We thoroughly enjoyed our five days in Wellington, visiting Zealandia, walking by the shore, eating delicious food, and visiting friends of D&S. There was only one problem. There is so much more to see in Wellington. I suppose there’s always next time.

Last year when we rented our car in Queenstown we wanted to pick up a few extra supplies for the road. Things like folding camp chairs (for sitting near the beach, watching the ocean) and similar bulky items. Nothing too expensive, since we knew we would have to leave everything behind at the end of the trip. We found just the place, called The Warehouse. Turns out they are all over New Zealand, so that was our first stop today in Palmerston North.

We’re spending a night in Palmerston North mainly to break up the drive to Napier, so we had very low expectations. But it’s a pretty little town, and we can imaging staying longer next time. After getting our supplies at The Warehouse, we had lunch at a lovely little Turkish restaurant called Kapadokya. We would highly recommend it.

Our hotel was a similar little gem. Jan has a knack for finding places like this.

There were periods of light rain all afternoon, so we didn’t walk around town, but on a nicer day it clearly would have been well worth a stroll. I’m always aware of the cold and snow back at home, so it’s so nice to see flowers and green without having to make any extra effort at all. This was on the street in front of the hotel.

And this was just across the street.

Tomorrow we’re off to Napier, where it’s going to be significantly warmer. I love that, though it might be a little warmer than Jan would prefer. I hear the aquarium is well worth a visit, and might offer another chance to see a kiwi. Apparently the “aquarium” in Napier is a little more than just an aquarium. We will have to see.