A Weekend in Wellington

When my best friend, Ellie, moved to Wellington for uni at the beginning of the year she made me promise to come at visit her at least once this year - which at the time didn't seem like much of an undertaking. By late March I was keeping an eye on flights and already making tentative plans.For obvious reasons, my plans came grinding to a dramatic halt as the rest of New Zealand did, and unfortunately once things got going again there were a million things to catch up on. That's why, when cheap Air New Zealand flights popped up on one of my only free weekends, I jumped at the chance to visit.And so, last weekend I finally set off on the sweetest little getaway to explore the cultural hub of New Zealand! Here are some of my highlights from the trip:

Wellington Waterfront Walk:

Wellington is all about walking, as I quickly learnt after walking the waterfront 2-3 times every day (hardly a drop in the ocean compared to the 67,000 steps we managed over three days). Not that I'm complaining. With all the buskers, boutiques and street food along the picturesque walk, it's hard not to appreciate the hustle and bustle the waterfront offers.

We managed to find J'aime les Macarons on our first stroll down the promenade, so naturally we had to get a box to try out some of their winter collection (hot chocolate & raspberry marshmallow, and apple pie macarons were SO good). 

Everyday was something new.

The waterfront was most vibrant on Sunday morning as every man and his dog made their way down to the harbour-side market to enjoy fresh produce and the unseasonably warm sunshine.

On my last day we went all the way down to Oriental Bay - a very pretty, and very popular beach 1km away from Wellington's centre city. Just before Oriental Bay we came across these gorgeous little boat sheds that make such a pretty Instagram photo. 

Dinner and dessert and Chow and the library

You're not a student in Wellington if you haven't been to these two institutions (or so I'm told); Chow - a vegan friendly asian restaurant with the best rosebud cocktails, and The Library - an upmarket cocktail lounge/reading room with an extensive list of quirky drinks, and decadent desserts.

Of all the things we did over the weekend, dinner at Chow is the one thing I can't stop thinking about, those pork belly pancakes were SO good. 

Cuba Street

Wellington's best known street is filled with quirky, bohemian boutiques, cafes, and vintage clothing stores that give you a taste of the city's heart and soul. I could have spent a whole day exploring the eclectic shops, but our busy schedule didn't quite accommodate.

Of the stores that I did see, I especially enjoyed Thrift and Spacesuit. Both op-shops were overflowing with a collection of well curated vintage and designer clothing and accessories. The pieces were a little pricey, and unfortunately I was travelling on a tight budget (life of a uni student), so I didn't buy anything, but I very much enjoyed the vast array of velvet, corduroy and denim, and am keen to come back on an official shopping trip.

We popped into Scopa to try their famous hot chocolates - went down a treat!

Wellington Botanic Gardens

These pretty gardens were filled with hidden grottos, fragrant florals, and several impressive fountains. Ellie makes an early morning trip up through the gardens to watch the sunrise most weeks, and having joined her last weekend I understand why. There is nothing more peaceful than sitting in the herb garden on a Sunday, with the morning sun on your face, watching the rest of Wellington wake up.

Everywhere you turn was like something out of a fairytale.
As always, there was so much to do and see, and so very little time. And while we managed to cram a fair bit into the little trip, I've ended up with a whole itinerary of stuff we missed this time. It's a good excuse to come back soon ;)