Wellington - Mt Victoria

After a couple of rainy days I wanted to get out and walk. Mount Victoria looked like a good spot to see, but I didn’t really want to walk all the way to the top. So I took a bus to the top and walked back down and into town. The view from the top really is spectacular. You can see all of Wellington, the airport, the harbor, and dimly in the distance the outline of South Island.

I found the trail that would lead me back down to the city center and headed out. The trails are very well marked and have signs indicating whether the trail gives priority to hikers or bikers. Despite having rained heavily the past couple of days, the pine needles and roots kept the ground from being marshy. I took my time and watched where I stepped and had no problems with slipping or getting muddy.

It was a beautiful walk. Lots of pines up near the top of the mountain, mixed in with tree ferns and vibrantly green underbrush, plus some eucalyptus, which I assume are Australian imports. I saw a number of birds, including a Kaka getting after some pinecones, numerous Tui calling, a pair of Swamp Harriers, and an Eastern Rosella (non-native, but very colorful).

It was probably somewhere between two and three miles back into the Wellington CBD from the top of the mountain. All downhill, so very easy walking! I’ve normally been making all my own meals in the apartment, but the timing was right and I was hungry so I grabbed a falafel kebab for lunch, which was quite tasty!Read more