Wellington

Wellington (Māori: Te Whanganui-a-Tara) is the capital and second largest urban area of New Zealand. It is also the world's southernmost capital city.

The Windy City is on the foreshore of Wellington Harbour and ringed by hills, providing the scenic home of many of New Zealand's national arts and cultural attractions.

The Wellington urban area is divided between four city councils – Wellington, Porirua, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt. Above the city councils is the Greater Wellington Regional Council, which covers the entire Greater Wellington region (i.e. Wellington, the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa) and is responsible for most of the shared services across the urban area. Proposals for a large "super-city" as was established in Auckland in 2010 have been put forward, but none have come to fruition due to local opposition.

Wellington is home to 412,500 people, making it New Zealand's second-largest urban area, well behind Auckland and just ahead of Christchurch. Wellington became New Zealand's capital city in 1865, replacing Auckland; the government wanted a more centrally-located city as capital to quell the South Island nationalist movement.

Wellington offers a blend of culture, heritage, fine food and coffee, together with lively arts and entertainment.

Surrounded by hills and a rugged coastline, the city has a stunning harbour. Wellington’s charm is that it serves up a vibrant inner city experience with a slice of New Zealand scenery. And because of its compact nature, you can sample it all: boutiques, art galleries, trendy cafés and restaurants. Right on its doorstep is a network of walking and biking trails with beautiful wineries and vineyards just a few hours away.

Wellington offers an array of theatre, music, dance, fine arts and galleries and museums. It is also home to one of the nation’s key attractions, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

The city promotes itself as "Absolutely Positively Wellington". Its motto Suprema a situ claims site supremacy, with some justification.

• Wellington Visitor Information Centre, Civic Square, Corner Victoria and Wakefield St, +64 4 802-4860. A good place to begin your Wellington visit - they're able to book accommodation, activities and provide useful information about Wellington and surrounding areas. Their website contains the same information and is worth checking out prior to your visit. They are a member of the national i-SITE visitor information centre network.

Much of the central city is built on land that was raised up after a major earthquake in 1855. More land has been reclaimed since then. The shoreline as it was in 1840 is marked by plaques in the footpaths on Lambton Quay (hence the street name). There are several "quays" which are now nowhere near the harbour. The harbour's former name was 'Port Nicholson' and the smaller bay surrounded by the city is called 'Wellington' or 'Lambton Harbour'.

Earthquakes have played a major part in forming the whole Wellington region. Several earthquake fault lines run through the Wellington region, including the Wellington Fault, which runs west of the city centre along Glenmore Street and Tinakori Road to the Aotea Quay motorway interchange and then up the western Hutt Valley. Building regulations have meant that many older city buildings have been either demolished or strengthened, or require such work to be undertaken. Small and moderate earthquakes occasionally rock Wellington; so if the earth seems to move for you, it may not be just your imagination. Stay indoors until a "warden" or similar authority advises evacuation (unless you are in imminent danger, e.g. from a fire), and take shelter from potentially falling objects wherever you are.

There are some places in Wellington where damage from the 1855 earthquake is still visible. The most accessible is a large landslip on State Highway 2 between Ngauranga and Korokoro (just north of Rocky Point where the BP petrol station is located) where the dramatic change in terrain is visible. Bush has overgrown the slip but it is visible. However, most people are oblivious to the location of landslip as they drive by on the highway.

The city is known as "Windy Wellington" - often said to be the world's windiest city, with an average wind speed of 27km/h. The prevailing wind is from the northwest but the strongest winds are southerly. The wind speed and direction can be seen by the flag being flown from the Beehive; a large flag is flown only on calm days, a small flag is flown when windy days are expected. The highest wind speed ever recorded in Wellington was 275 km/h (170 mph) during the Wahine storm of 10 April 1968 (so called because it blew the interisland steamer ferry Wahine into the reef at the entrance of Wellington Harbour, causing her to founder and claim 53 lives.)

The temperature in Wellington rarely drops to 0°C (32°F), even on cold winter nights, while daytime winter temperatures are rarely lower than 8°C (46°F). During summer, the daytime maximum temperature rarely gets above 25°C (77°F). Away from the seaside, in inland valleys, frosts of up to -10°C (14°F) have been recorded. Snow falls on the nearby ranges during winter, but is rare in the urban area.

Wellington sits at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. The city core lies along the western shore of highly protected Wellington Harbour, with the city's suburbs spreading out in all directions. The city's primary urban core consists of the CBD and the adjoining 'city suburb' of Te Aro, to the south and east. A fairly dense zone continues south from Te Aro into the adjoining suburbs of Mt Cook and Newtown, as well as Kilbirnie on the other side of the parklands of Mt Victoria.

