It was a calm, sunny day when we arrived in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand.  We were pleased, because Wellington is known for it's blustery winds and excellent sailing conditions. We were looking forward to exploring the attractions in the beautiful city. 

     We  booked a photo tour and headed out in a small van to the viewpoint at Mt Victoria.  We passed by the beautifully landscaped grounds of parliament buildings and stopped at the Lady Norwood Rose Garden.  The view from the top of Mt. Victoria was spectacular.  The next stop on the tour was the Wellington Botanical Gardens, where we stopped for photos and a bite to eat.  We finished our tour with a drive along the rugged seashore.  We enjoyed seeing a penguin crossing sign along the road.

     We had a few hours left, so we began exploring the waterfront in central Wellington.  We found Te Papa, New Zealand's spectacular national museum and visited many of the exhibits.  We were particularly impressed with the Mountains to Sea  and  Maori Cultural

exhibits. Accessibility was excellent.

      We returned to the ship and left Wellington with the impression that it was a pretty nice place to live.