Try the visually stunning Makara Peak track, as well as the City to Sea walk where you can experience the best of Wellington's waterfront. Ride the cable car up the hill to Kelburn for amazing views over the city and enjoy an ice cream at the top. View the video here opens in new window to explore activities in Wellington.
Known as the culinary capital of New Zealand, Wellington is famous for its tucked-away bars, quirky cafes, award-winning restaurants and great coffee. Head to Courtenay Place or Cuba Street to get amongst the good stuff. If you want to visit the South Island, Wellington is the city is the place to board the inter-island ferry with or without a car. This 3 and a half hour ferry ride offers daily services and is one of the most spectacular in the world.
Bluebridge opens in new window and the Interislander opens in new window both run regular sailings between the islands and Bluebridge also offers an overnight sleeper opens in new window service. Leaving regularly from Wellington, the ferry takes passengers past the magnificent scenery of the Marlborough Sounds , before berthing in the picturesque town of Picton at the top of the South Island - the journey also runs from Picton to Wellington.
A must-stop on the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail - an adventure that takes you through some of New Zealand's top wine-producing regions - Wellington is a great place to start your wine-tasting journey.
Marlborough , Wairarapa and Hawkes' Bay are all a few hours' drive or ferry-ride away from Wellington and offer unforgettable winery experiences.
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It is generally agreed that the dish was created in celebration of the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, and his victory at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18 The Duke was given his title after defeating Napoleon Bonaparte the year before, and not long after he became Prime Minister.
Such an iconic character needed immortalising, so naturally they named a pastry ensconced beef dish after him. However, the Beef Wellington most closely resembles the French filet de boeuf en croute and may well have been renamed the Beef Wellington after the Battle of Waterloo — rather than being a dish specifically created for the Duke of Wellington. Some of the most popular theories for why the dish was named the Wellington, after the Duke of Wellington are:. Due to the city's position, capturing the blustery conditions right on Cook Strait, it has gained the nickname of "windy Wellington.
On a blue-sky summer's day there really is no prettier city in New Zealand. To learn more about this exciting travel destination, be sure to read our list of the top-rated tourist attractions in Wellington. Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues. Wellington Cable Car. Wellington's historic cable car has been climbing up the hill to the Kelburn Lookout, next door to the Botanic Gardens, since This fun five-minute journey is a scenic and much more relaxed alternative to puffing your way up Wellington's steep hill from Lambton Quay in the waterfront central district.
There are excellent views across the city along the way, and keen photographers will definitely want to get snap-happy with the cityscape panoramas laid out before them once at Kelburn Lookout.
The Kelburn cable car terminal is also home to the interesting Cable Car Museum , which displays the original cable car used on the tracks. A cable car ride is also one of the top things to do at night in Wellington. Not only do you get the chance to admire the nighttime views over the city below you, but parts of the journey, including the tunnels, are lit up with colorful displays of illuminations.
Official site: www. New Zealand's national museum is an immersive journey into the natural forces that formed the country, the culture of the Maori people who first settled here, and the social history of both Maori and Europeans who have shaped the nation since then. The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa more commonly called "Te Papa" by locals has a wealth of exhibits to explore, from the Earthquake House that simulates the experience of being in an earthquake, to the much more sedate Arts Te Papa collection , with 11 galleries of artworks focused on New Zealand and Pacific Island artists.
The highlight of the museum though is the Mana Whenua exhibition, which traces the history of New Zealand's Maori with a fine collection of Maori art and treasures and state-of-the-art multimedia displays. Rated one of the top free things to do in Wellington, state-of-the-art multimedia displays help bring the city's history to life in the small but impressive Wellington Museum. Housed in a preserved historic building that was once one of the city's early department stores, the museum features informative exhibits and film presentations that trace Wellington's maritime history and the city's evolution.
In particular, the exhibits on the Wahine disaster-the sinking of the Wahine ferry near Wellington harbor during a storm claimed 51 lives and is New Zealand's worst maritime disaster-are a sobering and thoughtful reminder of the power of nature and Wellington's connection to the sea. There is also a very well presented gallery focused on Maori myths and legends.
Also worth a visit is the nearby Pukeahu National War Memorial Park , home to the country's national monument to those who have fallen during conflict. Of special interest is the War Memorial Carillon, a series of 74 bells that are regularly played in concerts and are well worth witnessing if you're visiting the city at the time. The Beehive. Wellington's most iconic building is The Beehive, site of New Zealand's parliament. Designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence and built between and , the building with its distinctive shape is the city's most love-it-or-hate-it piece of architecture.
Next door is the more classical looking building of Parliament House , built in in Neoclassical Edwardian style and home to The Chamber where parliamentary debates are held. Free one-hour tours of the parliament buildings are held daily between 10 am and 4pm and trace New Zealand's parliamentary history, as well as touring through the important government rooms.
They leave from the visitor center on the ground floor of The Beehive. The parliament gardens around the buildings are open to the public and contain rose gardens and a statue of Richard John Seddon who was prime minister of New Zealand between and Wellington Botanic Garden.
Created in , Wellington Botanic Garden is a lush hectare oasis that sprawls for 25 hectares on the city hillside, full of blooming flower displays and native fauna. A series of walking tracks meander through the gardens, from conifer forest areas to ferneries and seasonal flower beds.
The Lady Norwood Rose Gardens here are one of the botanic gardens' finest attractions, with rose beds boasting a flurry of different varieties. The Space Place at Carter Observatory, with its planetarium show, is sited in the eastern section of the gardens near the Wellington Cable Car Kelburn Terminal , and the gardens are also home to Begonia House with tropical flower species displays.
If possible, try to time your visit to coincide with one of the frequent summer concerts hosted here. For a fun day out, take the Wellington Cable Car, then walk back down to the city center after exploring the gardens.
And if there's time left in your day for a little more botanic garden-going, pay a visit to the interesting Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserv e, located in nearby Wilton, popular for its indigenous plant life.
Here, many of the country's native birds-including endangered species such as the stitchbird, saddleback, and takahe-can be heard and seen, as well as more than kiwi which can be spotted on guided night tours and New Zealand's famed reptile, the tuatara. There are 32 kilometers of walking trails throughout the reserve for visitors to explore, plus a museum that documents the natural history of the country.
Day time and twilight tours are also available, along with a fun electric boat ride. Fans of the classic Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies won't want to miss out on Wellington's connection to Peter Jackson's successful trilogies. Wellington is home to the director's famous Weta Workshop, where many of the props and special effects for these blockbuster movies were made.
The best way to experience this movie attraction is aboard a Weta Cave Workshop Tour.
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