TUESDAY--MARCH 15, 2011

"BEEHIVE"--PARLIAMENT OF NEW ZEALAND

HOUSES ON MOUNTAINSIDE

PERSONAL CABLE CAR TO HOUSE AT TOP OF MOUNTAIN

VIEW OF WELLINGTON FROM MOUNT VICTORIA

TOTEM POLE ON MOUNT VICTORIA

MAORI WORSHIP CENTER IN LE PAPPA NATIONAL MUSEUM

HIPPOPOTAMUS RESTAURANT (FOR GRANDSON CAMERON)

BLUEBRIDGE COOK STRAIT FERRY

TRAIN CARS BEING PUSHED ONTO FERRY

COACH BEING DRIVEN ONTO FERRY

FERRY RIDE ACROSS COOK STRAIT AND QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND

FERRY RIDE ACROSS COOK STRAIT AND QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND

As we progressed through Wellington (capital of NZ), we stopped to take photos of the Parliament buildings.  The one is rounded and hence called The Beehive.  Wellington is known for the strong winds and called The Windy City (actually windier than Chicago).  As we drove through the streets, the tour director pointed out that some of the harbor had been reclaimed, so many of the buildings to the right of the bus were built where the harbor formerly had been.  Some of the buses, or coaches, are powered by overhead electric cables.  As we traveled a very curvy road parallel to the water’s edge, we observed many homes built on the side of the hill that is almost vertical.  Some of the homes have their own cable cars from the street up to the house at the top.  We drove up Mount Victoria which has been the setting, or partial setting, for some movies including “Cliffhanger” and “Lord of the Rings”.  Because of the influence of the Maori people and culture, there are frequent representations of totem poles.  We stopped at Le Papa National Museum.  The Maori people did not have a language, so all the carvings in wood were for communication.  Their concept for the origin of the people was not to my choosing.  We boarded the Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry for a ride across Cook Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound on the south island.  This ferry holds many coaches, train cars, campers, cars, semi-trucks, and hundreds of people.  It is huge!  The ride took about three hours.  The coach was driven off the ferry at Picton on the south island with us on board.  We were lined up on the ferry to drive off among the first vehicles to disembark.  As we crossed the straits, we encountered the first rain of the trip.  I trust this will not put a damper on our activities.  Following a brief orientation tour of the fishing village of Picton, we drove to Blenheim where we will stay the night at Heartland Hotel.