East from Te Aro, north-south-running ridgelines form Mt. Victoria and, further east yet, the Miramar Peninsula, which forms the western side of the mouth to Wellington Harbour. These hills—and the isthmus between—are home to a number of suburban areas as well as parkland and beaches.

Several kilometres south of central Wellington is the rugged and stunning South Coast of the North Island, consisting of a string of small (and some large) bays, many with rocky beaches and interesting tide pools.

To the west, the suburbs between Karori and Johnsonville spread into the hillsides, with various parks and hiking trails, and then give way to open rural areas such as Makara.

Aside from the national public holidays, Wellington has its own public holiday, Wellington Anniversary Day. Commemorating the arrival of Wellington's first European settlers aboard the Aurora on 22 January 1840, it is observed across most of the Greater Wellington and Manawatu-Wanganui region on the Monday closest to 22 January.

Wellington Visitor Information Centre, Civic Square, Corner Victoria and Wakefield St, +64 4 802-4860. A good place to begin your Wellington visit - they're able to book accommodation, activities and provide useful information about Wellington and surrounding areas. Their website contains the same information and is worth checking out prior to your visit. They are a member of the national i-SITE visitor information centre network.

As the capital city, Wellington is the centre of New Zealand's government. The city is home to the residence of the Governor-General (the Queen's representative in New Zealand), offices of the New Zealand Government (executive), the New Zealand Parliament (legislative), the New Zealand Supreme Court and Court of Appeal (the country's highest and second-highest courts respectively) and the head offices of many Government departments. Most are within walking distance of Parliament, around the northern end of The Terrace and Lambton Quay areas and the Thorndon commercial area.

• Parliament Buildings, Molesworth Street, Thorndon, +64 4 817 9503. Home of New Zealand's lawmakers and leaders, the complex consists of four building: the Beehive (or Executive Wing), Parliament House, the Parliamentary Library and Bowen House. The grounds of Parliament are open to the public, and free tours of the buildings are available from the visitor centre located between the Beehive and Parliament House. Depending on parliamentary business, tours may include a visit to the House of Representatives debating chamber and the Select Committee rooms. For security reasons, you need to leave all your belongings at the visitor centre and clear a checkpoint.
• Old Government Buildings. This is the largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere and the second-largest in the world. It is now the home of Victoria University Law School.
• Supreme Court, 85 Lambton Quay, +64 4 918 8222. M–F 09:00–17:00. The Supreme Court was established in January 2004 to replace the UK Privy Council as New Zealand's highest court, and primarily hears appeals from the Court of Appeal (New Zealand's second-highest court). The Supreme Court complex was completed in January 2010, extending on and incorporating the old 1879-built High Court building. The building is open to the public, but you can only look at the courtroom through a window. If you want to see inside the courtroom, join a free tour available three times a week.
• National Library of New Zealand, 70 Molesworth St. Displays New Zealand's three constitutional documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Waitangi and the Women's Suffrage petition. Free.

Parliament Buildings, Molesworth Street, Thorndon, +64 4 817 9503. Home of New Zealand's lawmakers and leaders, the complex consists of four building: the Beehive (or Executive Wing), Parliament House, the Parliamentary Library and Bowen House. The grounds of Parliament are open to the public, and free tours of the buildings are available from the visitor centre located between the Beehive and Parliament House. Depending on parliamentary business, tours may include a visit to the House of Representatives debating chamber and the Select Committee rooms. For security reasons, you need to leave all your belongings at the visitor centre and clear a checkpoint.

Old Government Buildings. This is the largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere and the second-largest in the world. It is now the home of Victoria University Law School.

Supreme Court, 85 Lambton Quay, +64 4 918 8222. M–F 09:00–17:00. The Supreme Court was established in January 2004 to replace the UK Privy Council as New Zealand's highest court, and primarily hears appeals from the Court of Appeal (New Zealand's second-highest court). The Supreme Court complex was completed in January 2010, extending on and incorporating the old 1879-built High Court building. The building is open to the public, but you can only look at the courtroom through a window. If you want to see inside the courtroom, join a free tour available three times a week.

National Library of New Zealand, 70 Molesworth St. Displays New Zealand's three constitutional documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Waitangi and the Women's Suffrage petition. Free.

• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable St, +64 4 381-7000. F-W 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-21:00. New Zealand's national museum contains interesting exhibitions on the country's history and culture and includes several shops. It has the only complete colossal squid on display. Free (except for the occasional special presentation).
• Wellington Museum, Queens Wharf, 3 Jervois Quay, +64 4 472-8904. Daily 10:00-17:00, closed 25 Dec. A well-presented museum of the history of Wellington, including its maritime history. Free.
• City Gallery, Civic Square. Lacks a permanent collection but runs a consistently avant-garde set of exhibits. It also has the excellent café, Nikau, attached to it.
• Carter Observatory, 40 Salamanca Rd, Kelburn (2min walk from the top of the Cable Car, +64 4 910-3140. 10:00-17:00. Carter offers a state of the art planetarium show, along with multi media exhibits show how early Māori, Polynesian and European settlers navigated their way to New Zealand. $18.
• Cable Car Museum, 1A Upland Rd, Kelburn (take the Cable Car to the top. Daily 09:30-17:00. Free.
• Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, 80 Webb St. Su-F 10:00-13:00. A small museum. Free.
• Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, 25 Tinakori Road. Victorian house where the author Katherine Mansfield was born, and lived for her first five years. The house is furnished as it would have been in the 1890s.
• Nairn Street Cottage, 68 Nairn Street (Top of Willis Street. Sa and Su tours at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. Preserved cottage built in 1858 and kept in the same family until it became a museum, with an exhibition on its history. The small garden is open every day. $8.
• National Tattoo Museum of New Zealand, 187 Vivian St. F-Sa 12:00-20:00, Su-Th 12:00-17:30. History of tattooing in New Zealand and the Pacific, especially traditional Maori tattooing. Free.
• Reserve Bank Museum, 2 The Terrace. M-F (also Sa in Jan-Feb) 09:30-16:00. Small museum on the economic history of the country, with an unusual analog water powered computer.
• Corrections' Heritage Centre, 52/44-52 The Terrace. Daily 7:30-17:00. Small museum with prison related artefacts, has a mock up prison cell. Free.

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable St, +64 4 381-7000. F-W 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-21:00. New Zealand's national museum contains interesting exhibitions on the country's history and culture and includes several shops. It has the only complete colossal squid on display. Free (except for the occasional special presentation).

Wellington Museum, Queens Wharf, 3 Jervois Quay, +64 4 472-8904. Daily 10:00-17:00, closed 25 Dec. A well-presented museum of the history of Wellington, including its maritime history. Free.

City Gallery, Civic Square. Lacks a permanent collection but runs a consistently avant-garde set of exhibits. It also has the excellent café, Nikau, attached to it.

Carter Observatory, 40 Salamanca Rd, Kelburn (2min walk from the top of the Cable Car, +64 4 910-3140. 10:00-17:00. Carter offers a state of the art planetarium show, along with multi media exhibits show how early Māori, Polynesian and European settlers navigated their way to New Zealand. $18.

Cable Car Museum, 1A Upland Rd, Kelburn (take the Cable Car to the top. Daily 09:30-17:00. Free.

Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, 80 Webb St. Su-F 10:00-13:00. A small museum. Free.

Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, 25 Tinakori Road. Victorian house where the author Katherine Mansfield was born, and lived for her first five years. The house is furnished as it would have been in the 1890s.

Nairn Street Cottage, 68 Nairn Street (Top of Willis Street. Sa and Su tours at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. Preserved cottage built in 1858 and kept in the same family until it became a museum, with an exhibition on its history. The small garden is open every day. $8.

National Tattoo Museum of New Zealand, 187 Vivian St. F-Sa 12:00-20:00, Su-Th 12:00-17:30. History of tattooing in New Zealand and the Pacific, especially traditional Maori tattooing. Free.

Reserve Bank Museum, 2 The Terrace. M-F (also Sa in Jan-Feb) 09:30-16:00. Small museum on the economic history of the country, with an unusual analog water powered computer.

Corrections' Heritage Centre, 52/44-52 The Terrace. Daily 7:30-17:00. Small museum with prison related artefacts, has a mock up prison cell. Free.

• Plimmer's Ark. A hundred years ago a bank was built on top of a wrecked ship that had been used as a market. When they renovated the building they discovered the ship's timbers and preserved the remains in the building! Just take the escalator down through the bank vault doors
• Turnbull House, Bowen Street (just across the road from Parliament Buildings. This imposing brick mansion now seems small and out of place amongst the surrounding high-rises.
• Old St Paul's. Daily 09:30 - 17:00. This was the Anglican centre for decades. Superseded by the new cathedral north of Parliament, this one is popular for weddings and funerals. donation, tours $5.
• National War Memorial. Daily 10:00 - 17:00. A tall art deco memorial dedicated in 1932 in National War Memorial Park. The Australian Memorial was added in 2015 when the area around the memorial was extended to form the park. Carillons (bells) are rung 12:30 every Wed and Fri, 14:30 every Sun. Free.

