On Feb 13, 2024 we docked at Wellington, New Zealand, the nation’s capital city. It sits on the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait, between the North and South Islands.

We took an excursion that took us on a scenic tour of the hilly city. We started by taking the red Wellington Cable Car up to the top for a scenic view over the harbor, and then a stop at the Wellington Botanic Garden. From there our bus took us down the hill through beautiful neighborhoods on very winding streets. Throughout the day we experienced the winds off the Cook Strait which gives the city its nickname — “Windy Wellington”.

When we got back down to city center of Wellington we saw some of the government buildings, including the Parliament Building which is nicknamed “the beehive”, and the Government Building, which is the largest all wooden structure in the Southern Hemisphere. While it looks like limestone, the three-story, full block building was constructed entirely of wood as wooden structures are better able to withstand earthquakes than stone buildings. We also visited St. Paul’s, an old Anglican church from the 1800’s that was also built entirely of wood.