Wellington City and Akaroa

Sunday we were in Wellington City, the capital of New Zealand. I imagine on a nice day the city is lovely; however, Sunday it poured rain. We went to the top of Mt. Victoria and we were literally in the clouds. I felt like we were in "middle earth" in The Lord of the Rings. The city was quiet because it was a Sunday but we did see the "Beehive" where Parliament meets and the Old Saint Paul's Church. Here is a picture of Lady Norwood's Rose Garden in the rain. Yesterday we were in Akaroa which is a bit south of Christchurch on the South Island. It was beautiful!!! Blue sky, white clouds, green mountains and turquoise waters. We went on a catamaran nature cruise where we saw a number of Hectors dolphins, terns, and a fur seal. There were sheep grazing on the hillsides right next to the harbor. Akaroa actually means "long harbor" in Maori. The harbor was formed by some volcanic event. The town is a popular summer destination for Kiwis and was initially settled by the French; but the British colonized it 4 days before the French could raise their flag. I do not think any picture could do Akaroa justice but here is one of the harbor in the afternoon. Right now we are in Dunedin. The port is actually Port Chalmers. We took the shuttle into the city and prowled around on our own. I will post some pictures later. We walked around the city, stopping for lunch at Speight's, a local brewery. I also managed to find a yarn store where I bought "recycled" possum yarn for socks. I know it sounds nasty but it looks and feels yummy. We hope all our friends and family are well. We are having a great time but still miss being close to you all. Until next time...