New Year trip - Wellington - city of the wind

Auckland earned the title “The most livable city in the world” by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2021. It’s understandable why people choose Auckland for better living conditions as well as career opportunities and other important factors.

Vietnamese ethnic is a small community in New Zealand. And an unofficial survey shows the majority of them are living in Auckland. By the chance to travel to Welling on this New Year trip, we wanted to meet and make more friends in the capital city of Wellington.

The idea of a BBQ which is a sort of kiwi tradition for holidays and gatherings came up and turned out to be a great idea. We chose Shorland Park in Island Bay where BBQ stoves are set up and there is a playground for kids. I noticed that people having kids when go traveling would put their children’s playing spaces on top of their priorities. So a playground was perfect for a BBQ lunch at the park.

Each family brought their food and drinks and together we got a big lunch. We came to the park early, dropped food and a few members with kids then drove to Red Rock to see if we got any luck to find some abalones. It was not far from the park, about 15 minutes driving.

It is a rocky beach and a nice walk but challenging driving. Only strong engine cars can access, otherwise, people prefer walking. Be careful hot sand my burnt your bare feet. If we could walk further and with luck we can see seals but it should be the next time.

It was a stunning day with a clear sky, strong sunlight, and ocean breeze. Unluckily we didn’t find any big abalones. In New Zealand seafood is free to pick but must be complied with regulations of size and quantity. For example, each person is allowed to pick only 10 abalones per day of a minimum of 125mm for blue abalones. Otherwise, a good fine will be applied. We just expected to get two or three but the result was none.

Without any luck getting abalone, we caught some sea snails, but couldn’t make a meal with a tiny amount so we returned all of them to the sea and came back to the BBQ. We were all so hungry by then.

A few more Vietnamese friends and families were living in Wellington coming to join us. The more, the merrier. Guess what I met @dora381 at the gathering. We have known each other since 2016 when we were working on a blueberry farm together. I was so glad to see her again. Even we are living in the same country, however, to see each other regularly doesn’t seem possible, especially now we are not living in the same city.

As far as I know, there are not many Vietnamese Hivers living in New Zealand at the moment. Two of us and maybe one more. So there was another reason for us to be happy to see each other again.

I was surprised at how fast she made friends. After I came back from abalone hunting, she already knew many of us for the first time. Then what happened was we were enjoying delicious grilled food and Dora was sharing Hive with her new friends. She joined Hive a few months earlier than my and she knew things better than me, so her sharing was interesting not only to me but also to our friends. I can’t remember all that we talked about but we had a good chat until the BBQ party ended. Unbelievably, it was almost three hours. It was awesome to see an old friend and the topics seemed endless. We had to farewell and continued our talk the next day.

Back to my friend’s apartment, I had a short rest while my partner was helping his friend with a driving lesson before she took the test in the next few days. Since the day I knew him, he rarely rejected anyone who asked for help. Once or twice I feel he spends time for strangers more than for me, but I realize his willingness to help people is one of the characters that made me in love with him.

In the afternoon, I made a short walk along Cuba street, one of the main streets in Wellington CBD, and visited another old friend of mine, Susan. I met her for the first time in 2015 in the small town of Motueka on the South Island. Susan arrived in New Zealand under Working Holiday Visa scheme. We lived in the same house and worked together for a short period on apple farms before I left the town for Auckland for my study. Two years later, she flew to Auckland to study Cookery like me. We worked in the same field, being chefs in the kitchens, but in different cities. I haven’t seen her for years, so this was a very good chance for us to do so.

Susan texted me saying she would introduce her partner to me. I thought wow finally she met someone. And someone here is another friend I know. This guy came to New Zealand under the same circumstance as Susan. I believed he was working somewhere in Auckland but it turned out they were living together and became partners. They were both waiting at the gate to pick me up. I was sure they expected my surprising face when Susan introduced him her partner. And I did surprise.

They were living in an old apartment. It didn’t look old outside but inside it was like 100 years old like many other buildings in Wellington. It was an old school 5 bedrooms, 1 bathroom apartment. Bedrooms are relatively small while the living room is huge. I reckon in the old days, people prioritize mutual areas than private spaces.

Susan grows a variety of indoor plants I can’t name them all. She told me it was a stress relief therapy at first then it became an addiction. I never thought planting would become addictive. She even grows some plants in her tiny bedroom - as her saying the biggest bedroom in the apartment.

We went out for dinner together. She suggested a new Vietnamese restaurant in a Capital Market food court nearby. The food court is also so old. My impression of Wellington city besides its title as one of the windiest cities in the world is its old-fashion style. Only three stalls were operating at the time we walked in for dinner. No doubt why, because of Covid 19 many businesses had to shut down. It happened everywhere and I found the same scene in food courts in Auckland CBD.

Spicy Hue noodle - Bún bò Huế

Grilled beef in kawakawa leaves - Giống chả lá lốt

Special beef noodle - Phở bò đặc biệt

The food, in general, tasted better and less pricey than our meal in The Old Quarter.
After the meal, we made a walk to Oriental Bay to enjoy the sunset. One of the things I love about Daylight Saving and summer in the Southern hemisphere is light is not gone until 9 pm. Nature is too generous to us.

Thank you for reading my post. See you on my next journey!

All pictures are mine taken by me and my partner