Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of NZ

There were 3 things I wanted to do in Wellington and this was one of them. It didn’t disappoint. The 6 level building was enormous and although I spent 4 hours there I just scraped the surface. I spent most of my time at the key exhibits: Gallipoli (the WWI campaign as told by 8 ordinary New Zealanders); Nature (where I experienced an earthquake and what to do in the event of one); a photography exhibit of Samoan tattooing; and Maori culture and history. All this for free! It was interactive and very impressive overall.

I had hoped to do the half-hour climb to the top of Mount Wellington for a view of the harbour but ran out of time and energy. I also planned to go to a wildlife sanctuary called Zealandia for an evening tour but the tickets were sold out. I could have used more time in Wellington and less in Auckland...oh well!

I ended the last day of my AU/NZ trip by splurging on a fish & chips dinner with a glass of NZ wine. The waterfront had a multitude of restaurants to chose from and this one seemed popular. The standard price seemed to be $25 for fish & chips or for a burger platter, for example. The menu price includes taxes and there is no tipping in NZ so the price you see on the menu is what you pay, a practice which I like. I enjoy travelling solo but I don’t particularly like dining alone 🙁Read more