Wellington looks to me to be in rude health.

For a city down in the dumps, with a reputation problem and a previously shocking council, public service issues and any number of surveys talking about negativity, how come Wellington looks so busy?

I was down for dinner Saturday night. The drive from the airport around the Bays was packed. Jervois Quay was packed, bumper to bumper.

If you had told me there was an All Black test down the end of the road at the stadium I would have believed you.

The restaurant was packed. They do two sittings a night and you can't get a table.

The restaurant next door was packed. They got a Michelin star earlier in the week but they told me it was always busy anyway.

The hotel was flat out. It could be because of school holidays. I stood in the hotel room after dinner looking down on the traffic. I have no idea where they were off to but there were a lot of them.

Having lived in Wellington for a decade I think it's probably the best looking of our cities. There is a lot of seriously good architecture, some beautiful buildings and a lot of suburbs with houses with spectacular views.

But it's reputation is still a problem. Katie asked on Instagram where the best place to eat in Wellington was. One person said the Koru lounge while another person said anywhere in Auckland.

In fact a lot of people made those jokes. There is a strong anti-Wellington vibe around the country and yet, and I guess this is the tourist snapshot problem, one night does not a proper impression make.

There were all those international travellers that talked about how fabulous the world was and how miserable New Zealand is when we went around the world the other day. I think we busted that myth because any place, when you are in a hotel or in a restaurant without a care in the world, seems better than home.

But it doesn’t mean they don’t have their issues.

Wellington seems like a good looking town. The hospitality scene, despite all you hear, on Saturday night was overflowing. It was busy, it was bustling and as I sat in the restaurant for breakfast at seven o'clock yesterday morning there was a lot more action out and about than you ever see in a place like Christchurch and Auckland at that time on a weekend.

And that’s before you get to the joggers on Evans Bay Parade running into a southerly and seven degrees. You've got to love that.

Wellington the image and Wellington the reality is not the same thing.

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