a winding road

The next day – a blustery, rain-soaked Saturday – once again found me wedged between Susi and Mary in Vic’s van. There was even less room this time around, since everyone’s luggage was also crammed in. Even though the suitcases were in the trunk (or “boot” for New Zealanders), every inch of free floor space was occupied by backpacks and tote bags. After a full morning and afternoon of touring Wellington, the group would head to the airport and fly to Christchurch on the South Island for the second part of their tour. Until then, however, Wellington was still the focus.

Our first destination of the day was a filming location on the side of Mount Victoria (“Mt. Vic” colloquially), the large hill just outside the Wellington CBD. We once again passed through the Mount Victoria Tunnel, and then began slowly winding our way up the mountain. Vic had to navigate the disconcertingly narrow lane carefully, and we all held our breath as we rounded each hairpin turn. Safety devices like guardrails are used sparingly in New Zealand, so it was doubly nerve-wracking to get halfway around a tight turn, only to see the Mt. Vic bus barreling down the hill toward us.

The road was the narrowest – and most congested – in the residential area nearest the bottom of the hill. As with most of Wellington, the houses on the side of the road are perched precariously on the steep hillside, a few of them propped up – garages and all – on stilts. And, with Wellington’s infamous windy, wet weather, this architectural feat is especially impressive.