Wellington

Gollum at the Wellington Airport.

When in New Zealand, don't forget to visit Wellington. It is the capital and is located at the bottom of North Island, which is an hour away by plane from Auckland. Here are the places I went to when I was there.

I went to Weta Cave. It's not really a cave, but a warehouse of the Weta Digital Studios, the creators of Lord of the Rings, Avatar and District 9 to name a few. They have a small museum at the side of the complex with props and other memorabilia from their films. Entrance is free.

Statue of Prime Minister Richard Seddon in front of Parliament building.

I also visited the New Zealand Parliament in downtown Wellington. I took the visitors tour with my friends. Unfortunately, taking photos was prohibited inside. Sayang, maganda pa naman sa loob. Naalala ko tuloy nung nag-tu-tourguide ako sa Batasan nuong nag-lo-law pa ako. Anyway, if you have the time, do take the tour. It's free, it's in downtown, and it's worth it.

Right across Parliament is Victoria University's Law School. This is where I would have gone to school had I chosen to take my LLM.

Just a few steps from the law school is the Wellington waterfront. Really nice harbour. Clear and calm waters.

Behind me is an enlarged version of the Treaty of Waitangi.

At the other end of the waterfront is New Zealand's largest museum, Te Papa Tongarewa. It's a really big museum with many exhibits on Maori (the indigenous people) and Pakeha (British colonizers) culture and history. It's also an art gallery. Entrance is free for the regular exhibits.

From its terminal in Lambton Quay, you can take the Wellington Cable Car up Kelburn Lookout where you can get a fantastic view of the city. It's like taking the funicular up Victoria Peak in Hongkong. One way is NZ$4.00, while a return ticket is NZ$7.00. I just got the one way ticket. And then from Kelburn Lookout I just walked down the Botanical Gardens. You'll end up in the vicinity of Parliament building.

Richard viewing the telescope at Zealandia.

My friends and I also visited Zealandia. It's a bird sanctuary in Karori, behind the CBD. If you like bird watching and nature, this is the place to go. It has nice trails for walking, and it's so peaceful you can hear the birds chirping. Entrance to the sanctuary valley is NZ$18.50.

Since Wellington is the capital, it goes without saying that all diplomatic posts are there. The Philippine Embassy is located in the quiet neighborhood of Thorndon. It's the quaintest and homiest embassy I've been to.

Ambassador Benavidez with Richard, Kristine and I at the Philippine Embassy in Wellington.

We were lucky that on our visit the Philippine Ambassador, Virginia Benavidez, was there to receive us. She was very friendly and even hosted lunch for us at her residence.

What's a visit to Wellington without ending it at Cuba Street. Here we are having coffee at Espressoholic with our hosts Arla and Norman. Cuba Street is the city's center for nightlife, music festivals and vintage shops. It's supposed to be the hippest area in Wellington.

I spent a total of three days in Wellington, which was just about right. My friends and I flew Jetstar and stayed at a bach (a vacation house for rent).