Plimmer's Ark. A hundred years ago a bank was built on top of a wrecked ship that had been used as a market. When they renovated the building they discovered the ship's timbers and preserved the remains in the building! Just take the escalator down through the bank vault doors

Turnbull House, Bowen Street (just across the road from Parliament Buildings. This imposing brick mansion now seems small and out of place amongst the surrounding high-rises.

Old St Paul's. Daily 09:30 - 17:00. This was the Anglican centre for decades. Superseded by the new cathedral north of Parliament, this one is popular for weddings and funerals. donation, tours $5.

National War Memorial. Daily 10:00 - 17:00. A tall art deco memorial dedicated in 1932 in National War Memorial Park. The Australian Memorial was added in 2015 when the area around the memorial was extended to form the park. Carillons (bells) are rung 12:30 every Wed and Fri, 14:30 every Sun. Free.

Wellington City is surrounded by hills, so there are a number of good vantage points.

• Wellington Cable Car, +64 4 472-2199. M–F 07:00–22:00, shorter hours at weekends & around Christmas & New Year. From Lambton Quay (next to the McDonald's). The easiest way to get a nice view of the city and harbour, the Cable Car runs on rails from Lambton Quay to the Botanic Garden in Kelburn every ten minutes. Adult $4 one way, $7.50 return. Concession prices are available for children, students and senior citizens over 65.
• Mount Victoria, off Lookout Rd (take #20 bus from Courtenay Place. 196 m high, this is the best lookout in Wellington. The full 360-degree view is a great place to see the airport, the harbour, the CBD and the Town Belt with just a turn of the head. It takes about an hour to walk up from Courtenay Place. Many tourist buses go there but also a lot of the locals, especially at night to 'watch the view'.
• Mount Kaukau, off Woodmancote Road, Khandallah (take Johnsonville train from Wellington Station to Khandallah. 455 m high, and easily recognisable by the 122-metre television transmitter atop it. A great lookout point, but not as close to the city as Mt Victoria.
• Wrights Hill. More views, and World War II underground tunnels which are open to the public on public holidays for a small fee.
• Brooklyn Wind Turbine, off Ashton Fitchett Dr, Brooklyn. Another great place to go to get an excellent view of the city, the harbour, and Cook Strait, plus experience the wind! The current turbine was installed in 2016 and is the second on the site; the first was erected in 1993 to test the potential of turning Wellington's infamous wind into electricity.
• Massey Memorial, Massey Road, Miramar. An interesting place to go if you want to see a large memorial in the middle of nowhere, with a good view of the surrounding harbour. The memorial's namesake is William Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand between 1912 and 1925.

Wellington Cable Car, +64 4 472-2199. M–F 07:00–22:00, shorter hours at weekends & around Christmas & New Year. From Lambton Quay (next to the McDonald's). The easiest way to get a nice view of the city and harbour, the Cable Car runs on rails from Lambton Quay to the Botanic Garden in Kelburn every ten minutes. Adult $4 one way, $7.50 return. Concession prices are available for children, students and senior citizens over 65.

Mount Victoria, off Lookout Rd (take #20 bus from Courtenay Place. 196 m high, this is the best lookout in Wellington. The full 360-degree view is a great place to see the airport, the harbour, the CBD and the Town Belt with just a turn of the head. It takes about an hour to walk up from Courtenay Place. Many tourist buses go there but also a lot of the locals, especially at night to 'watch the view'.

Mount Kaukau, off Woodmancote Road, Khandallah (take Johnsonville train from Wellington Station to Khandallah. 455 m high, and easily recognisable by the 122-metre television transmitter atop it. A great lookout point, but not as close to the city as Mt Victoria.

Wrights Hill. More views, and World War II underground tunnels which are open to the public on public holidays for a small fee.

Brooklyn Wind Turbine, off Ashton Fitchett Dr, Brooklyn. Another great place to go to get an excellent view of the city, the harbour, and Cook Strait, plus experience the wind! The current turbine was installed in 2016 and is the second on the site; the first was erected in 1993 to test the potential of turning Wellington's infamous wind into electricity.

Massey Memorial, Massey Road, Miramar. An interesting place to go if you want to see a large memorial in the middle of nowhere, with a good view of the surrounding harbour. The memorial's namesake is William Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand between 1912 and 1925.

