Wellington is a clean and attractive city, full of modern buildings and well preserved older ones. We were suffering from withdrawal (no French food for a month) and I was just getting over a cold that had laid me low for a week, so we had good omelettes in a bistro where the staff wore T-shirts saying "Allez les Bleus!".

After we spent a pleasant couple of hours at Te Papa, the New Zealand National Museum.

Wandering back to our hotel took us along the sea front past young people swimming in the harbour - jumping in, climbing out..... While we watch, another tourist came along and said "Isn't New Zealand fabulous?" We couldn't agree more.