Nam Ky Khoi Nghia - Asialife HCMC

Destination:
Wellington
A vibrant and gusty city on the sea,
Wellington, New Zealand offers a little
something for everyone. Hold on to your hat
and get a taste of Welly. Ginny Becker reports.
Photos courtesy of WellingtonNZ.com
Located at the southern tip of
New Zealand’s North Island,
Wellington is a tiny city on the
Tasman Sea with a population
of 180,000 people. Often compared
to San Francisco, the two
destinations share some striking
similarities: coastal locales, hilly
streets, wood bungalows and
bohemian cafes. Add to that
year-round moderate climates,
a slew of cable cars (although
most of Welly’s are private)
and locations on fault lines and
you’ve got a case for true sister
cities, indeed.
Many visitors are pleasantly
surprised to discover just how
welcoming Welly can be. There
is a laid-back vibe not often seen
in other cities, evidenced by
warm smiles from its residents,
an instant “How can I help?”
to the lost traveler and an overwhelming
enthusiasm among
Wellingtonians to share their
city with you. While some visitors
see Wellington merely as a
quick stop-off on their way to/
from the country’s natural wonders,
there’s more to this city
than meets the eye. Following is
a roundup of must-dos that just
may inspire you to stick around
for a while.
Bungee Extreme
Corner Courtenay Place and
Taranaki Street
Embrace Wellington with a
heart-pumping reverse bungee
jump. This adrenalin rush isn’t
for the meek. Up to three people
are strapped in an open capsule
attached to two bungee cords
connected to two 40-metre high
towers. The capsule is propelled
55 metres straight up at
a speed of l60 kilometres in less
than two seconds. The folks at
Bungee Extreme claim that riders
will experience 5gs as they
get their first wide-angle view
of Welly, so take it in quickly
before the freefall begins. And
don’t make the mistake your
writer did; eat breakfast after
the jump, not before.
The Wellington Rings Tour
www.wellingtonsights.co.nz
Lord of the Rings fans unite! This
three-hour tour is a less extreme
way to start your visit to Wellington,
but just as fun. Check
out the city’s greenbelt and see
where iconic LOR Shire and
Buckland Forest scenes were
filmed, like the hobbits’ flight
from the Black Riders and their
escape on the Buckleberry ferry.
Visit Weta Cave for a special effects
presentation that includes
a look into other blockbuster
films with Welly connections
including Avatar, King Kong and
District 9. The tour also includes
a visit to scenic and wildly
windy Mt. Victoria, boasting
gorgeous views of the city and
harbour and wind speeds up to
140 kilometres per hour.
Ernesto
132 Cuba Street
www.ernesto.co.nz
Photos of 1950s Cuba hang on
the faux-weathered green walls
of this hip cafe and restaurant,
transporting patrons straight
to Havana. Jazz plays in the
background and large picture
windows encourage hours of
people watching on bustling
Cuba Street. A mix of breakfast,
lunch and dinner is served up
daily, as well as lots of coffee.
Standouts include the breakfast
burrito, made with scrambled
eggs, cheese and black bean
chilli, topped with sour cream
and red pepper salsa and a
pickled chilli and oregano quesadilla
with blackened tomato
salsa. Open daily from 7:30am
until late.
Cuba Street
www.cuba.co.nz
Named after the Cuba, an
English settler ship that arrived
in New Zealand in 1840, Cuba
Street in downtown Welly has
nothing to do with the country,
despite its share of Havanathemed
restaurants, bars and
cafes. The pedestrian mall
emits a hippie-like vibe and has
more than 200 stores selling a
large variety of clothing, books
and music. Quirky sculptures
line the street, including the
infamous bucket fountain with
vertical red, blue and yellow
swinging buckets that noisily
pass water downward, splashing
anyone who stands too
close. Tattooists are easy to find
in these parts, and eccentric
street performers don’t disappoint—look
for the Aussie fire,
knife and hatchet juggler who
sports a cowboy hat. Folk singers
and a host of performance
artists too wacky for words are
also found throughout.
Te Papa Tongarewa
Cable Street
www.tepapa.govt.nz
New Zealand’s national museum,
Te Papa, features collections
in five areas: art, history,
the Pacific, Maori culture and
the natural environment. While
the staff recommends spending
three full days to get the most
from the exhibits, they realize
that people have limited time.
Thankfully, they’ve created a
guilt-free plan B for the rest
of us. The Our Space exhibit
allows visitors to explore New
Zealand’s cultural identity
on two simulator rides. Mana
Whenua examines the Maori
culture, while Awesome Forces
features an earthquake house
that demonstrates how geographical
forces formed New
Zealand’s landscape. Still not
sure? Check out a 60-minute
introduction tour to Te Papa so
you can better customize your
itinerary. There are also timelimited
exhibitions, the most
recent featuring Anne Frank
and the last days of Pompeii.
Admission is free, but donations
are suggested. Open daily from
10am to 6pm and Thursdays
until 9pm.
Mojo Coffee
www.mojocoffee.co.nz
A visit to Welly wouldn’t be
complete without a java or two
from Mojo. Even though 12 of
30 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 31
Jess Silk