• Zealandia, Waiapu Rd, Karori (1st left after Karori Tunnel, #2 bus from Lambton Quay, +64 4 920-9213. Daily 09:00-17:00 (last entry 16:00), closed 25 Dec. A predator-proof fence encloses an old water catchment area, forming a mainland island that provides a natural haven for endangered native birds, tuatara, wētā, and other indigenous flora and fauna, safe from introduced predators. By far the most convenient place in the country to see rare New Zealand wildlife. $18.50, child (5-17) $10.00, more for guided tours.
• Matiu/Somes Island. Out in the middle of the harbour, this island has its share of history. It was once a quarantine station for immigrants, and later (and more extensively) for animals. It was also an internment camp for "dangerous" individuals during both world wars. The ferry leaves from Queen's Wharf and Day's Bay (on opposite sides of the harbour). Only at certain times will the ferry stop at the island and only upon request. The best choice is to leave Queen's Wharf at noon and return at 14:30 or 15:25. $22.
• Weta Workshop. The studio that made the hit movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Tours must be booked online in advance. Also features a gift shop where you can buy Lord of the Rings memorabilia.

Zealandia, Waiapu Rd, Karori (1st left after Karori Tunnel, #2 bus from Lambton Quay, +64 4 920-9213. Daily 09:00-17:00 (last entry 16:00), closed 25 Dec. A predator-proof fence encloses an old water catchment area, forming a mainland island that provides a natural haven for endangered native birds, tuatara, wētā, and other indigenous flora and fauna, safe from introduced predators. By far the most convenient place in the country to see rare New Zealand wildlife. $18.50, child (5-17) $10.00, more for guided tours.

Matiu/Somes Island. Out in the middle of the harbour, this island has its share of history. It was once a quarantine station for immigrants, and later (and more extensively) for animals. It was also an internment camp for "dangerous" individuals during both world wars. The ferry leaves from Queen's Wharf and Day's Bay (on opposite sides of the harbour). Only at certain times will the ferry stop at the island and only upon request. The best choice is to leave Queen's Wharf at noon and return at 14:30 or 15:25. $22.

Weta Workshop. The studio that made the hit movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Tours must be booked online in advance. Also features a gift shop where you can buy Lord of the Rings memorabilia.

• The Botanic Garden is a nice place to go for a picnic, or just an afternoon walk (or run for a challenging fitness experience). You can take the Cable Car from Lambton Quay for a quick 5-minute trip to the top; but it is not designed to be exciting, despite being photogenic. If you're keen on walking up, take the lifts in the James Cook Arcade (or one of several others along Lambton Quay) up to The Terrace, head south uphill until you reach Salamanca Rd. Head uphill up Salamanca Rd until you reach Victoria University. A set of stairs on the opposite side of the road to the Hunter Lawn goes uphill right to the top of the Gardens. If you already shelled out for a Busabout Daypass ticket, just catch the Mairangi bus, get off at the stop after the University, and walk back along Upland Rd until you reach the Cable Car Museum. At the top of the Gardens, there are several attractions:
  • The Cable Car Museum has two of the old cars in semi-restored and fully-restored condition and some of the original Cable Car machinery from the system that was replaced in 1978.
  • The Lookout has a great view day or night, and the large map next to the round tree usually has a few pamphlets with maps of the Gardens.
  • The Carter Observatory is a stones throw from here. This is the perfect place to explore the Garden from, or wander back to the city.
• Bolton Street Memorial Park. Watch out for the friendly black cat who haunts this hillside cemetery. If you're returning from the Botanic Gardens by foot, this is great place to meander through and check out the epitaphs of early pioneers and historical figures. Between 1968 and 1971, over 3700 bodies were controversially exhumed to make way for motorway construction; their remains are now in an underground vault below the Early Settlers Memorial Lawn.
• Dive the frigate Wellington (F69). Probably the world's most accessible dive wreck. Just a few kilometres around the coast from Wellington International Airport. Sunk on 13 November 2005 in 23-26 m of water off Island Bay on Wellington's south coast. The wreck lies about 600 m southeast of Taputeranga Island (the island of Island Bay).
• Take a ferry across the harbour. Go down to Queen's Wharf and check out the destinations and times.
• Oriental Bay, Oriental Parade (Past Te Papa. Oriental Parade is Wellington's most beautiful street. Wellingtonians and visitors run, walk, cycle, rollerblade and eat at the great cafes & restaurants on this strip or sunbathe at the beach. However if you are not from somewhere really cold it is unlikely that it will be hot enough for you to be in desperate need for a swim. There is a spa pool (jacuzzi) in Freyberg Swimming Pool (on Oriental Parade) which is inexpensive if you enjoy "people soup".
• Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park.
• Karori Cemetery is an interesting picnic spot.
• Frank Kitts Park. A great place to wander around, with walls to climb, inline skates, and jet ski rental.

