WOW - Wellington fun times!

Sunday 5 October

Gosh - what a busy Sunday in Welly! We hit SH1 down to the kiwi capital in typically wet & windy weather… bringing the 12*C high down to a “feels like 6*C” which was a shock to the system!

First stop was at the water's edge for the Harbourside Market and a wander along the waterfront, meeting heaps of dogs along the way. Some fun food stalls, but the highlight for me was the fruit & veggie section which rivalled the markets of the Perigeux region we visited in 2023 - and things were pretty reasonably priced. World of Wearable Arts was finishing that evening so we posed with the big WOW sign as if we'd been fortunate enough to get tickets for the big event!

We strolled past Te Papa and met one of Louis’ two childhood BFFs, Simon Werry, and his wife Rebecca for lunch at Pickle & Pie, a roaringly popular cafe hiding out on Lombard Lane. Great food and a fabulous catch up - lots of film talk as Simon runs Lighthouse Cinemas, and proud parent news updates. I'd been having a keto panic as there was NOTHING on the menu which Deborah would approve of, but fortunately they let me order several "sides" so poached eggs & gravlax saved the day! I certainly was not in any mood to indulge in the enticing array of cheesecakes and desserts in the cabinet - and I am not sure how Louis resisted the NY baked cheesecake!

We then set off in search of Newtown Park to watch niece Natalie playing for Wellington United Diamonds v Southern United. Natalie was the cover girl on the printed programme this week, and she came off the starting bench, playing a great game until being subbed out halfway through the second half. This is when the “feels like 6*C” really hit home - second half in the stands, the wind howled through, chilling us to the bone! Louis did his best to support the team by buying a can of "Abandoned Beer" - apparently it tasted good, but the blurb on the side was the best thing about it. Sadly the game was a 1:1 draw, but some great play by the women in orange, and they were unlucky not to put away another 2 or 3 goals.

After the match we headed back to the waterfront and spent an hour or so at Te Papa - The Museum of New Zealand - revisiting the magnificent Gallipoli exhibit and exploring the newly opened NZ art exhibition. The incredibly detailed models of real people in the Gallipoli conflict are awe inspiring. Built at 2.4 times life size, each personalised tableau is desperately moving 💔❤️‍🩹. The new Kiwi art exhibit on the top floor, just opened recently, included pieces by Hotere and Hammond - so many diverse works and styles including cultural pieces from Māori artists featuring traditional skills like weaving and knotting.

Met up with a clean, dry and warmed up Natalie for dinner at Chow, just up the road, where we tried to avoid talking about the game too much as she was still smarting from the draw! Buzzy little restaurant with some yummy Asian fusion on offer.

Fell into bed exhausted and with painful knees and toes back at Banjo at 9pm! What a great day!