After meeting Daniel Reeve in the morning, Pedro and I walked along the Wellington waterfront to the Cable Car. We were heading for the Wellington Botanic Garden, and we thought that riding the cable car up the hill would be a fun way to approach it.
We found the ticket office to the Wellington Cable Car without too much trouble.
From the top, it is a short easy walk to the free Botanic Garden. We spent the next couple of hours walking the lovely paths and enjoying the landscaping and the colours of a southern hemisphere summer.
We began walking at the top of the hill, and followed a few of the many trails to the bottom of the hill where we rested in the shade at the duck pond. Signs pointed to the Begonia House, which sounded interesting, so we walked that direction. Outside the Begonia House is a large rose garden.
Not only begonias, but many tropical plants were inside the Begonia House.
Outside the building, we next saw signs to the Bolton Street Cemetery, and decided to take a look. (I am grateful to share so many things with Pedro: the desire to walk a lot, interest in gardens, interest in cemeteries)
Since my time at Brandeis University (’07) and subsequent friendships with many people of the Jewish faith, Jewish history and landmarks have interested me. Finding a Jewish cemetery here was unexpected. A sign at the location says that there are 44 marked graves, but probably more that are unmarked. Jews came to New Zealand in the 1840s from London, to seek better opportunities where they were allowed to establish businesses and buy land.
We had walked all the restlessness out of our system and it was getting late. We walked back to the cable car and it took us back to downtown Wellington. Then we followed the waterfront again, back to our hotel.
Bird count: (remember the bird count?) Finally I saw three new birds (I’m counting the male and female blackbirds as one), which makes a new total of 17 New Zealand birds.
Conscious Engagement 
Another lovely, beautifully photographed, tour. You must be managing your camera better
Thank you Derrick. Many of these photos are from my phone. The camera photos still seem poor to me and I am frustrated about that. I need to take a class or something, and see if I am somehow changing settings by accident.
Having much of the LOTR story lost on me, I’d have to say this might be my favorite post. That forest shot is tattooed on my brain tonight … and those flowers and headstones, wow!
I took many photos of the forest with the flowers beneath the canopy. It was perfect somehow, and I can’t quite explain why. I’m glad I put up a photo that caught your attention. The headstones on the side of the steep hill were also wonderful. It was just a great day and an excellent outing. I’m glad this was your favourite.