Archive for the 'Wellington' Category
GreatSights Announces Capital Explorer Bus – Hop On, Hop Off
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 1, 2010 at 12:37 pm
At TRENZ, GreatSights announced that they are about to launch the Capital Explorer Bus, enabling travellers to hop on and hop off wherever they like in Wellington. With 11 dedicated stops, the one-hour round trip has a set route stopping at iconic places including Te Papa, parliament buildings, Wellington Zoo, Zealandia: The Kaori Sanctuary Experience, and many more.
Affectionately known as HOHO (hop on, hop off), the 30-seat bus will allow patrons to purchase a ticket that is valid for 24 hours (opposed to a one-day ticket). This will allow them to board and exit the bus as many times as they like during the time period.
The bus will help showcase many of Wellington’s world-class attractions and allow visitors to get around the capital city with ease!
I Heart New Zealand
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 23, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Full disclosure – it’s my job to promote New Zealand. So take this post with whatever grain of salt you need, but it’s a post from my heart.
Yesterday morning I got up early and looked out my window and saw a farmers’ market directly across from my hotel. I had planned to go to the City Market at Chaffers Marina, but hadn’t realized that I was staying so close.
I did a quick little tour and then headed to the coffee stand. As they made my flat white, the baristas asked me where I was from and we got to chatting. I got my coffee and prepared to head back around the market and one of the baristas asked, “Where are you going?”
I didn’t quite know what to say, so I laughed and said, “To the market.”
“Stay here and have your coffee with us.”
That’s why I love New Zealand. It was the two baristas, who then proceeded to introduce me to anyone who came for a coffee over the next five minutes so I’d “know a few people here.” It’s the people at the jam, jelly and cheese counter, who took the time to tell me about their small company and explained how they make their products. It’s the security guard who took the time to walk me over to the other part of the farmers’ market so I could find the City Market – which is a little bit more upscale. It’s the taxi driver who, when I arrived five minutes late to be picked up and taken to the train station, laughed off my apologies and said, “We’ve got a few extra minutes, do you want me to take you back to the market?”
There are a lot of great things to see and do in New Zealand, but none of them would be as exceptional if it wasn’t for the people. Kiwis are an incredible bunch and from North Island to South Island, coast-to-coast, they can be as different as they come, but they all have one thing in common – they are warm and friendly.
Museum Hotel
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 23, 2010 at 3:32 pm
I love the hotel I am staying in. First off, the Museum Hotel’s reception desk is in the bar. And it is full of funky, different art. There is an interesting history to the hotel as well, the full story can be found on their website, but the short version is that the owner is quite a character and he has a strong vision for things. He saw the potential for this hotel; the only problem was that the building was across the street, not where he wanted it to be. Thinking about solutions rather than problems, he figured that if he wanted it his way, the only thing to do would be to move the building.
Engineers and other smart people told him that it was impossible. It couldn’t be done. There is a certain group of people in the world (I might be one of them…) that when you say you can’t do it, that only makes them more determined to do it. Railroad tracks were built. They lifted the building onto a rail car and they moved it across the street.
Staying here thrills me to no end. I have a great view, the hotel is unique, interesting, incredibly comfortable and it’s right in the heart of things. There is a grocery store just down the street, Te Papa is across the road and you can walk to lots of cafes and restaurants.
Zealandia
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 22, 2010 at 8:59 pm
There is something magical happening just minutes from Wellington – Zealandia: The Karori Sanctuary Experience. It is an award-winning eco-attraction that provides unrivalled opportunities to see kiwis, tuatara, kaka birds and dozens of other species found nowhere else in the world.
There is a permanent exhibition at Zealandia that is the world’s first facility fully dedicated to showcasing New Zealand’s natural history and world famous conservation movement.
Zealandia did something very interesting. They took a huge amount of land and fenced it off. What’s so interesting about that you might ask? Zoos all over the world do that. Well, the smart people at Zealandia did it so that they could keep out all the predators. Now mammals like the possum and rats that were brought into New Zealand by settlers and are responsible for the endangered state of the kiwi and other natural birds aren’t able to hunt here. As a result, they are seeing an increase in kiwis and other birds, as well as a few insects like the giant weta.
We took what is called the Zealandia by Night tour. Over 100 kiwis call the sanctuary home, so we were hoping to see one.
Our guide, Allison, was amazing. She is a volunteer and has been involved with the sanctuary for more than a decade. You can tell that she really loves her role here. When I heard a noise, she identified the bird, whether it was male or female and the area it came from. When I couldn’t hear anything, she did and knew where the kiwi was headed.
To not startle any of the little creatures, no flash can be used so there are no pictures of our actual tour. It was an exceptional experience – being in the dark forest, the sounds and smells and feeling of it all. I was very thankful that there are no snakes in New Zealand!
At one point, I was walking beside our guide as we looked for kiwis and she whispered: “Kiwi!” And I looked down and there was the country’s national symbol, right at our feet. It was quite an exciting moment. Not many people have seen a kiwi in their natural environment and now I have joined that little group.
We kept searching for kiwis throughout the forest and we heard many of them calling to each other. We heard about eight kiwi calls, which according to Allison, is a very active night.
giant weta
She also explained how the conservation part of the sanctuary works and during her stories, she told us about a giant weta. It turns out that they put tracking devices on the bugs too, which I thought was pretty funny. At one point, they had lost track of a giant weta and were worried. It then showed up on their tracking devices and it seemed to be going up and down the river that runs through the sanctuary. They couldn’t quite figure that out, until they realized that the tracking device and the giant weta were in the belly of an eel that was swimming up and down the river.
Seeing Zealandia made me realize how fragile our world is and it also made me thankful for people like Allison, who contribute their time to educate visitors.
The Museum Of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 22, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Te Papa (as it is commonly called) is New Zealand’s national museum, where you can explore the great stories of this fascinating land and the people who live here. The past, present and future are exhibited in provocative and entertaining ways.
Te Papa is six floors full of amazing artifacts, information and New Zealand culture. It is the most interactive museum I have ever seen and there is something for everyone.
I was taken on a tour by Darren Joseph Luke, a young Maori man. Darren is very knowledgeable about the history of New Zealand and the Maori culture. When you have the opportunity to connect with the people that live here, you get to hear a little bit more about the country’s past and present. Meeting Darren, I got a little glimpse into the future too. If there are young people like him out there, learning and sharing the history of New Zealand, that means something.
One of the other surprising things about Te Papa is that it is free. There are donation boxes, but there is no admittance fee.
Te Papa is a real treasure and one that I am grateful that I got to experience.
