At first glance an interesting and diverse city, a longer acquaintance with Wellington really allows you to appreciate its full character. Enjoying life as a resident, rather than a tourist, has really given me time to explore what the capital has to offer.
Far from feeling like your average big city, I live within twenty minutes of a beach, a mariner, mountains (albeit small ones), numerous individually owned coffee shops and craft beer bars. Just a few of the ways I while away my day.
The hostel I am living at is a renovated house, creating more of a homely atmosphere than the larger chain hostels. I share a four bed, furnished room with some good friends and even have the luxury of a small balcony, with a view of Mount Victoria and the CBD below. Our walls come complete with drawings and inspirational quotes from previous long term residents.
Now it’s true, a lot of this can be experienced through a long weekend. What you would really miss out during that time is the true ambient, laid back and low pressure, conducive to the Kiwi way and so opposed to the image most people would create at the term ‘capital city’.
There is always something to catch you eyes as you wander the streets, be it entertainers or buskers, people jumping from a dive platform into the harbour, weekend night and day markets or the numerous works of street art.
I discovered a local craft bar hosts live music for free every Thursday through Sunday, that you can get half price sushi all over town after 3pm (and the best places to do this), which are my favourite coffee joints and which provide the best and most choice for a vegan.
Having taken up exercising at a local pool, my walk home takes me along a scenic waterfront route, where I delight in vistas of the mariner and diverse architecture spreading through the mountainous suburbs.
Over the past week I worked as a temp at the Ministry of Education, becoming one of many nameless faces depicting the busiest time of day as employees walk through the CBD to and from work. My building was one of the newer earthquake constructions, of which I was given a demonstration when tremors hit the city from an earthquake in the South Island. The whole edifice swayed from side to side and we were all instructed to hide under our desks. Seeing everyone crouched under their work tables was quite a contrast to a normal day in the office for an English woman!
Having recently felt opposed to city life, I stayed for the company of my friends and in order to work. Wellington, its scenery and its populace have since, steadfastly won over my heart.
