Nelson to Wellington

I got up early Friday morning and drove back to Picton to catch the Interislander ferry to Wellington. I parked the rental below decks and then went up stairs to enjoy the stunning views. The swells were about three meters on the ocean, so it was nicely rocking and rolling - but it was so smooth and lulling that I actually fell asleep! I did take some pictures on the way over.

I found accommodation through Airbnb at an incredible flat in the middle of Wellington, my host has been wonderful about introducing me to the city. I love the old elevator in this building:

She also suggested a great place for dinner for my first night, and this was taken on the walk over:

The next morning I took one last short drive up the coast before handing in my rental car. It was foggy and rainy when I set out, and quite stormy by the sea so I didn't pull the phone out to take pictures. By the afternoon the sun was out in Wellington, though it was a bit windy. I spent the afternoon wandering through Te Papa, the national museum. 

Then I went to go see closing night of a fantastic play called Isaac's Eye at the Circa Theatre, one of the two main theatres in Wellington. The production was really, really great, which made me very happy.

This morning I went with my host and one of her friends to the Sunday market, which is held every week, rain or shine. I'm really looking forward to having access to a kitchen again, though the job and  rental search is in limbo right now due to some delayed paperwork. Soon, though, I hope.

There are more vendors and food trucks set up behind the fruit and veg stands, and there's an indoor market with artisan foods in the building behind that. It was lovely, and I'm told that today was actually on the small side! And the weather was stunning today, sunny but not too warm and almost no wind - days like these are a bit of a rarity, I'm told. In the afternoon I met the friends of a friend for coffee, which was wonderful, and they invited me to their Sunday yoga class. I had a grand time, and am looking forward to going back next week.

I've been in vacation mode this weekend still, but it's time to really settle in now. Hopefully I can fix the paperwork issue tomorrow, get signed on with a temp agency, and find flatmates by this Friday!