Wellington Love Affair
‘No city should be too large for a man to walk out of in a morning’ – Cyril Connolly.
I’ve now been living in Wellington for over two months and let me tell you something, I bloody love this cool little city. Lonely Planet has very aptly named it the ‘coolest little capital in the world’ and I couldn’t agree more.
Those of you who know me will know I am definitely not a city girl. Crossing roads freaks me out (I have spent up to five minutes on the side of a road, waiting for traffic to go so it’s definitely 100% clear before I cross). The endless noise wears me down. I start to miss green stuff and quiet outdoor spaces (although not mud). But Wellington is different.
I love Wellington because:
1) You’re always within walking distance of the sea. And I love the sea. Nothing makes me happier than the smell of the ocean, the sparkle of sunshine on blue water, the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline. Even the sand between my toes brings a smile to my face, and I’m not the biggest fan of sand (annoying stuff that gets everywhere!). And although you’re in a city, you would never know. There are proper beaches here, and some of them even feel remote, great stretches of sand and driftwood and fantastic outcrops of rocks to sit on and watch the sunset.
2) I’ve mentioned the markets in a previous post about my love of Wellington’s waterfront, but I mention them again, because they are pretty bloody great. Not only can you get your weeks veggies and fruit at much cheaper prices than the ever expensive supermarkets, but you can also sample food from all over the world, right here in windy little Wellington! I’ve had Chilean, Mexican, Hungarian and Chinese so far, and I’m nowhere near halfway…
3) Brunch. They love brunch here. And I’ve discovered (well, I already knew, deep down) that I love brunch too. Especially poached eggs with hash browns, mushrooms and hollandaise sauce. Just the thought of it makes me hungry! I’ve had it a few times already in various cafes around the city (those of particular note include The Peckish Café between Willis and Manners Streets and The Spruce Goose, near the airport) and there’s nothing better for a Sunday morning!
4) It’s easy to escape. If you don’t want to spend the weekend in the city, it’s an easy bus ride out to a quieter, countryside location. Or there are the Botanical Gardens, or the parks. Yes, I know other cities have parks and are easy to escape from too, but for some reason Wellington feels even easier than most. And you can always go to the beach, too!
5) The friendly culture. Everyone seems happy here. Chilled out and relaxed. Random strangers catch your eye and smile at you as you walk past, or even say ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’. Sale assistants in shops ask you how your day has been so far, and what you’re doing on the weekend. People interact. It’s welcoming and friendly and it makes Wellington feel like a smaller, closer knit community, despite its city status.
6) You can pretty much walk the entire city end to end and it’d only take you a couple of hours to cover most of the major parts. I like that, especially because I don’t have my own transportation here. I’m not the biggest fan of hills (who is?!) but I love how the houses are built into the hills that surround the CBD, set in amongst the trees and rising up above the bay, many of them with stunning views out to sea.
7) Which brings me onto number seven, the stunning views. Go anywhere high up in Wellington and you get a fantastic panorama of the city, the harbour, the surrounding country, the sea. I love a view as much as the next person and there’s definitely no shortage of them in this city!
8) The location. It sounds silly, but I like the fact that Wellington is only a hop, skip and a jump across the Cook Strait to the South Island, and that it’s on the North Island, so you have that road trip option too. It’s basically the best of both worlds. Go to Auckland and you’re too far north – unless you want a 10 hour car journey you usually fly down to the South Island. Go to Queenstown or Christchurch and you’re too far south. Wellington is right in the middle and that is just right for me!
9) The nightlife. Or more specifically, the Welsh bar. What is there not to love about a Welsh-themed bar? I don’t even know what it’s proper name is – everyone just calls it ‘The Welsh Bar’. It’s possible that is its name. They are showing the Six Nations there (fantastic, rugby fix!) and it’s like stepping into a little piece of Wales whenever I go in, with friendly banter, a few good drinks and the ‘pub’ feeling that I miss in other trendy Wellington bars. I’ve been a few times already and know I can go there when I feel I need a little piece of home in my life for a few hours. The best of both worlds, for sure.
There we go. Nine reasons why I have fallen in love with Wellington, and nine reasons why I will find it exceedingly difficult to leave, when the time comes. As it is, I am going to continue enjoying my love affair with this beautiful city for the time being – I’ve just got a job here and moved into a flat share with four others, so I’m pretty settled. And I am also very happy with my decision to make this my home for a large majority of my time in New Zealand.