Intro to Wellington city (the capital)

Wellington is the capital city and home to most of central government and related ministries and agencies. Greater Wellington is several cities and large towns that cling to the (mostly) steep terrain around Wellington Harbour, the Hutt Valley and along the Kapiti coast to the northwest. Cook Strait forms the a spectacular southern and western boundary.

Wellington is also the main cultural centre in New Zealand with plenty of shows, ballet, opera, symphony orchestra, several museums, etc.

What to see?

See the Beehive (round building) and Parliament Building - tours are available to some areas as well as a public gallery when parliament is in session.

Spend a day exploring the national museum - Te Papa. The museum is less than 10 years old and is quite interactive - so good for kids of all ages. Entry is free or by koha (leave a donation).

You can drive up to some great lookouts over the city and Cook Strait. Each has its own special views. Mount Victoria is the most accessible and lowest lookout - view is over central city and harbour, plus directly south. The botanic gardens has similar view but from the other side of the central city. The Brooklyn wind turbine is considerably higher (note narrow road access) and has better views to the south north and east. Further along the ridge from the wind turbine, accessible only on foot or bicycle, Hawkins Hill has great 360 degree views. Further north near Porirua, Colonial Knob has views to the west, and some hills you can walk up from Makara on the coast west of Karori and Johnsonville also have views of Cook Strait.

What to do?

Visit the seaside village of Eastbourne and enjoy a stroll along the beach and out past the lighthouse. See the penguins in the evening.

Walk along the boulders of the south coast (west of Island Bay) and see the rugged beauty of Cook Strait and the Seaward and Inland Kaikoura Mountain ranges on the other side. You can often see seals along this coast, and possibly sight dolphins and whales off shore.

Take the cable car from Lambton Quay up to the Botanic Gardens for great plantings and views over the city. Walk back down the steep roads on the Kelburn side of the gardens, or take the gentler slopes on the far side stopping by the art galleries and cafes of Tinakori Road.

Enjoy the cafes in Cuba Street area, or bar hop along Courtenay Place.

Take a ferry ride across Cook Strait - either as a day trip or for your onward journey. Amazing scenery - just hope you get a calm day.

Where to stay?

Wellington's main hotels include Intercontinental, Duxton, xxx. Other chain hotels include Mercure, Novatel, Ibis, xxx. For something a bit different there is the Hotel de Wheels opposite the museum - it took its name from the shift it underwent before construction started on Te Papa.

How to get around?

Wellington has a lot of variety of public transport. Buses run very regularly through all suburbs within 10km of the city centre and less regularly to outer suburbs. Buses are a mixture of diesel and electric trolley buses. The airport has a regular bus service to central city and Lower Hutt - note the airport bus costs more than the regular buses. If you want to save money you'll need to walk to Miramar (about 1km) or Rongotai (1-2km through the pedestrian tunnel under the runway).

Ferries run from downtown to Eastbourne.

The cable car is a short ride up a particularly steep hill to the botanic gardens from Lambton Quay.

Commuter trains run regularly from downtown (just off the northern end of Lambton Quay) to Johnsonville, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kapiti coast. A couple of trains operate peak hour commuter services to Palmerston North and the Wairarapa.

Major events

International Sevens Rugby Tournament - February
International Festival of the Arts - February and March of even-numbered years (eg 2006)
Fringe Festival - February and March
There's usually one, two or three rugby tests in June/July period.
Wearable Arts Awards (quirky fashion) -

Tips & tricks


Links

Wellington traffic webcams

When is the best time to visit?

Best weather - any time it is not windy
Best music and public events - xxx
Least crowded - mid summer when parliament is in recess and many government agencies shut