Day 23 – Friday, April 12th
New Zealand Airways were stingy on the flight down to Wellington. Tea/Coffee/Water, with packets of feeble nibbles to accompany. Not even a proper – nut. I should declare a need for eating nuts, and make it compulsory for all on every flight.
The train had been considered, but the overnight train was not running today, a waste of twelve hours anyway.
Arriving at Wellington was a breeze, what a terminal. The hanging Birds of Prey impressed, there will be time to study them before the next flight in three days.
Three days to see a capital city, not long, and with our list of – must see places – at two items, maybe a day too long? There are Brewery Taps, and maybe a brewery or two to track down.
Exiting from the bowels of the Airport, we quickly found the bus to the city centre. Lambton Quay, the main street runs parallel to Featherstone Street where the Ibis Wellington is located. Our last Ibis of the trip.
Pulling a bag, a bag on one’s back, an umbrella, fortunately we were at the Ibis sooner than expected. If that’s the size of a block, there will be no need for public transport around this city.
Fork & Brewer was the nearest Brewpub to our hotel. Marg was more interested in food, I promised her food, albeit bar-food. Peeking our from the brollie, I could take in the occasional older building alternating with the modern. Some classic architecture, juxtapositions aplenty. We know who to blame.
Fork & Brewer, on the first floor of the building, occupies a substantial space. With an island bar containing 42 taps, choices. The board suggested three Hazys. Working up the abv is always the plan. Little did I know we would only stay for one.
A Friday night, the place was busy. Marg chose the table, so I can blame her.
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Haze Jumper at 5.4% appeared to be classed as a NEIPA. Yellow, but only slightly hazy, was the name in jest? This was way too sharp, a high IBU was suspected. Think WCIPA and this would work.
The company to my left was mixed, but there was one loud female who could probably be heard back in Auckland. It wasn’t just the volume, it was the pitch. It was a case of drink up and leave. Marg was hungry.
Around the corner was a well rated Asian restaurant, we haven’t had that for a while, Curry tomorrow. So highly rated was – Asian Kitchen – it was full. Next place.
We did pass a Curry Cafe in the style I found in both Brisbane and Sydney. I talked the young girl through the Dishes in the kettles. She had to tell me the last one – Lamb Curry. No Goat here then.
On the bus we had passed a line of Chinese and similar restaurants. The Old Satay Noodle House was chosen.
Again, this was one floor up in what appeared to be quite an industrial setting. There was only a few diners in the large room.
One day Marg will not order Sweet & Sour.
Hector had Pork with Noodles.
What made this meal stand out from the previous Asian creations was the availability of Soya Sauce on the table. No, it’s not like like Hector adding Salt to his dinner as in the bad old days.
Still raining, still a Friday night, I didn’t feel like straying far in the darkness. Was the Brian stopping? The Malthouse was chosen.
Behold, a big room with the bar on the right as one enters, high tables opposite the bar, and a room full of Kiwis to the back. They too were loud, but nobody was resonating. On purchasaing the drinks, I assumed Marg had headed back there. Nope, there she was, front of the house.
Marg had Bier! Lindeman’s Kriek – if indeed that is not a soft drink. The distance this cherryade had travelled was reflected in the price.
802 #67 Unfiletered IPA (McLeod’s Brewery, New Zealand) at 6.8% was the aggressive follow-up to Fork & Brewer.
Untappd are calling Bier – NEIPA – the bars/brewers are not. Gold, with a muddy haze, there was no disictictive hop hit, yet Mosaic, Motueka and Amarillo were all here. OK Bier, nothing to become excited about, however, there was something afoot.
Nick at One Drop back in Sydney had told us that the Nelson Hops had been harvested. A brochure gave a list of all the Fresh Hop Bier available in Wellington. In effect, I had also just found a list of all the Craft Beer outlets in Wellington.
Three days.
I didn’t fancy any more Bier, and so back to the hotel. Get some writing done.
Brewery, bar and restaurant visited today:
Fork & Brewer – 20 Bond Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
The Malthouse – 76 Willis Street, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011
The Oaks Satay Noodle House – Oaks Complex 73 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Day 24 – Saturday, April 13th
Marg was out running along the harbour. Hector spent the late morning in his now claimed spot, a seat at the window with a power cable. Still the rain shows no sign of mercy, still the right foot hurts from a standing start, but maybe less so.