The Botanic Garden is a nice place to go for a picnic, or just an afternoon walk (or run for a challenging fitness experience). You can take the Cable Car from Lambton Quay for a quick 5-minute trip to the top; but it is not designed to be exciting, despite being photogenic. If you're keen on walking up, take the lifts in the James Cook Arcade (or one of several others along Lambton Quay) up to The Terrace, head south uphill until you reach Salamanca Rd. Head uphill up Salamanca Rd until you reach Victoria University. A set of stairs on the opposite side of the road to the Hunter Lawn goes uphill right to the top of the Gardens. If you already shelled out for a Busabout Daypass ticket, just catch the Mairangi bus, get off at the stop after the University, and walk back along Upland Rd until you reach the Cable Car Museum. At the top of the Gardens, there are several attractions:

• The Cable Car Museum has two of the old cars in semi-restored and fully-restored condition and some of the original Cable Car machinery from the system that was replaced in 1978.
• The Lookout has a great view day or night, and the large map next to the round tree usually has a few pamphlets with maps of the Gardens.
• The Carter Observatory is a stones throw from here. This is the perfect place to explore the Garden from, or wander back to the city.

Bolton Street Memorial Park. Watch out for the friendly black cat who haunts this hillside cemetery. If you're returning from the Botanic Gardens by foot, this is great place to meander through and check out the epitaphs of early pioneers and historical figures. Between 1968 and 1971, over 3700 bodies were controversially exhumed to make way for motorway construction; their remains are now in an underground vault below the Early Settlers Memorial Lawn.

Dive the frigate Wellington (F69). Probably the world's most accessible dive wreck. Just a few kilometres around the coast from Wellington International Airport. Sunk on 13 November 2005 in 23-26 m of water off Island Bay on Wellington's south coast. The wreck lies about 600 m southeast of Taputeranga Island (the island of Island Bay).

Take a ferry across the harbour. Go down to Queen's Wharf and check out the destinations and times.

Oriental Bay, Oriental Parade (Past Te Papa. Oriental Parade is Wellington's most beautiful street. Wellingtonians and visitors run, walk, cycle, rollerblade and eat at the great cafes & restaurants on this strip or sunbathe at the beach. However if you are not from somewhere really cold it is unlikely that it will be hot enough for you to be in desperate need for a swim. There is a spa pool (jacuzzi) in Freyberg Swimming Pool (on Oriental Parade) which is inexpensive if you enjoy "people soup".

Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park.

Karori Cemetery is an interesting picnic spot.

Frank Kitts Park. A great place to wander around, with walls to climb, inline skates, and jet ski rental.

• Art Deco Heritage Trail. Pickup a leaflet or download the guide to this walk around central Wellington looking at the outside of 30 art deco buildings. There are also quite a few other art deco buildings in the centre, so look about as you explore.
• Red Rocks/Seal Colony. This is an interesting walk named for its distinctive red rocks (probably Jasper). The walk along this beach is pleasant but rocky and often very windy, so dress accordingly. If you walk for about an hour you'll come across a distinctive pass though the rock face. Just on the other side of this is a seal colony that is worth the walk. Please bear in mind that these are wild animals and so require a certain level of respect, so keep your distance and don't get between them and the sea, especially if you value your health! Continuing on from here, you will eventually arrive at Makara (but this is a long distance, and the seal colony is a recommended turn-around point).
• Skyline Walkway. A 12-km (5- to 6-hr) challenging walk.

Art Deco Heritage Trail. Pickup a leaflet or download the guide to this walk around central Wellington looking at the outside of 30 [[art deco]] buildings. There are also quite a few other art deco buildings in the centre, so look about as you explore.

Red Rocks/Seal Colony. This is an interesting walk named for its distinctive red rocks (probably Jasper). The walk along this beach is pleasant but rocky and often very windy, so dress accordingly. If you walk for about an hour you'll come across a distinctive pass though the rock face. Just on the other side of this is a seal colony that is worth the walk. Please bear in mind that these are wild animals and so require a certain level of respect, so keep your distance and don't get between them and the sea, especially if you value your health! Continuing on from here, you will eventually arrive at Makara (but this is a long distance, and the seal colony is a recommended turn-around point).

Skyline Walkway. A 12-km (5- to 6-hr) challenging walk.

• The Enormous Crocodile, 5/22 Herd Street. Daily 10:00-18:00. Explore the waterfront in a crocodile-shaped quadricyle. Available in small (2 cyclists) and large (4 cyclists). $18+.

