Wellington, The Storm Coast

 Welcome to Middle Earth, Lord of the Ring fans. This is where the movie was filmed. It also is known as "The Windy City"..... but we know where the real Windy City is located. Maybe the difference is here it relates to the wind and Chicago, its politics. Wellington is the most remote capital in the world. It is clean, compact, and easy to navigate.

Wellington is at the south-western tip of the North Island on Cook Straight. We are heading South now and soon will be heading to Australia. When we docked it was grey and misty. Our tour was called Wellington Harbour and THE STORM COAST. We traveled by bus, toured Wellington and then headed to Pencarrow Lodge for tea. Half of this tour was traveling on a private gravel road along the coast line. This lodge is perched high on a hill overlooking Cook Straight and South Island. The fires were roaring when we arrived. We had tea and cakes. Yum.

Following tea, their sheep dogs demonstrated how they herd sheep. I was very impressed with how these dogs followed verbal commands, a whistle, or a command by hand. One dog was the barker and he ran around the sheep forcing the herd to go away from us. The other dog was a silent one. His job was to herd the sheep toward us. The dogs would stay at the side of the owner until the owner gave a command. Then the dog would start to run toward the sheep, then look back and wait for a command from the owner... go right? go left? go NOW????? The owner says when he lets them go from far away on a hill the dog will look at him and wait for a command then follow his body as to what to do next. If he moves right or left, the dog will herd the sheep in that direction. A lone sheep leaving the herd is no match for these great dogs. What a treat this was to watch.

I am sure if our tour guide ever talked we would heard "informative stories of shipwrecks hidden just off the coast".   When the bus stopped next to this great rust eaten hull the doors opened.  After a few of us looked at each other we got out . Most just continued to sit on the bus wondering what to do next.  I took pictures of what is probably a remarkably horrifying story of a ship lost at sea, lives lost, the young captain going down with the ship.  His fiance still waits for him.  Eventually after hundreds of years, the hull washed up on the shores.  A great story of unrequited love or love lost..... sadness...despair...hope...  Anyway, I got a picture.

  

 What I loved here was how the houses were built into the hills and into the rocks at the bottom of the hills. There is very little flat land here. Not many streets can be carved into these mountains. They build the homes by clearing just enough space for a home in the side of the mountain. Then use stairs or small funicular railways to each home to cart the groceries up.... very cool.

Lots of bikes, fishermen, swimmers, and hikers along our way.  As I send this out we are picking up anchor, untieing the ropes and heading out.  The sun is shining for the first time today and it is really pretty out there.  In an hour we are having a block party.  This is when everyone goes into the hallways with an empty glass to meet the neighbors.  While there, the staff greets us with wine and cheese.  The Captain and Officers start on the top deck and wind their way down each deck and hallway greeting all the passengers.  Makes for great fun.