Curry for lunch! Indian Alley Wakefield stood out from the crowd. The Yorkshire reference had nothing to do with the menu, but was the street on which Indian Alley stood. Our walk there was interspersed with stopoffs at sport/outdoor clothing shops. Hector is always on the lookout for quick-dry shorts and trousers – with zipped pockets. Like many a city, Wellington had none.
Indian Alley was closed. It opens midweek for the lunchtime session, but not on a Saturday. Eh?
We now needed something to tide us over until after the 17.00 opening. It had to be near.
Squirrel was a couple of blocks away, and in the right direction for Te Papa, the museum in which we planned to take refuge this afternoon.
Bottomless Coffee – it said on the menu my type of coffee. Doris made a fresh batch, she said I wasn’t leaving until I finished it. The place was empty, more or less, when we arrived. By the time we departed, every table was occupied, even the locals had had enough of the rain.
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Chicken in focaccia – was Hector’s snack. Not that interesting as it happened. A Salad for Marg.
We had been strongly advised to visit Te Papa. Marg and Hector are not big on museums, this turned out to be a museum with – BIG – exhibits. Free to enter, even better.
There are two permanent features: Natural History and the Gallipoli exhibit. The Natural History featured many an interesting animal especially birds past and present.
The huge, flightless Moa is no more, just as well. Michael Parkinson had it easy with Emu. We were encouraged to touch the bone. Ooh, err. But not stand in the footprint.
Earthquakes and Volcanoes, what else do I need to know about these having taught all about them for thirty four years? There was a hut that simulated an earthquake. Having experienced a few in real life, no thanks. Who remembers the Glasgow Earthquake of 1979? OK, it was minor. Turkey was once hit by a major one the day after Marg and Hector left.
We don’t need earthquakes whilst we are in New Zealand.
Something old – what New Zealand truly lacks. The oldest things on display were rocks. Cheating perhaps, but other exhibits put what became New Zealand’s history in perspective, writes the retired Geographer.
Every sign in New Zealand is in English and Maori, respect for those who got here first. But by how long? Aborigines reached what became Australia thousands of years back. The Maori arrived here in the last millennium, the Europeans, a handful of centuries after. Both newcomers then. More importantly, when did – The Weegies – arrive?
The Gallipoli exhibit was excellent in terms of its presentation. The pointlessness of the entire campaign was well reported.
A WW2 battle fought with WW1 tactics. Churchill. I had seen nothing like the larger than life characters on display. The detail is magnificent. Toy soldiers these were not. It wasn’t toy soldiers who had to face the Turkish machine guns. Who gave the Turks machine guns?
Bier o’clock, and we weren’t straying far.
Panhead Custom Ales, whos Rat Rod had been enjoyed nights back at The Malt (Auckland), have an outlet on Tory Street. Having given this street a miss earlier it was time to embrace it.
Sandman at 5.2%, a yellow NEIPA, lacking the full haze, had the always hoped for – blast of hoppiness. For this abv, the body was fine, but imagine this at say 7.5%, and… Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops were present, another fine Bier from Panhead.
I had hoped that this was the brewery, but that’s in Upper Hutt a good bit outside Wellington, and as close to Kelly Ryan’s – Bone Face Brewing Company – as Manchester’s Track is to Cloudwater. Three days.
It was time for Curry, at last. Indian Alley, tasty food better than Mainstream, the Hector had chosen well. This is where the day took a weird turn.
Hector shouldn’t be here – was a voice from behind. Gordon, who drinks in my Glasgow local. I knew he was coming to New Zealand but our dates and places were never meant to overlap. What were the chances?
Gordon gave a couple of Bier House recommendations. Golding’s Dive Bar was meant to have Hazys according to Untappd, their board suggested otherwise. It was stowed, no point hanging around.
Being now off-piste, we stumbled upon Fortune Favours Beer, a brewpub! The young barman was keen, polite but did not convey great knowledge of the Bier on offer.
This was a bit of a dive, but was clearly popular given the number present, most upstairs seemingly.
The Mystic at 5.0%, a Hazy NZ IPA had a slight haze and lacked body. Flavour was lacking too, and there was a slight sweetness. Was this a waste of the precious Nelson Sauvin?
Rogue & Vagabond was Gordon’s other suggestion. A band had just set up, music was imminent. The barmaid told us if we had arrived fifteen minutes later there would have been an entry charge. We found a settee outwith the direct blast of what was to come.
Motueka Fresh Hop (Urbanaut, Auckland, New Zealand) at 6.0% was a disappointment. Another Fresh Hop not necessarily delivering. Federweisser, the early spring wine served in Deutschland was coming to mind. This lacks the body and flavour of fully fledged wine. Is Fresh Hop a rushed job? Time will tell. I should be getting a card stamped.
Where was the haze? There was a hint of – the Polish aftertaste. This Bier needed so much more, its successor is a different story.
Tropical Cyclone (McLeod’s Brewery, Waipu, New Zealand) at 8.0% was a winner. My second experience of MacLeod’s. Yellow with a sligt haze, this was a worthy DIPA. Flavour-wise, it was East meets West, beautifully mellow yet with pronounced hops flavours. US and NZ hops is all I could establish, but IBU-100, how? This tasted nothing like a high IBU IPA. This Bier I would have again, I did. A Saturday night, even Marg was on the strong stuff.
The band came on, not too loud, some good sounds. The female vocalist and the horn player stood out. From our lack of vantage, it took time to establish just how many females were on stage. Our first live music in New Zealand, no idea who they were. It was a good night.
Brewery, bars, restaurant and cafe visited today:
Fortune Favours Beer – 7 Leeds Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Pan Head Tory Street – 1 Tory Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Rogue & Vagabond – 8 Garrett Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Indian Alley Wakefield Restaurant and Bar – 3/290 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Squirrel NZ – 4 Blair Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Day 25 – Sunday, April 14th
The sun was shining, it puts a different perspective on the day. Part of our Ibis welcome was a pair of Kit-Kats. I took one downstairs with me to what I had claimed as my spot: a window armchair with power sockets behind. More writing whilst Marg went out exploring/exercising. This may well be the first Nestlé product I have knowingly consumed in some forty years. The company is on my Blacklist. How old was the Kit-Kat? Maybe from the same batch I last ate from. It would soon have its revenge.
Today, the Wellington Cable Car, except it’s a funicular, less stressful. Having looked at the map to find the lower end, I led Marg to where I thought it would be. I should have read the address, not just looked at where the station is. It added to the steps, and the right foot, although far from mended, is causing less pain from a standing start.
Back on Lambton Quay, into an arcade – Cable Car Lane – behold, the funicular. NZ$11.00 return, no senior discount. After – The Blue Mountains, it looked a bit tame, and short. Ah, some cosmic lighting effects in the tunnels. It’s for the children.
Kelburn was at the top, an opperchancity to survey the vista, have brunch, and visit the museum.
Another museum? Like Te Papa, free, my kind of museum.
Cable Top Eatery, it does what it says on the tin.
Portobello Creamed Mushroom Risotto, how could I not? Marg had her Salad.
Marg eats all these salads. They are rubbish compared to her now legendary, thanks to Lockdown and a certain social medium, nutty creations. The Risotto appeared modest but was filling beyond expectation. Some crossed the table, some was abandoned.
Marg disappeared into the adjacent shop of smells. One tickled her fancy.
The Cable Car Museum related the story of the construction and upgrade of the means of locomotion.
Some take the funicular up then walk down through the gardens. Having bought the return, no way, Pedro. We did the top of the park, more photos and suddenly the Kit-Kat was seeking payback. Wonderfully clean public facilities, just like what we don’t have back home.
With the Ibis seconds from Cable Car Lane, there was a quick change. The umbrella was abandoned, the Dunedin jacket collected. This could be us out for the night, it was still early afternoon.
The walk along he pier was nothing special, Marg had been running here, it’s flat. Peeps had told us Wellington is hilly, they haven’t been to Lisboa. Te Papa came into view once more. Knowing the lie of the land, the Hector excused himself once more. Then it was time for photos of the – Wellington – sign.
