January 8 – 10, 2024

We exited the shuttle and with some time still left in the afternoon, walked across the roundabout next to the Cable Car Station to take in the Museum of the same name there.  The Cable Car is a funicular railway between Lambton Quay, the main shopping street, and Kelburn, rising 394 feet over a length of 1,998 feet.

At the end of the 19th century, Wellington was expanding rapidly and, due to the city’s hilly terrain, good building land was at a premium.  When new residential developments were proposed for Kelburn, it was suggested that a cable car or funicular be built to provide easy access. When new residential developments were proposed for Kelburn, it was suggested that a cable car or funicular could be built to provide easy access.  In 1898, the city council granted permission for the venture, on the condition that it had the option to purchase the operation at a later date. 

The designer of the system was James Fulton, a Dunedin-born engineer, who decided that the method of operation would be a hybrid between a cable car and a funicular.  Like a cable car, the line had a continuous loop haulage cable that the cars gripped using a cable car gripper, but it also had a funicular-style balance cable permanently attached to both cars over an undriven pulley at the top of the line. The descending car gripped the haulage cable and was pulled downhill, in turn pulling the ascending car (which remained ungripped) uphill by the balance cable.

Construction began in 1899, involving three teams working around the clock and the line opened to the public on February 22, 1902.  Demand was high, with thousands of people travelling each day.  In the 1940s, the Cable Car suffered from increased competition causing city council to purchase the company, which occurred in February 1947.  In 1978 the line was closed for re-gauging and installation of new steel cars and equipment by Habegger AG of Switzerland, becoming a full funicular, and reopened the following year. 

We spent about an hour touring both levels of the museum, examining displays that described the history of the line as well as restored cable cars on one level and examples of the old pully and drive systems a level below.  When we all finished, we walked next door to the Cable Top Restaurant to sit outside and enjoy a cold beverage while taking in a view of the city below. 

We enjoyed our drinks and then returned to Adstock House for a quiet afternoon before venturing out to dinner at Portlander, as recommended by our hosts.  I’d made reservations the day before to make sure we’d get a seating.  Located in the Rydges Wellington Hotel, we entered its lobby and soon located the ground floor restaurant and were seated promptly.  Throughout the meal the service would be excellent as we engaged with one of the waiters, a young American from the west coast.  We started with a loaf of Ciabatta to eat along with the Wairiri Mozzarella appetizer (manuka honey confit butternut, compressed cucumber, spiced puffed rice, red wine vinegar reduction) and honestly, we could have made a meal of it that’s how good it was. 

There were drinks involved as well starting with the Montana Festival Block Chardonnay I enjoyed while Marty selected a local Tualara Reptillian IPA.  Joanna, Bev, and Kim had a Daiquiri, Pink Lady, and a White Lady, all good choices to begin the evening with.  For dinner, we’d share a bottle of a North Canterbury Pinot Noir from 27 Seconds (100% of their profits go towards helping survivors of slavery), which was a perfect choice to accompany the entrees we had all selected. 

These were, for Bev and me, the Handpicked Eye Fillet (55-day aged pasture fed in South Canterbury) with the pepper brandy sauce.  For Kim it was the Handpicked Ribeye (55-day aged pasture fed in South Canterbury) with club mushroom sauce.  Joanna picked the Slow Grilled Leg of Lamb (marinated with preserved lemon and garlic, cooked to medium and carved to order) and Marty had the Rump and Rib Lamb Duo (grilled 10-hour sous vide rump and glazed slow roasted rib).  We enjoyed a couple of sides as well, garlic mashed potatoes and cauliflower gratin. 

As would be the case with every meat-based meal we would enjoy In New Zealand and Australia, the quality and preparation were excellent with reasonable pricing an added bonus.  As it was our last night on the north Island, we of course ordered dessert, the Elder Flower Panna Cotta and Sticky Date Pudding while Marty and I had one more drink apiece, the Taylors 10 year Tawny port for him and a Martell VSOP cognac for me.  When we settled the tab, we also left a cash tip of 50NZ as the service was so good.  The total then came to 539NZ ($350), less than $70 per person for a great meal that included many drinks and a bottle of wine. 

Finished with dinner, we walked a few blocks, first stopping at a discount pharmacy to pick up some over-the-counter medications, before locating the ticket kiosk for the cable car and paying our fare, entered the station and boarded a waiting car.  The ride itself doesn’t take long, but the views provided are worth the journey, particularly when they become apparent after you exit one of the colorfully lit tunnels the car passes through. 

After a full day and that great meal, it would be an early evening for all of us as we needed to be at the ferry terminal early for our journey across the Cook Strait to Picton on the South Island.  Our time on the North Island had been fulfilling and rewarding, as we enjoyed making memories with the Quigley’s and friends Beppie and Ian in Tauranga.  We easily could have spent more time at each stop, but such is the nature of travel, that there is never enough time, no matter how much of it you think you have.  Anyway, the journey must continue. 

Links

Cable Car Museum: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/cable-car-museum/

Cable Top Restaurant: https://cabletop.co.nz/

Portlander: https://www.portlander.co.nz/