Our last port visit on New Zealand’s North Island on our Princess cruise was Wellington, the country’s capital. With a population of less that 500,000 in the metropolitan area (and 215,000 in the city proper), it offers a quite walkable, very attractive city center which ranges along the waterfront and is backed by lushly forested hills. Our ship docked at the cruise terminal at Aotea Quay a few miles from town, but free shuttle buses running all day offered a quick, easy way to travel between the port and the city. We decided we would explore Wellington on our own, rather than book a shore excursion, and the shuttle dropped us off at a park adjoining the Beehive, part of the Parliament buildings complex. We were greeted by a committed and loudly chanting group protesting cruising as a not-environmentally-sound means of travel. They made their point without, thankfully, being overly intimidating.

Our group immediately split up. I was pleased to be able to attend a late-morning Sunday Mass while my husband, Harry, and friends Paul and Julie set off to explore the shopping district. With my trusty street map, I headed off to St. Mary of the Angels, which serves as New Zealand’s National Shrine. I passed through the business district, a mix of modern office buildings and some late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings, and then came upon more residential buildings as I got closer to my destination. There amidst modern apartment towers sat a lovely historical home, the Antrim House, built in 1905 by a very successful Wellington businessman for his family.

Arriving at the church with time to spare, I found a seat and took time to enjoy the beautiful arched ceiling, ornate wooden main altar and the soaring stained glass windows. .   I always enjoy attending Mass in another country, appreciating both the familiar pattern no matter where I am but also enjoying aspects that make the service unique. Here, I can honestly say it was the only place I’ve worshipped where the pre-Mass announcements included instructions as to how to evacuate in the event of an earthquake! There were also what appeared to be some sort of seismic sensors or movement monitors tucked under the end of each pew. Thankfully, I was moved only by the choir and organ music and the homily and not by any terrestrial shaking.

Harry, Paul and Julie met me outside after Mass, and from there we headed to a well-known attraction in Wellington, the bright-red Cable Car, operating here since 1902, that runs from one of the main shopping streets up a steep grade to the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Once up top, we were afforded expansive views of the city, cricket grounds immediately below, and the harbor beyond. Nearby stood a very large specimen of what is called the New Zealand Christmas tree, the pohutukawa tree. We had seen them throughout our cruise, very noticeable for their dark green evergreen leaves and bright red flowers, blooming lushly in December. From here we followed paved pathways that led to an astronomy exhibit, the Cable Car Museum and the gardens. All around us were hills covered with rich summer growth and residences tucked here and there. We learned from some local folks that a popular weekend outing is to ride the cable car up the mountain and then enjoy a leisurely descent hiking down a variety of routes. It sounded very nice, but we had more to explore . . . and we were getting hungry, so we took the cable car back down and headed to Cuba Street for lunch.

This colorful early 20th-century neighborhood is known for its quirky secondhand shops, pubs and restaurants. We meandered up and down, poking into a few shops that struck our fancy before grabbing sandwiches, beers and an outdoor table at an Irish pub, all dark wood and atmosphere inside. We enjoyed people-watching as we ate, noting some interesting street performances and unusual costumes of the passers-by. Properly nourished and refueled, we headed toward the waterfront, enjoying a rather brisk breeze and the sunshine. Wellington sits on the far southern tip of the North Island along Cook Strait, which separates it from the South Island, and it is known for its almost constant winds.

Most of the city center streets were uncrowded and quiet on this Sunday, but once we reached the waterfront we encountered plenty of others out enjoying the day. City planners transformed what had been a mostly gritty, industrial working waterfront into a mix of attractions, restaurants and shops, anchored on one end by performance venues, the Museum of New Zealand and the Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre, a very modern structure. We wandered along, enjoying the mix of repurposed old industrial buildings backed by city skyscrapers, artists’ shops and galleries, playgrounds  and cafés.

We finally found ourselves back near the park where we could catch the shuttle back to our ship. We agreed it been a lovely, low-key day in a thoroughly charming (if breezy) city.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor