Wed 20 Jan - The Road to Wellington

On the road by 10.30, having confirmed that Christine’s bag was still lost in the airline baggage system somewhere. The road south was initially fairly flat and uninteresting but eventually we became aware of some mountains to the south and west of us – was this the South Island we could see? As we approached closer it was obvious that these highlands were a ridge running north to south on the North Island that would skirt. As we drove further south the road was squeezed between the mountains and the sea until we headed up over the hills and down into Wellington. What an approach! We were immediately stunned by the gorgeous setting of this city with the water and surrounding scenery of the Bay on one side and the houses spreading away up the sides of the hill above and around the city. What a fabulous sight!
After sorting our accommodation we strolled out onto the downtown waterfront and enjoyed a good fish meal in a restaurant overlooking the bay and city waterfront. We decided we must spend more time in the city on our return from the South Island!