The Enormous Crocodile, 5/22 Herd Street. Daily 10:00-18:00. Explore the waterfront in a crocodile-shaped quadricyle. Available in small (2 cyclists) and large (4 cyclists). $18+.

• Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki St, +64 4 801 7992.
• Bats Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, +64 4 802 4175.
• Capital E National Theatre for Children.
• The Embassy Theatre, 10 Kent Terrace (opposite Courtenay Place, +64 4 384-7657. 09:30 until late. This 1920s heritage-listed theatre is Wellington's premier film venue, and hosted the world premières of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki St, +64 4 801 7992.

Bats Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, +64 4 802 4175.

The Embassy Theatre, 10 Kent Terrace (opposite Courtenay Place, +64 4 384-7657. 09:30 until late. This 1920s heritage-listed theatre is Wellington's premier film venue, and hosted the world premières of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

• Beck's Incredible Film Festival. Incredibly strange, exploitation cinema and extra low budget movies.
• Comedy Festival.
• Cuba Street Carnival. Wellington's largest free street festival is held biennially in March.
• Dance Music.
• Fringe Festival. 3 weeks during February/March.
• New Zealand International Arts Festival. February/March every year.
• Out in the Park. Annual gay and lesbian carnival on the first Saturday of March.

Beck's Incredible Film Festival. Incredibly strange, exploitation cinema and extra low budget movies.

Comedy Festival.

Cuba Street Carnival. Wellington's largest free street festival is held biennially in March.

Dance Music.

Fringe Festival. 3 weeks during February/March.

New Zealand International Arts Festival. February/March every year.

Out in the Park. Annual gay and lesbian carnival on the first Saturday of March.

• Old Bank Shopping Arcade. Small upmarket arcade in the former Bank of New Zealand headquarters which opened in 1901. Has an animated musical clock which performs on the hour, and a small display on the remains of a boat washed up here in 1855.
• The Warehouse, 133 Tory Street. The red shed for cheap clothing and household goods.
• New World, 279 Wakefield St (to the east of Te Papa. Daily 07:00 - 23:00. Main central supermarket, with small stores in the Railway Station and on Willis Street.
• Queensgate Shopping Centre, cnr Queens Dr & Bunny St, Lower Hutt Central. M-W Sa 09:00-18:00, Th-F 09:00-21:00, Su 10:00-17:30. The largest shopping mall in the Lower North Island, with over 175 stores in 45,000 m². Part of the mall was demolished after the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, meaning it no longer has a cinema complex.

Old Bank Shopping Arcade. Small upmarket arcade in the former Bank of New Zealand headquarters which opened in 1901. Has an animated musical clock which performs on the hour, and a small display on the remains of a boat washed up here in 1855.

The Warehouse, 133 Tory Street. The red shed for cheap clothing and household goods.

New World, 279 Wakefield St (to the east of Te Papa. Daily 07:00 - 23:00. Main central supermarket, with small stores in the Railway Station and on Willis Street.

Queensgate Shopping Centre, cnr Queens Dr & Bunny St, Lower Hutt Central. M-W Sa 09:00-18:00, Th-F 09:00-21:00, Su 10:00-17:30. The largest shopping mall in the Lower North Island, with over 175 stores in 45,000 m². Part of the mall was demolished after the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, meaning it no longer has a cinema complex.

Wellington has a lot of restaurants and cafés, in fact more cafés, bars and restaurants per head than New York City. Malaysian food is surprisingly popular and available in most areas. You can also get good Turkish kebabs anywhere in the city, or Lebanese at the Phoenician Falafel on Kent Terrace (their kebabs are better than all the Turkish places too). Fish and chips is the best value food and you usually get better quality in the suburbs.

Wellington has a bustling nightlife, concentrated along Courtenay Place, one of the major streets running from the CBD. It runs through Te Aro and ends in Mt Victoria. The nightlife causes this street to have the highest population density in all of New Zealand on Friday and Saturday nights. In most establishments, drinks are remarkably affordable at about $6, and entrance charges are either nonexistent or minimal. In some of the better clubs reasonable dress standards apply, however in the day the mood is usually extremely casual, with flip-flops (called Jandals in New Zealand) and even bare feet occasionally accepted (a common Kiwi choice on hotter days). Cuba Mall also features some cool and more alternative bars.

Away from Courtenay Place in the CBD district (Lambton Quay) there are many after work bars frequented by office workers, however this area becomes deserted in the later hours, and thus these establishments usually do not provide all night partying.

