Wellington

As we arrived in Wellington for the night, we went to a lookout point to overlook the city.  Wellington lit up at night was incredible, but not too much lighting that viewing would not be a chore.  Also along the way up the mountain to this lookout point, there was a Lord of the Rings filming area.  In the Fellowship of the Ring, the four hobbits (Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin) escape Bag End and are being hunted by the Ringwraiths.  They hide in the base of a giant tree, and that is what we saw.

The city as a whole had plenty of nightlife.  This is not saying much, considering that the other places in New Zealand I went to was primarily countryside.  Bars were plentiful, along with clubs.  The group met at the bar for dinner and drinks, though I was just fine without alcohol.  The final night in Wellington before I left, the group bowled a couple of games.  For $25, it was two games with an alcoholic drink, multiple platters of appetizers, and heaps of fun. 

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital, so we saw the capital building known as the beehive.  This is where the executive portion of parliament was at.  Right next to it was the judicial courts.  A handful of the group went to take a cable car to the top of Wellington.  From there, we went through the botanical gardens.  Much of the city had ties to England in their structure and way of life, since New Zealand still highly regards the British monarch.

Te Papa was a free museum that talked all about New Zealand and their culture.  From earthquakes to colossal squid, and the Maori culture to New Zealand’s loyalty to the British government; this place was chock-full of information.  The bus driver, Craig, must have spent a significant amount of time here.  If one was to know every detail Craig knew about New Zealand, it would take weeks of going through this museum to obtain the knowledge that he shared with us.

Before my flight, I went to the WETA cave.  WETA cave does the special effects of many movies, including the Lord of The Rings series and James Cameron’s Avatar.  The weaponry and other props of the Lord of The Rings were displayed.  The craftsmanship and intricate designs made this place a must-see.  I came away very impressed and ready to fly to Melbourne.

Sky diving

While in Nelson, I had the opportunity to skydive.  I tandem skydived with James, a local and experienced jumper who knew the scenery of Abel Tasman National Park very well.  He skydived over 6,000 times before we jumped out of the plane from 16,500 feet in the air.  The nerves did not set in until I was at the edge of the plane ready to start the free fall.  The 75 seconds of free fall felt like an eternity full of adrenaline.  Floating down over Nelson and Abel Tasman National Park was exhilarating! 

Kaikoura and Nelson

In Kaikoura, a portion of the group did the Kaikoura Peninsula walkway.  The walk truly was a thing of beauty.  It reminded me of the Bar Harbor National Park in Maine.  The rolling hills, multiple cliff edges, lush vegetation and green grasses.  On top of the hills, there were pastures for cows to graze in. 

As for actual wildlife, seals and seagulls littered the land and skies, respectfully.  The seals were in matting season, where the males would fight to be “king of the rock” so that they could mate with the female of their choice.  What made it even more interesting was that the seals were on the shore by us.  Many were just lounging around in the parking lot, but some even by the bus (maybe 25 meters away).

On our way to Nelson, we had a mystery stop.  This stop did not only involve seals, but baby seals at that.  In a secluded area of the forest, there was a beautiful waterfall.  The waterfall had baby seals, acting as a nursery and shelter until the baby seals were mature enough to be out on their own.  It was a picturesque site.

Nelson had its own bag of surprises.  Though I did not go to the home of Ernest Rutherford (a famous chemist that worked on the first atomic bomb), this small and vibrant costal city was terrific.  After getting a kebab for lunch (it is an enjoyable wrap with meat, lettuce, onion, and tomato) we explored more of Nelson.  It offered many shops, a beautiful look into the Pacific Ocean, hiking to the center of New Zealand, and an all-around great time.  Abel Tasman National Park was also nearby Nelson, but I did not have the time to go.  Too bad, because I heard it was one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand.  The next day I skydived above Abel Tasman National Park.

The last dinner provided by Topdeck was fantastic.  It was a barbeque with steak and chicken, along with potatoes, bread, salad, along with other delicious food.  For dinner, there were four types of ice cream (all were delicious by the way, especially the flavors caramel and lime) along with boysenberry cheesecake.