The Year 13 History class recently adventured to windy Wellington. They learned about New Zealand history, saw the sights, shopped 'til they dropped and ate a huge variety of delicious food.

Saturday morning wiped away the stress of the previous night. After a flight cancellation, emergency meeting, and rebooking of our flights, we were in Wellington by early afternoon. We grabbed some lunch at the airport and hitched a ride to the Hotel Waterloo to check in and drop off our bags. In a light windy shower, we walked to Katherine Mansfield’s house for a tour of the author's home. We finished the night eating beef bulgogi, ramen and spicy fried chicken at Korean restaurant Seoul House, delicious!

Sunday morning began with a visit to Harbourside Market where we ate delicious international food before visiting Te Papa Museum. It was an experience to see the incredibly moving Gallipoli exhibit and the gorgeous art gallery. A small walk led us to the Wellington Chocolate Factory where we were able to personalise chocolate blocks using interesting flavour combinations and their delicious toppings and chocolate. To end the day we spent some time shopping at a variety of shops on Cuba Street where most of our money disappeared. For dinner, we had mac and cheese, gumbo and beignets at an American restaurant called Sweet Mother’s Kitchen.

On Monday morning we visited Old St. Paul’s Church. It was a spectacular experience which taught us about the first European arrivals to Wellington and the church’s importance to them. The impressive array of flags hanging on the many arches of the building also had rich history behind them. A highlight for many members of the trip was a lesson and tour of the synagogue at the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, which was hugely educational and enlightening. We then learned about and travelled on the Wellington Cable Car, and walked back into town through the Botanical Gardens. For dinner, we tried bao buns, noodles, spring rolls and curry at Vietnamese restaurant Where’s Charlie.

Tuesday morning was blessed by a rental van. Mrs. Johnstone drove us to the Upper Hutt Blockhouse built in 1860 to defend against a possible attack from Maori in the area (which never happened). In the afternoon we joined the crowd of anti-government protesters on Parliament grounds and listened to a few speakers before it ended. We then visited the National Library where THE original copy of the Treaty of Waitangi and 270 metre long Suffragette Petition were on display. Some students were able to find their own family members who had signed these petitions. We found ourselves with extra time in the afternoon and ended up at a self service mini-golf wonderland called Carlucciland. We had tacos, enchiladas, guacamole and churros for dinner at Viva Mexico, a highlight of the trip!

Our five day trip came to an end on Wednesday, which began with a visit to the famous Weta Workshops at Miramar. Our class was taken on a very fascinating tour around the workshop where we got to see many props and special effects that went into creating movies such as Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Mulan and more. After loading up with souvenirs, we headed back to the centre of Wellington for a special tour around Parliament. After a walkabout of the Beehive, the Chamber and a glimpse of Jacinda, we were lucky enough to meet and talk with Southland MP Joseph Mooney. Our tour coincided with the confirmation of the new Speaker of the House which made our time at Parliament all the more unique. Our trip was nearly over. A quick dash to an American grocery store in Johnsonville signalled the end of our trip and we’d soon have to say goodbye to windy Wellington. After a quick bite to eat at the airport, we caught our flight back home, were reunited with our families, and spent days recovering from our whirlwind tour.

Thank you Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Cowie for an unforgettable experience. The elaborate planning — and sometimes on the spot changes when Wellington didn’t cooperate — ultimately made the trip all the more memorable. We would also like to thank Winton Rotary for their support!