I love Wellington!

I wanted to write an article in English, so here it is.

Let's talk about the city which has hosted us for more than 4 months. With its 179 466 + 2 inhabitants, the New Zealand capital is not the biggest city in the country (the biggest city being Auckland with 1 294 000 inhabitants), but this is what makes the difference! The city is human friendly with the possibility to walk from one side to the other in less than a day. Its location near the sea offers lots of advantages such as a port, the waterfront and some sports activities we don't practice a lot in France (they train a lot in rowing and waka ama, a Maori rowing style, with up to 40 rowers per boat). Furthermore, do you know any cities where you can catch a bus from the central city to the beach and surf there in less than 30 min ?

The city has its large business centre, with its high towers and a lovely waterfront where joggers and skate borders cross at anytime. The old city is also famous for its night parties. Wellingtons English/Irish origins are very visible past 5.30pm, pubs and bars are crowded with people that enjoy having a drink after work, but however it is usually more than just the one.

We got lucky, arriving in Wellington during the best weekend of the year ever, the sevens weekend. "The Sevens" is a 7 player’s international rugby tournament. It is not well known in France, but here it is just crazy! The games are good entertainment (short games, 14 minutes, and involve lots of team from around the world), but what makes it extra awesome are the people. Everyone dresses up in and as anything and their costumes kick-ass! People are in a perfect mood for partying. What a wonderful welcome for us!

But this is not the only event; during the year there are opportunities to participate in many kinds of cultural events. The Te Papa museum is one of the main places to go first for sure. If you like nature, the botanic gardens are for you, just grab the cable car; it takes you up the hill, where the view is very good. Furthermore, if you really want to see Wellington from up high, climb mount Victoria, this is one of the best viewing points

Finally you will probably need to relax, eat something or just have a coffee. Go to Cuba Street. Cuba also offers a really cool place for shopping, its 100% pedestrian, and this is where I live. To end your wonderful visiting day, head to Courtney Place at night, this is where people go out and party. You will probably see lots of sexy girls, dressed with only a short robe, even in winter! Gorgeous!

I love Wellington!

Yann.V