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 ;)

Tu Fais du Ski? Switzerland

If there's one thing I love about Swiss culture it's the ski weekends. Ski, eat, sleep, repeat. That's what we did for four remarkable days. Our Swiss friends have a little ski apartment in Crans-Montana (where they taught me to ski two years ago!), so there was no question if we would ski.
We came up in the afternoon, driving up alongside the lake and into the Valais, beautiful blue sky all the way. The sun set just as we were renting our ski gear, morphing from pale pink, to purple and finally settling into a glittering deep blue. If the drive up didn't take your breath away, that sunset certainly did.

We woke up bright and early on our first day. Dad, who looked forward to the skiing more than anybody, wanted to be up there as soon as the chairlifts opened.
Our friends know the place back to front, and acted as our guides, taking us first on the easier slopes, and gradually working us up until we were skiing right from the highest station all the way down. My siblings and I left at about 3 the first day, but Dad stayed out until 4:30! (Which he did every subsequent day as well!)

Dinner that night was at one of our friends' favourite restaurants in Crans-Montana, Le Mayan, for a traditional Swiss meal. It was Fondue à la Tomate for me, a delicious cheese and tomato fondue accompanied by fresh bread, pickles, and viande séchée (I'm drooling just thinking about it). There were several röstis and raclettes around the table, and even a chocolate fondue for dessert for my youngest sisters. 

What a way to end such a fantastic day.

Dad was up at the crack of dawn the next day as well, but I was in desperate need of a sleep in, so I told him to go without me and spent the late morning shopping for souvenirs and pretty coats in the village with my sister.

Quick stop at Taillens Boulangerie for a pretzel for lunch, and a peek at some of their sweet treats... 

... before we headed back up the gondola to ski out the afternoon.

That evening was a quiet one bar one stroll around the village under a cascade of fairy-lights, swoon.

For the rest of our stay we lived out the Swiss mantra; ski, eat, sleep, repeat. We were absolutely shattered by the end of it!

On our final night in Crans-Montana we went to Le Michaelangelo for the most mouthwatering Italian dinner. Our Swiss friends are real connoisseurs of Italian cuisine, and they've been coming back here for 17 years. That in itself tells you everything you need to know. 

I had been there a few times already, but this was a first for the rest of my family. Suffice to say, they loved it.

There we were, after four full on days of skiing, sipping on red wine, feasting on the most delicious food known to man, watching the live slalom race they had playing (hosted in Crans-Montana on a run we had done just one day earlier!), not a frown in sight. 

I sat back, looked at my family, and thought how lucky am I to be showing my family one of my favourite places on earth!

    

If ever you are in Crans-Montana go to Michaelangelo's and get the spaghetti michaelangelo.

You will not regret it.

First Things First, Switzerland

 When my exchange trip ended, and I left Switzerland two years ago I told myself I would be back, and soon. If I had my way I would never would have left! But once reality set in I could see it would be a good five years before I could save enough money to afford another trip - what with study and all.

 So you can imagine my delight when my parents announced that we as a family were not only going on our first ever overseas holiday together, but we were going to Switzerland the following Summer!

Prior to Switzerland, my family had been touring around the southern states in the US. I decided not to go for this part of the trip, and instead stay home and work as much as I could to save up for the coming year (and a little spending $$$ on this trip).

This meant I had to do my first solo long haul trip, and to say I was nervous would be an understatement.

When the time came, and me and Ben said our tearful goodbyes, I was a nervous wreck. Just checking my bag was stressful, how on earth was I going to manage customs!
I took everything slowly, focusing on one step at a time, and before I knew it I was on my first flight.
Everything went so smoothly, all my worrying was for nothing, of course. But that has got to be one of the most boring experiences of my life! No one to talk to; counting down the minutes. I was more than happy to have that behind me once I landed in Geneva.

There's a twelve hour time difference between New Zealand and Switzerland, and I have to say, I think I fared pretty well. After a quick shower, and a fresh face of makeup, I was right into it - perhaps a little more enthusiastic and energetic even than some of my younger siblings!

First things first, a "sight-seeing" (shopping) trip to Geneva. There were several I was looking forward to on return to Switzerland, but one of my top priorities was SHOPPING. Mango, Zara, Manor, Kookai, Tommy Hilfiger. Shopping in New Zealand just doesn't compare.

Nibbling on marrons chauds whilst strolling through Geneva gave me flashbacks to magical Christmas markets. I just couldn't believe I was back.

After a considerate amount of shopping we made our way into Geneva's old town to appease some less shopping oriented family members. 

St Pierre's Cathedrale was a must. We made our way up the 153 steps of the bell tower, and were greeted with the most incredible views of the city running down to the mountain framed Lac Leman.

I had visited the cathedral at the end of my exchange, so unlike my parents and siblings (and myself the first time I came) I wasn't concerned with taking millions of photos. Instead I could be present and enjoy. 

All smiles in Swtizerland!

It was incredible to be back, and with my family. I had been dreaming of this moment for a long time, to see it come to fruition was so special.

Hanmer Girls Trip

There is just nothing better than a girls trip. A mini getaway dedicated to relaxing with all my favourite people. My friends and I had been planning this trip for months, so there was not one dull moment.

We drove up to Hanmer Springs last Friday and settles into our cosy holiday home, which was situated on Hanmer's main road to make trips to the pools easier. We visited the pools twice over the course of the weekend - once on the Saturday morning, and once that evening after dinner. Normally, after an hour or two, I get a little bit sick of the pools, but we had such beautiful weather, and good chats that I think I could have stayed floating in those hot pools all day!

The highlight of the weekend for me, however, was not the pools, but our amazing brunch. I am a sucker for brunch, and am very willing to spend a lot more than I should for a luxury brunch - and luxury this was. We feasted on beautiful pastries and macarons, bucket loads of fresh fruit, and the most delicious bellinis while listening to the Skyliners, outside surrounded by the stunning snowy mountains. It was basically a dream come true.

I am so glad to have done this trip, particularly because next year will be so unpredictable with everyone in different parts of the country for university. We're ending the school year on a high note, making amazing memories together to last a lifetime.

Amy Katrina