Kiwi actor Grace Palmer, best known for appearing in the legendary Shortland Street, took advantage of the recent long weekend to head to Aotearoa's capital city.
With husband Rawiri - also an actor - in tow, she booked a spontaneous trip to Wellington with Jetstar, describing the city as "the host with the most".
She enjoyed herself so much, she urged her fellow Kiwis to look out for cheap fares and treat themselves to a wonderful weekend away in windy Welly.
Here's Grace's guide to a "bloody brilliant weekend" that was tried, tested - and loved - by her and her hubby.
Red Rocks Coastal Walk
On our first morning, we had brunch at Maranui Café in Lyall Bay. This was next level. Not just because of the food and that peanut butter smoothie, but because of the location too.
You feel like you're hanging over the ocean. It was the perfect stopover on our way to Owhiro Bay Beach, where we did the Red Rocks Coastal Walk.
What's awesome is that within 10 minutes travel of the bustling city there's a beautiful, rugged coastline.
Ra and I walked a few kilometres of the total hike, and after only a couple hundred metres we saw a sleepy seal on the rocks. This hikoi is rad.
The perfect way to start the day - plus it was just a short drive from our hotel.
Scenic Helicopter Ride
All I can say is wow! Seeing Wellington from this perspective was truly remarkable.
The team at Wellington Helicopters made it a real VIP experience, and I even scored shotgun. We seriously lucked out with the weather - a stellar, sunny day and thankfully, no wind!
This was Rawiri's first time flying in a helicopter, so he was hella nervous, but as soon as we got up there, he was a pig in shit. This ride had us buzzing! An experience we'll never forget.
Poppies Winery in Martinborough
I'd never been to Martinborough, so we did a wee roadie to Poppies Winery. I'm a sucker for a platter, and they really nailed them.
We did a wine tasting (the rosé was the bomb) and took a walk around the vineyard. I'm so glad we made it out there.
It's just an hour from Welly and driving over the Rimutaka Ranges is super scenic. Shout out to my designated sober driver for letting me enjoy the grapes.
Te Papa
This place is irresistible, and never disappoints - no matter what age or stage. I'm a bit of a museum junkie, so we spent a few hours here.
The Gallipoli: The Scale Of Our War exhibition was incredible: it gave me goosebumps, and I was absolutely enamoured by Robin White's pieces.
Rawiri went to the Shaky House, but I'm from Christchurch so I gave that one a miss. Oh, and you can't go to Te Papa without checking out their gift shop. It's a goodie!
We're so happy we packed our bags and took a spontaneous trip to the capital. It was the best way to spend our long weekend.
And as well as all these cool experiences, we enjoyed soaking up the sunshine, eating some seriously yummy kai (Amok is a must-try), and yarning to all the friendly (and fashionable) locals.