• Wellington Central Library. It's huge with great places to sit and read or if you bring your laptop to connect home via one of the city's paid-for Wi-Fi networks. Entry is free.
• CBD Free Wi-Fi, +64 4 909 7625. Free Wi-Fi is available on the waterfront between the Railway Station and Te Papa. This is paid for by some adverts.

Wellington Central Library. It's huge with great places to sit and read or if you bring your laptop to connect home via one of the city's paid-for Wi-Fi networks. Entry is free.

CBD Free Wi-Fi, +64 4 909 7625. Free Wi-Fi is available on the waterfront between the Railway Station and Te Papa. This is paid for by some adverts.

Wellington is reasonably safe at night, but common sense should prevail, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, as in any other city.

Occasionally, tourists relax security in New Zealand thinking that it is a crime-free paradise. While violent crime against tourists is very rare (and is usually followed up by public outrage against the offenders), opportunistic petty crime can still occur. Taking simple steps like locking valuables away and keeping to well-lit areas at night usually prevents problems.

Vehicle break-ins are common, especially in shopping malls and 'park and ride' type car parks. Thieves generally target older vehicles with less complicated locks. Removing all valuables and leaving the glove box open (to show that no valuables are hidden) will usually act as a deterrent. Police will normally give you a copy of their report for insurance purposes, but it is very unusual for any stolen property to be recovered and returned to its owner.

• Wellington Central Police Station, 41 Victoria St (between Maning Ln and Harris St, +64 4 381-2000. In any emergency, dial 111
• Wellington Accident and Urgent Medical Centre, 17 Adelaide Rd, Mount Cook, +64 4 384 4944. Daily 08:00-23:00. Has on-site x-ray and plastering for fractures and attached pharmacy. Medical $98-108; Accident (ACC) $59-69.

Wellington Central Police Station, 41 Victoria St (between Maning Ln and Harris St, +64 4 381-2000. In any emergency, dial 111

Wellington Accident and Urgent Medical Centre, 17 Adelaide Rd, Mount Cook, +64 4 384 4944. Daily 08:00-23:00. Has on-site x-ray and plastering for fractures and attached pharmacy. Medical $98-108; Accident (ACC) $59-69.

Although there are 41 foreign missions in Wellington, some countries may have representatives in other cities such as Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson and Queenstown. In some cases the consular officials accredited to New Zealand from your country may actually be based in another country such as Australia or China! The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) maintains a useful list.
Details listed on Wikivoyage, such as telephone numbers and opening hours, are typically those of the consulate or consular section rather than for the embassy or High Commission itself.

The Greater Wellington region is far bigger than just Wellington City. The old Wellington Province used to cover much of the southern half of the North Island, including the Manawatu and Wanganui regions.

There are three other cities that are close enough to Wellington City that together they form a single metro – the Wellington metropolitan area. The cities are Porirua, Lower Hutt (sometimes erroneously called "Hutt City", after its local council's self-chosen name) and Upper Hutt. The latter two cities may be referred to together as the Hutt Valley.

There are two other districts outside the Wellington metro that make up the Greater Wellington: the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa.

There are a number of interesting sights and beaches in the Hutt Valley and Porirua. Plimmerton, for example, has seen future world windsurfing champions training, and Edmund Hillary practised rock-climbing at Titahi Bay before conquering Everest.

The suburbs of Eastbourne and Days Bay are on the eastern side of Wellington Harbour. They can be reached by car, bus or ferry. There are a number of enjoyable hill walks in both Days Bay and Eastbourne. The East By West ferry service departs from Queens Wharf (Wellington) and travels to Days Bay Wharf, some services will stop on request at Somes Island (in the middle of the harbour). On weekends and public holidays the ferry also operates a harbour tour service which stops at Petone Wharf and Seatoun.

The Kapiti Coast as referred to as 'The Nature Coast' is a beautiful mix of beaches and lush native scenery. Spend the day at the beaches, near a river, or taking a walk through one of the many beautiful trails surrounding the hills and valleys bordering the coastline.

Further afield, the south Wairarapa has become one of New Zealand's wine growing regions. Tranzit run a wine tasting tour that leaves from Wellington Railway station each morning and visits four vineyards in the Wairarapa town of Martinborough, $199.

Bluebridge and the Interislander ferry companies sail across Cook Strait to Picton in the South Island through the Marlborough Sounds. The ferries take bikes, cars, buses and trains and the scenery on a good day is spectacular. The ferries are substantial ships designed for the sometimes rough conditions and the journey takes 3-3.5h.

Sounds Air provides flights to Blenheim, Picton and Nelson.