DAY 17 – Wellington, New Zealand – 9:31 am

I arrived in Wellington 2 days ago after leaving Turangi.  Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is located directly on the southern coast of the North Island.  Yesterday, I woke to sunny conditions and cloudless skies.  After making 2 complimentary pancakes for breakfast (the only good thing I have to say in regards to my hostel) I walked to Mount Victoria.  This overlook, approximately 20 minutes from my hostel, provided excellent 360 degree views of the city and its surrounding coastlines.  As I started up the trail, I regretted wearing jeans as the temperature caused the sweat to build.   Luckily, the entire trail is less than a mile and I reached the summit in just over 30 minutes.

Upon reaching the summit, I was struck by the crowds and soon realized that a road led to the summit as well.  As a result, tour buses lined the parking lot and tourists meandered around taking pictures.  I took a few photographs then found a somewhat quiet spot to take off my pack and relax.  I overheard one of the tour guides explain Wellington to his clients and I listened intently to what he said.

According to this guide, Wellington is the windiest city in the world, with average wind speeds of 18 mph. He went on the explain that if you were to draw a line directly south from Wellington, the first landmass you hit is the Ross Ice Shelf in Antartica 3,500 miles to the south.  As a result, southerly winds that blow into Wellington carry a chill that originated in Antartica.  Wellington has harnessed this power and in the coming years the city will be fully powered by the wind.  He closed by informing the crowd that Wellington lies atop 9 fault lines, 7 of which are major faults.  As a result, Wellington is home to over 300 earthquakes per year.

I descended Mount Victoria and stopped at a deli for lunch.  I ordered a delicious homemade ham sandwich with lettuce, tomato and a pickle and a side of potato salad.  While eating, I picked up a local newspaper and read about the news both in New Zealand and around the globe.  While on the road it is easy to lose track of what’s occurring back in the States.  It was nice to update myself on the latest happenings back home.

My next stop was the waterfront along Lambert Harbour.  Much like Auckland, the harbour is teaming with activity from pleasure boaters, stand up paddle boarders and ferries shuttling passengers to various destinations.  On land, the activity is just as bustling.  People are out walking, running, pushing strollers and I saw a group of local teenagers filming a music video.  It was a unique experience to say the least.

The weather today is cloudy and the aforementioned wind has kicked up.  This morning I heard it rattling the windows in my hostel.  It looks like a good day to do laundry, calculate my finances thus far and prepare for my next leg.  Tomorrow morning I’m taking the ferry to the South Island, where I’ll remain for the next 3 weeks.