Windy Wellington

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Wednesday morning we were up early as we had to be at the railway station by 7-15am. We had booked 2 seats on the Northern Explorer, a day trip from Auckland to Wellington. I had seen a program in World Scenic Railways about it which was very favourable. We had often driven between the two cities but this would be something different.
We were a little surprised on reaching the station to find that the ticket office was a container and the queue to get our boarding passes was long and in the open. Having travelled The Ghan, their procedures are very professional. This was more like a third world country scenario. There was only one, very efficient, woman issuing the seat allocation and then we had to take our own bags to the luggage car at the back of the train. On board the seats were comfortable and the train was packed.
Once we got started it took a long time to leave Auckland's suburbs , but once in the countryside the views were better. It was a bright sunny day with the sun almost blinding us at times. The most interesting section of the trip was near the mountains where there is a spiral and an almost full circle of track to mitigate the gradient. There were free headphones and intermittently commentary on the area which we were passing through was shared. We were able to buy lunch on board, I had a sandwich and Fletcher a beef and cheese pie, washed down with a local sauv blanc.
Through the mountainous regions we passed over some spectacular viaducts with long drops to the valleys below. As we went further south the weather closed in and it was grey and the rain started. As we neared Waikanae the train stopped. We were told that the signals between there and Wellington were all down and we had to wait for the all clear.we were stuck there for nearly an hour, slowly moving then to Paraparaumu and then Paekekeriki. After another 30 minutes we received the news we were clear to continue in to Wellington which was greeted by a cheer from all passengers.
As we alighted in the station there was a real bun fight to collect the luggage from the van and then proceed to the taxi rank. It was very cold and windy outside and we had to wait for awhile for more taxis. Finally we were able to go to our hotel, Quest on Johnston. Then we had to work out how to get in as by this time it was 8-30 and they had closed reception.We were helped by a fellow passenger who arrived just before us. We had to push a button which connected us to a number which gave us the combination to a locked box in which our keys were waiting. It was a great relief to finally get up to our room.
We then went out in search of sustenance. Fortunately next to our hotel was a restaurant, Junipers, which was still serving. We had a nice meal there before returning to the room and rest.

On Thursday we were indecisive as how to spend the day. We had been here several times and had done most of the touristy things. The receptionist suggested taking the ferry across the bay to Eastbourne and looking around there. It was another cool, windy day and we were glad of our rain jackets. We walked to the quayside and bought tickets for the 10am boat to Day's Bay. This was a 40 minute trip, with one stop at another island along the way. We sat inside, glad to be sheltered from the wind and spray. At Day's Bay we alighted on the wharf. This is a pretty seaside holiday place. I shivered as I watched a group of school children, obviously on camp, jumping from the jetty into the icy water.
We walked slowly along the foreshore towards Eastbourne. At least it wasn't raining. The different styles of architecture were interesting. There was one very modern facade on the cliffside while many others were obviously from the 40s or 50s.With a few sit down stops we managed to arrive at Rona Harbour, the Port of Eastbourne. We walked out onto the jetty and watched three or four fisherman trying their luck. One lady arrived with her baby to tell them that food was ready. We had walked past a playground and saw a woman barbecuing so that was an explanation.
From there we explored the main street looking for a suitable place for lunch. There seemed to be no pubs around but then we came across Tartine's. This is a French cafe/restaurant run by a French lady and it was very busy. I ordered a Beef Bourginon while Fletcher opted for Paella Basques expecting lots of seafood. My Beef was superb, falling apart and very tasty but Fletcher first found his paella was cold and when they heated it for him, the seafood was mainly mussels and clams, which is the French way. It was advertised as having chorizo and he managed to find one piece. He didn't eat much of it but mine was so filling he finished that for me. We did share an excellent French red from Bordeaux.
The Maitre'D was understanding and apologetic and did not charge for his dish. We had a couple of French cakes after, which were tasty but hard to eat with the small forks we were given. So mixed reviews but it certainly was busy with tables turning over 3 or 4 times.
Then it was a slow walk back to the ferry. We had about an hour to wait so went into Sea Salt, a cafe on the foreshore and shared a bottle of white. Started a conversation with a group of locals at the next table who joined in with Aussie/NZ banter. This seems to be the Victor Harbor of Wellington, mainly grey hair around here. The ferry came at 3-10 and as the sun had come out we sat up top for the ride back across the bay.
After a rest at the hotel, we walked across the road to Avida, a Tapas restaurant for dinner. This was very busy but had excellent food. We shared four small plates which was plenty. All in all a pleasant day!!

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