EC-Rider Travels

Philippa took us on a lovely drive along the harbour road and this really is the most unique city. It sits at the very base of the North Island on the Cook Strait, encompassing a lovely waterfront with much activity, including a few sandy beaches and a working harbour. Between the two there are huge office buildings and the rather amazing looking Parliament House and its contrasting Parliamentary Library. But going round to the east these gradually peter out to residential homes along the seafront with others set high up into the hills above. There are still a number of pretty traditional wooden houses but many have been replaced with modern dwellings and apartment blocks of every style of architecture you can possibly imagine. Some rather fine, some rather hideous! The harbour road goes on for several miles skirting different harbours with some truly stunning houses but surprisingly, nothing else – no restaurants, shops, food stores etc just house after house.

We returned back to the centre of town and took the famous cable-car (in fact a pretty short funicular) to Kelburn a pretty, but steep suburb in the hills. Here lives the most wonderful friend of Philippa’s called Coleen Scott. Aged 94, she lives alone in a large traditional white wooden house where she has lived for over fifty years. We were bid for tea at 3.30pm when she would be back from her two games of croquet. She greeted us at the door, looking more like a sprightly 70 year old and showed us her beautiful garden, full of roses and hydrangeas just bursting into bloom. She was truly remarkable, up to speed on everything and absolutely fascinating. It was a real privilege to meet her.

When we returned, I went for a walk, needless to say finding myself making a bee-line to a little theatre (I confess I am rather craving the performing arts!). It was the end of the working day and the waterfront was buzzing with people rowing, canoeing, swimming, on skateboards and motorised scooters. Bars and restaurants were filling up and you felt that once again the work/life balance was a priority. The landscaping and planting in the centre of the city is also carefully thought out with lots of areas to exercise and have fun with your dogs! Despite it being rush-hour, there were remarkably few cars on the roads, just all very relaxed. I am sure it must be a lovely city to live.

We went to a charming restaurant called the Boulcott Bistro where we had the most delicious dinner and once again rather fine wine.

As we left the hotel we met the founder and former owner, Chris Parkin, in the lift. Chris is a great art collector and despite the fact he is no longer the owner, he has his art displayed all around the hotel. It is the most amazingly eclectic collection including a cow made of corn-beef tins which opens up into a BBQ. He invited us to the top floor, where he has several apartments and has filled the passage with more of his collection which we plan to do in the morning.