Wellington

We've now passed through Wellington twice - once on our way to catch the ferry to the South Island, when we stayed with Matt and Sara, and once on the way back. Sadly the weather both times wasn't great (which was strangely pleasing to us, as we've had fantastic weather on all the days we've really needed it), which had meant that we didn't see the best side of the city.

As the rain fell, we made our way to the Te Papa National Museum, which had some great interactive displays with lots of buttons to press. On an rainy day earlier in the trip, we had visited Melbourne Museum and seen the stuffed hide of the 'famous' racehorse Phar Lap. Here in Wellington, we got to see his skeleton. The sign said that his heart was in Canberra, but it wasn't clear whether this was literal or metaphorical.

In the evening, we went to watch the national sport of New Zealand - rugby. The Hurricanes, from Wellington, were taking on the Brumbies, from Canberra in a Super 14 match. In a fairly quiet game, the 'canes scored a try just after the final hooter had gone, to mean they won the game 11-10. The atmosphere was completely different to a football match in the UK - there was no chanting, and nobody really got excited. If it had been a better game, maybe the crowd would have been more interested, or maybe they're always that reserved.