Mount Victoria – was on the list of places of interest. Note I have not added this to my list. OK, traditional New Zealand wooden houses, I then realised we had come this way on the Airport Bus. So much for that. Time for Coffee & Cake, and with it nearing mid Sunday afternoon, choices were restricted.
Le Ciel saw us back into the heart of the city, near Tory Street once again. Marg was unaware. Feeling somewhat empty, a slab of creamy nutty cake was ordered, and no, I’m wasn’t for sharing.
Mean Doses Taproom, nothing there to excite, ah Holland Street. Dalmuir also, this is how it is.
With Panhead so close, time to enjoy again the pleasures this Brewery has provided. 
Both my Hazys were aff. Hector wasn’t for staying. That did not go down well. The initial choice of seat was too close to the open door. The second was right under a heater. The third involved having to ask a chap if we could join him. I wonder what he thought when we left moments later.
Fork & Brewer, visit #2, the place was quiet.
Another Forking Hazy at 6.5%, no holding back today. A NEIPA-not, this was yellow worth a partial haze. No hops were disclosed but Citra was assumed. The IBU tasted high, this was a West Coast IPA.
I cannot say that I have not liked some of what I have encountered, it’s just the hope of finding that – special Bier – and not doing so, that frustrates. There was a bar near the hotel, as in the next block, which had a potential Hazy. This was across the street from Leuven Belgian Beer Cafe, ending the night on something familiar, European, a plan.
Google had The Featherston closing soon. Time for a quiche. The plan soon changed. Not only did I find what I’ve been looking for, the bar was not closing until much later.
Having studied the array, the choice was Occasional (?) (Martinborough Brewery, South Wairapapa, Wellington, New Zealand), an APA, the pump clip gave away no more.
The colour, it was fine: the full milkshake haze, and a yellow one at that, not the muddy gold which seems to prevail in these parts. Bloody hell! This was it, but what exactly was – it? I went up to the bar to enquire, the brewery website was giving nowt away nothing. One can only find a Bier on Untapped if you know what it is. The barmaid pointed to the board.
Juice Experiment #5, finally, – the information: a 6.5% NEIPA featuring Strata, Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe hops. Here was a veritable NEIPA, it looked like a NEIPA, tasted like a NEIPA. If it had Track or Verdant on the pump-clip, there would dispatches. I believe there were.
A second was ordered from a waitress whilst Marg was up ordering food. I was on my third when Marg had her food thinking this was still my second. So it goes.
I only found the wonder that is Future Brewing at the end of the Sydney leg of this sojourn, is this how it’s going to be?
I don’t think I was last out of Featherston, but would willingly have been so. Leuven had the tried and tested, so bog standard Belgian fayre. A Blond was not going to follow the owner which had just preceded it. Back to Sandman (Panhead), tried and tested. A come-down, back to reality, but this brewery was the favourite until ninety minutes previous. Marg had Lindemaan’s Kriek, again. Can the funds support such extravagances?
Sunday night, Marg phoned sister Marion is is the norm, except of course it was nowhere near night back in Blighty. I went up to examine the fridges. The last Bier in Wellington, was there anything remotely – Lambic?
Lambic? They’d never heard of it. Maybe just as well, let’s imagine the price. Howard would have bought it, regardless. Hi, Howard!
With a not too early rise in the morning, and in the hope of an uninterrupted night’s sleep, I took the netbook down to my spot.
Our third Ibis, and so far I had only used one of six drinks vouchers, time to rectify.
An Ibis with a choice from Panhead, and one I still hadn’t had. Rolling Stone – Nayslayer at 6.5%, a Pacific IPA, whatever that is. A NZ-IPA with Nectaron, Eclipse, Nelson Sauvin, the taste was more West Coast despite the gold, muddy haze. This was a good Bier.
This was definitely – a good night.
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Brewery, bars and cafes visited today:
Fork & Brewer – 20 Bond Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
The Featherston – Featherston Street, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011
Leuven Belgium Beer Cafe – 135-137 Featherston Street, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011
Ibis Wellington – 153 Featherston Street, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011
Cable Top Eatery – 1 Upland Road, Kelburn, Wellington 6012
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