New Zealand - Wellington

Wellington, New Zealand


	We arrived in Wellington on Friday, March 4, 2005 and checked into the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor.

The image above left is from our hotel window. Above right is our room key. Originally, the hotel ignored our non-smoking requirements presumably due to the volume of weekend bookings. With minimal ado, we were able to get the situation straightened out and we relocated to a non-smoking room.

Shown at left is the Embassy Theatre located at 10 Kent Terrace in Wellington. It is the location for the premiere of Lord of the Rings.

Wellington is also the home of Weta Workshop, a production house that did a tremendous amount of work for the Lord of the Rings films. Don hoped to have seen where Weta Workshop was located, but he missed that opportunity.

At right is one of several ferries that transport passengers and their vehicles from Wellington Harbor to the South Island through Cook Strait.

On the morning of Saturday, March 5, 2005, our APT tour led us to the peak of Mt. Victoria to overlook Wellington and the surrounding areas. In the photograph above, our coach is the one furthest away with our tour manager standing facing it. To the right and up the pathway, is the canon shown at right. Below, is a beautiful view of Wellington Harbor from top of Mt. Victoria.

In the photo below, the route up to Mt. Victoria is obscured by homes. The landmark St. Gerard's Monastery is in the upper left of the image.

The Wellington Cable Car is a popular attraction for Wellington visitors. The specially built car is designed for the incline that links Wellington to the suburb of Kelburn and the top of Wellington Botanic Garden.

At right is Wellington Cable Car number 1 parked at the station in Kelburn. Below is an early morning view of Wellington Harbor from that same station.

On the afternoon of Saturday, March 5, 2005, our group was given some time to explore. Lynn and I fond Wellington Harbor compelling.

In the photograph above, this Kupe group plaster of paris statue was created by sculptor William Trethewey and unveiled at the 1940 New Zealand Centennial Exhibition at Rongotai. In 1999 the statue was recast in bronze as a Millenium Project and displayed on March 4, 2000 at Wellington Harbor as a tribute to all who have come to New Zealand shores.

Above left and at right are photographs of the Wellington Dragon Boat Festival races at Wellington Harbor.

Below, Wellington Harbor is crowded with spectators.

At left is the Hewlett-Packard building.

Below, new construction takes place behind the Museum Hotel. The Museum Hotel was actually moved across Cable Street when it was decided that Te Papa required more real estate for it's use.

Also shown is The Warehouse, a popular chain of department stores that offer everyday items at discount prices.

At right is the second largest wooden building in the world. The Victoria University Law Building was designed by architect William H. Clayton in the 1870's to accommodate the civil service.

At left, the taller structure is the Executive Wing of the Parliamentary complex. It is often referred to as the 'Beehive' due to its unique external architecture. To its right is the Old Parliament Building or Parliament House.

At the right side of the Parliamentary complex is the Parliamentary Library Building shown at right.