Things we love about Wellington - Cuba St and Funky Shops

Cuba Street is a hip and happening pedestrianised area in Wellington City.  It is a real hub of activity with a great mix of bars, cafes, restaurants and shops.  We love it because it has a great vibe and is the perfect place to do some people watching.  There are usually buskers playing their music and artists selling their works to the passers by.  I was recently entertained by a magician who played several card tricks on me and then asked for a donation.  I gladly gave him $2.  It's the only change I had and he was lucky I had that.

The picture below is of the famous 'Bucket Fountain'.  Here is a link to the history of the fountain and how it works http://www.bucketfountain.co.nz/history.html

The Plum Cafe is a great place to grab a coffee or a sneaky afternoon pinos gris with friends. A great spot on a hot, sunny day.

The Matterhorn is a wonderful place where business men and skaters fuse together very naturally.  It's a place that is upmarket enough for business meetings and funky enough for skaters.  It has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and the food is sumptuous. 

The Paper Bag Princess - one of my favourite places to buy cheap, second hand clothes.  Everything here is under $20!!  I love it and have found many wonderful bargains here.  One of the things I love about Wellington is the 'op-shop' culture - second hand clothing and goods.  The beauty is that most people who come to New Zealand have immigrated so we can find a large selection of clothes orginating from the UK, Canada, the US and Europe.  Wellington doesn't have a GAP or Hennes, but we can sometimes find GAP clothing in the op-shops thanks those who have given their clothing to these kinds of shops.

 The Recycle Boutique - a bit more upmarket and more expensive than the Paper Bag Princess.  You can find wonderful vintage clothing in this shop.  I could spend hours in here looking at all the old dresses and thinking to myself, "Would I ever wear that and what on earth would I wear it with?"  I just don't have the courage to wear something vintage.

I randomly took this one because I love the houses on hills in the background - a typical Wellington scene.

Frutti - 80% NZ made clothing.  This shop is DIVINE, but it is very expensive.  I have one beautiful jumper from this shop and people always comment on how funky it is.  I love how they display their products.  It's such a beautiful, colourful shop.

Ooooo, the skirts are SO lovely and there is a BEAUTFUL green coat, too!!

...and the hats!  So lovely.

Indeja - my favourite place to buy ear rings!!  I just love their colourful, unusual designs. The shop has been a regular feature on Cuba Street for 15 years.  They sell exotic, bright fashions from places like India and Thailand.  I only ever go in to look at the ear rings and to sometimes buy a pair!   

Yes, those ear rings, pink ones, purple ones, blues ones, green ones, wooden ones, feather ones, beady ones, dangly ones....I love them all!!!  Such an awesome variety.