Five things you can't do in London

This weekend we took the thus-far-rare opportunity to stay in New Zealand’s capital and enjoy what it had to offer. Here’s a list of things to do if you ever find yourself in a similar position:

Wellington at sunrise

1) Cycle and run up some hills. I recommend tiring yourself out cycling up Mt. Makara at Makara Mountain Bike Park and then scaring yourself by shooting back down. Extra excitement can be achieved by doing it all on the cheapest thing without stabilisers from the ‘Bike Barn’. [Dora: if you’re up for a challenge Roger will take you for a run up Mt Victoria. So far three guests have taken on the challenge.]

 

2) Visit the Gallipoli exhibition at Te Papa museum. Genuinely the best war-related display I’ve been seen. Curated by Peter Jackson and with 2.5x life-size and very life-like models of individual soldiers and a nurse by the Weta workshop, it’s sticking in New Zealand for at least the next few years. 

3) Be a foodie on the cheap. British coffee consultant Greg says, “Wellington does great coffee” and there’s not a Starbucks or Costa to be seen. There’s even a place where you can talk blends and roasts with the staff, much like a wine tasting. If you’ve given up caffeine, try brunch or dinner at one of Cuba St’s trendy establishments: Ombra for Venetian tapas and pizza, Chow for Asian tapas, Loretta’s and Floraditas for everything non-tapas. On weekend mornings, buy your fruit and veg at the local market (much cheaper than the supermarkets).

4) Visit PAK'nSAVE – it’s like a playful Lidl. If the hilarious signage doesn’t split your sides, the price of ‘Budget Spread’ (not called ‘butter’ for legal reasons) will have you rolling down the aisles…

5) Watch Dora play football. It’s something I should have done, but instead I went for a run near the city dump and got lost in some fog. Three-and-a-half hours later I arrived back at the car to give Dora a lift home after her debut for Wellington United, almost too exhausted to ask how it went. [Dora: it went well on a personal level, as I’m pushing myself to be in the 2nds, but we lost 3-1]

Watch out for the Crazy Seagull Lady!

Next time we’ll tell you all about kayaking and hiking the Able Tasman, as we squeeze every last drop of good weather out of this El Nino-inspired New Zealand summer.