It is always a hard sell when visitors turn up during terrible weather.

"Over there where you can only see low clouds, that is normally a great view"

"The harbour looks nicer when you aren't having to hold on to the ground".

I love Wellington for the simple fact that even when the weather is terrible, the people power on. Through wind, rain, storms and crazy tossed up seas. And then when the sun comes out, even before the wind has gone home, everyone is out making the most of it, and sunbathers hide from the wind on the beach on Oriental under the concrete lip of the sidewalk above. Says alot about Wellingtonians. I ahve adopted this city because of its tough nature and creative solutions. Love it

My visitors find the biggest Wellington challenge to be walking everywhere. I remember my Aunty being VERY bent out of joint when we walked from Willis St to the train station to catch a train out to DressSmart. She couldnt get her head around why we didnt just drive :P

You can't beat Wellington on a good day. But on a "bad" day it'll beat you too. :-)

Certainly can't complain that the weather is monotonous. "Challenging" might be a better word.

I hope Mrs A-W and rellies had their winter thermals or did they spend the weekend sitting in your lavatory wearing sunglasses admiring the gleam in the lavatory pan. I imagine after this revelation your colleagues at Fairfax Media will be able to create the ideal job opportunity for you; 'Keeper of the Executive Washroom'.

Did you move your bike out of the spare bedroom for the occasion or did Mrs AW and siblings have to ‘top and tail’ with your racing bike?

I assume you took them to the beach to see the sharks tearing the few surfers limb from limb and jellyfish running up the beach looking for human flesh.

After that down to Oriental Parade to be ogled by men under sleazy umbrellas and have their eyeballs surgically removed by stray reinforcing wire.

Yes, Wellington is indeed a vibrant city, with so many attractions not listed in tourist guides. I have been in touch with NZ Tourism in Tokyo and you will shortly be getting a coach load of 40 Japanese housewives coming to inspect your lavvy and find out from you the secret of the hygenic bog.

Aaah Ben, thank you, you've made me splutter my morning beverage everywhere. As I look out at the drizzle it's good to have a reason to laugh.

I had guests last week, my Auckland friend and her British partner. Thankfully they did at least see a little sun. My friend has learned since her first visit to Wellington. I told her to bring a jacket, so she arrived with a thin denim version. Needless to say she borrowed my polarfleece jacket for the rest of the weekend. This time she came equipped with merino, and lots of it!

As for wanting your place to look its best, one of my cats decided to kill a mouse and leave it under her backpack. After that the cleanliness or otherwise of our bathroom probably wasn't foremost in her mind ...

Like the line in the poem goes, you don't live in this city by chance. I like the way Wellington's climate is so confrontational. It lets you know who's boss. that's got to be good for you!

We had a friend who lives in north Queensland (near Bundaberg) come to stay a couple of years ago. We thought he lived in the idyllic place - hot, sunny, dry etc but he was (almost literally, being July) blown away with Wellington. He loved the fresh air, cool temperatures, vibrant lush green of the hills. He thought we were so lucky! Takes all kinds, I guess, but it did make us think maybe we weren't appreciating the positive things. Still, it would be nice to have a little bit of summer before autumn sets in ...

I walk to work in Thorndon from Wadestown every day regardless of weather. I often feel bad if I come over the hill on one of those bad days to see a cruise ship docked...mind you, who would come to Wellington and expect good weather? We're known for many a thing but good weather ain't one of them (although I completely agree with not being able to beat Welly on a good day!).

I would however have loved some bad weather last night though for the weekly 5km run - I melted into a little puddle of fail and had to visit not 1 but 2 of the Oriental waterfountains on the homeward leg. Of a 5km run. Yes that's right. FAIL!

Getting seasick on the ferry (Picton I'm assuming) is nothing to be embarrassed about. Cook Strait can be one of the roughest regularly crossed stretches of water in the world on a bad day.

And FWIW the first english settlers weren't immune to the weather either. The original settlement of Britannia in 1839 or so was located at the western end of Petone beach (near the overbridge). A few southerlies and floods later they decamped and re-established themselves in Thorndon where it was a bit more sheltered.

I fled screaming from Wellington in the mid-90s, mainly due to the awful weather. Hamilton (for all its faults) was FAR better in that department. However I was coaxed back about 8 years ago and I'm now a very happy Wellingtonian. Yes, the weather sucks big time but there are so many other compensations that I put up with it. I love the compact size of the city, the high-IQ population, vibrant cultural life, friendly attitudes and central geographic location. My resolve is regularly tested as the howling southerly has me putting my electric blanket on in January but overall, it's a great place to live.

It got so cold on the weekend I put an extra blanket on the bed, and was taking a hot wheat bag with me (I steadfastly REFUSE to have the electric blanket on the bed in January!), but last night was SO lovely in comparison. No wonder there were such huge crowds in the gardens through till after 10pm!

I've done Dunedin (a lot like Wellington, so pretty good), Te Anau in the summer (local outdoors is its saving grace) and Christchurch (hell on earth. Roasting in summer, freezing in winter and so flat as to be boring!), but have returned to my home town, Wellington. I love it and would rather live here than anywhere else... Although Napier and Taupo both look tempting at times...