Written by Rene I. Molina

Wellington is my most favourite city in Aotearoa New Zealand. I was in the capital city over the weekend. I took the overnight bus, a good 11-hour trip, leaving Manukau at 7:30 p.m. and supposed to arrive at Porirua a few minutes after 6. Earlier on, our driver was saying we were 30 minutes late and that hopefully he will be able to make up for the lost time. I don’t know how and where, but we arrived at least 20 minutes earlier than expected. He must have put on speed somewhere. Probably between Rotorua and Taupo, or perhaps the Desert Road. There were five of us who alighted that early morning and of course all our welcomers weren’t around yet.
Wellington put on a display for me last Saturday. The sun was up, bright, and shiny, with cool winds and clear blue skies. In the morning, I quickly did my rounds, filming establishing shots of the city’s more famous landmarks: Te Papa, the old library, the cable car, street scenes, and ended up at KC Café and Takeaway for a quick lunch with family. It is without par, the best place for a roast duck meal. I then went to the Walter Nash stadium in Lower Hutt, to film the annual InterCity Games. Of course, the games were all exciting, the array of food was yummy and delicious, and I got to meet new and old friends.
The evening was spent in the company of family while we had a sumptuous dinner in my nephew’s new house.
The conversation was jolly and delightful. All throughout the day, even though the sun was up, I still felt the coldness of winter. I guess it is an indication of what is in store for us this season.