Beating the cold

‘You can’t beat Wellington on a good day.’ – Every Wellingtonian

Something you may find surprising about New Zealand is that most of the houses here lack both insulation and central heat. So that means this girl from Florida now has to learn to layer up and embrace the cold. This by far has been the hardest part of the transition, and from what I hear it is only sure to get colder.

That being said, Wellington is an amazing little city that I would recommend anyone visiting New Zealand check out. The weather leaves a bit to be desired, but the city makes up for it in charm, artwork and fun activities. (Oh, and did I mention an abundance of coffee shops, food, and drink options?)

For example, this week in Wellington we currently have two events going on: The NZ International Comedy Festival and the LUX Light F.estival. I’ve already attended both, but because they are so large I hope to visit both again.

Unfortunately, you aren’t supposed to take pictures during the comedy shows, but the one I went to on my birthday was quite fantastic. It featured six comics, all who had their own style and background. (One was even from the states and made fun of my beloved Philadelphia!) It was a great way to get a taste of the shows going on around town, and unlike most comedy shows in the states, there was no beverage requirement to enjoy the fun.

The LUX Light Festival was such a unique experience. Basically, artists take over the entirety of Wellington by putting on unique and sometimes interactive displays centered around the “light” theme. For example, one of the art pieces is a large box of sound and light and spectators could change the patterns by touching the box. There are also a whole “district” dedicated to displays for children so it’s also family friendly. Plus there’s food, including glow-in-the-dark gelato.

The festival is so big, that while the group I was with thought we hit all the artwork, we simply did not. I walked by an installation I hadn’t seen last night. And since the event is free, I can just check it out the next time I stroll by.

And that’s not all, later this month there is The Wellington Food Show, which I plan to eat my way through. So for a town of fewer than 500,000 people, this city has a lot going on. So I guess I’ll just have to buy a hat.