Using an underground car park as the market’s venue, this market was actually “underground”. Hit of the day: candy floss (cotton candy)

(Artificial) Shark fins in the coastal waters accompany initiatives to ban shark finning.

A playground for learning – Just like every museum (and class room) should be.

As the main restrictions for St. Nicholas were – not big, not heavy, will not extend travel luggage – we all ended up with chocolate, sweets and apps in our improvised temporary home. “Inventions with Petersson and Findus” was a big hit for Clara and the best app we got so far.

The Botanic Garden is located on a hill in Wellington. We drove up the hill by cable car. This is a wagon which is pulled by a cable. It is an institution and tourist attraction in Wellington and over hundred years in Service.

The first thing getting up there was to go on the playground having lunch. I packed in all kinds of stuff. Cracker, wraps, sandwiches chocolate, fruits and salad. I just loved sitting down somewhere having our picnics.

After lunching, changing dypers, feeding, breastfeeding we played some more on the playground. Especially the flying fox is always a great attraction not only for the little ones.

We walked down the hill through all kinds of gardens, had another break in the rose gardens and walked a cementery, which I always find very appealing.
Finally we returned into the city and crossed the Bee Hive parliament buildings.

This evening we planned to do much. But Henryk walked us to the Frank Kitts Park telling us something of a surprise. And then we saw it. A couple hundred people were gattering there to run the santa run. We saw many Santas and Christkinder. Famielies with strollers and litle Toddlers and Babies running. Daddies and Mummies young and old all waiting for the signal to run along the shore. It was heartbreaking to see all those people running for a good cause.

We expected the Cuba Street to be similar to “Kroad” on Auckland.  It was interesting, but seemed much smaller than Kroad. Here the waterfront was much more interesting and thats were we spend most of our time. But the bucket fountain was a little Higlight on this roud. Everybody stands there watching the main baucket to fill. What an eyecatcher.

The Apollo Lodge was not only near the waterfront and the city centre, but also offered us just 300 metres away lots of Hikes in a huge reserve.

This reserve had lots of small mountains and forest to hike and mountain bike. It was very beautiful with lots of scenic Look outs and spots reminding one on Lord of the rings.

Exploring the Park we started with a climb on Mount Victoria.

Of course we ended our walk with a stop on the playground. Clara was exercised the monkey bars eccessivly and Vincent loved the ground with its soft rubber and small flowers sticking out of it. likes to poke those wholes and eat the flowers. Once I found four of them in his mouth.

On the walk we always had to find something to get the kids going. Clara trained her skills of fotography and looked for things to hold on to for Vincent. She found many Zapfies. Vincent sad in the Manduca chewing them.
Henryk called them Zapfustinus. I think we made it to Zapfustinus the second this day.

Oriental Bay is the perfect mix. A small beach a playground, big stones to climb on and a cafe with free wifi. We went there in the evnening for the first time and Clara and Henryk tried to play mini Frisbie. This  is not easy in “Windy Wellington” with all its northerlies and southerlies. But they did a good job.

Because at Frank Kitts Park, there is just something for everybody: View onto the sea, ships, boats and people. Playground with swings, slides and other children. Grass and leaves to chew on. Free Wi-Fi. Coffee. Ice cream cart. Shadow throughout the day. Places to sleep. Rocks to climb. Heaps of stuff in walking distance.