just before the tropical cyclone...

We are probably the only people that have even watched all five
films; every visit...

As the diorama celebrates, Wellington is a town with
some 400 privately-owned funiculars...

Helpful model #4,306

Ritual harbor view selfie, 2023

Inland environs

Still bloomin'

Pohutukawa forest, all planted in the 19th century...they are not native
this far south...see below

Click to enlarge for important historical background

Another forest

Hydrangeas going strong

A specimen kauri

Really big aloes

Not rhododendron

Special artsy-fartsy...

Now off the hill, in the flower garden section

Roses, of course