We had decided that our first day in Wellington would be spent outside as the forecast for Tuesday was not as good. We walked the ten minutes to the station in Petome and had a pleasant chat with the chap in the ticket office who was very friendly. Andy and Sally were able to travel for nothing on their Gold Cards for NZ pensioners and we had to pay four dollars fifty  for the trip into Wellington. The line into the centre of the city ran along the coast and was very picturesque.
We found our way out of the station to the parliament buildings where we were just in time for a guided tour. The tour took an hour and was interesting. The NZ system is based entirely on the Westminster model apart from the fact they have proportional representation and there is no upper house.
The Queen is not allowed into the parliament itself and the back rod has to summon MP's into another large area for the opening of parliament etc.
After the tour we walked through a shopping thoroughfare to catch the cable car up the hill to the botanic gardens. We had to wait about fifteen minutes for a car as there were large crowds but the ride to the top was worthwhile as the views were magnificent. We enjoyed the cable car museum at the top and then walked down through the botanic gardens into the city. We had lunch in the gardens and then walked along the water front which the city council has turned into a tourist area with bars and restaurants, Wellingtonians also use the area as a thoroughfare and for relaxation.
We sat and enjoyed a beer at the end of the day looking out over the harbour before looking for a restaurant to have our dinner in. We couldn't go back to Petome until after 6.30 as Andy and Sally would have to pay if if we travelled in the rush hour.
The train ride back was just as interesting and we spent a quiet evening relaxing.