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Wellington
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WellingtonThe capital of New Zealand and the country's third largest city Wellington is a happening place. Well known for its arts, creative people, strong winds (Windy Wellington), steep streets and good public transport this is a great place to hang out for a few days. There is lots to see and do and the night life here is amongst the best in the country.
Highlights
- Check out the museaum at Te Papa
- Walking around Oriental Parade
- Landing at Wellington airport on a windy day
- Wine tasting in Martinborough
- Go to the Wellington Sevens Rugby tournament
- Hit the town
Events
Wellington is host to a number of cool events. - Check out the feeling great guide
- In February the Wellington Sevens Rugby Tournament is hugely popular and the city becomes a real party zone.
- Also in February (even odd numbererd year) is the Cuba Street Carnival.
- Wellington also hosts homegrown during February. A music festival show casing NZ artits.
Accommodation
Probably the best place to stay in Wellington is the City YHA. This big friendly place is centrally located across the road from the supermarket and close to the action. While there are a number of other good hostels in town it is hard to go past this option. There is no camping areas close to town although sometimes Rowena Lodge can accommodate a few tents.
Food and drink
If you are looking for somewhere to eat and drink then just stroll along Courtenay Place and/or Cuba Street. Wellington has a wonderful selection of restaurants and is well known for its cafe scene - the Chocolate Cafe (on Karaka Street which is out of town) is very popular. Wellington has possibly the best night life in New Zealand. It is a busy place and everything is close by so you can just wander around and find what you are looking for. A few suggestions would be Molly Malones (the classic Irish pub), Matterhorn (big and cool), the Tasting Room (popular), Good Luck Bar (see if you can find it) and Bodega (for live music).
There is lots to do in Wellington. Below is a list of must do's followed by some other suggestions. Visit Te Papa - NZs best known museum is pretty impressive. It contains many of the country's treasures and has an impressive Maori collection. Combine this with lots of interactive activities, including a glow worm cave and an earthquake house, and it is definitely worth a visit.
- This place is big so budget a few hours for this one.
- Te Papa is hard to miss and is located on Cable Street. Admission is currently free.
Catch the Cable Car and explore the Botanical gardens - For a couple of dollars you can catch the historic cable car, from Lambton Quay up to Kelburn. From here you can wander past the Carter Observatory,through the Botanic Gardens and then back down into the city.
Check out the Beehive - This is NZs distinctive parliament building - wander along Bowen Street and you will find it.
Mt Victoria's scenic lookout - Catch the bus (20) or climb up to the scenic lookout on top of Mt Victoria. You get awesome views from the top of this 196 metre hill.
Karori Wildlife Sanctuary - 2km west of the city (you can walk there from the top of the cable car) is a predator free wildlife sanctuary.
- There are lots of walking tracks and over 30 species of native birds.
Catch a ferry - To get a different perspective of Wellington go down to the Queens Wharf and catch the 30 minute ferry ride to Day's Bay.
- This is a nice spot to chill away from the city and has some good beaches.
- Some ferries also go to Matiu-Somes Island, which was once a prison and is now a DOC reserve.
Makarara Peak Mountain Bike Park - This is a large mountain bike park which a variety of tracks close to the city.
- You can hire bikes from the local bike shops and there are a number of other good places to ride around Wellington.
Lord of the Rings Fans - Wellington is the home to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The director Peter Jackson is from Wellington and many of the scenes were filmed in and around the region.
- Wellington Rover offer a variety of tours for LOTR fans.
Spent too much cash out on the town? No worries here are some free suggestions to fill your day. Walks
- There is a good walk along the waterfront which takes you from the city and around Oriental Parade. Go for as long as you want. If you are keen you could return by climbing over Mt Victoria.
- You will need to ctach a bus to get there but the Red Rocks Coastal Walk is nice. Grab a brochure from the Wellington i-Site.
Hit the beach - Lyall Bay out by the airport is a good spot to chill out.
- Sometimes the surf can be pretty good here too.
Kapiti Coast
- North west of Wellington is the Kapiti Coast which has nice beaches.
- Kapiti Island is a protected reserve with strickly limited access. You can get a permit to visit from DOC.
Tararua Ranges - These mountain ranges contain excellent hiking opportunites and there are a variety of day to multi-day hikes.
- Otaki is a logical gateway to some of the most popular walks but the tracks can also be accessed from the east.
- One of the most popular walks is the Holdsworth-Jumbo. An excellent three day trek with good huts and great views.
Martinborough - This is a nice little wine district containing a number of small wineries.
- By bike is a great way to see and sample the wineries.
Wairarapa Coast - Palliser Bay is a pretty cool remote spot with a seal colony and a lighthouse.
- Castlepoint is a great place with good swimming, a dramatic coastline and the 162 m high Castle Rock.
Mt Bruce - The Wildlife Centre at Mt Bruce is pretty cool - they have a nocturnal house with kiwis.
The following appear in this GOOT Route offering great deals to GOOT Passport holders. Open links to view details.
- Check back as we add more GOOT Partners for this region
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We are adding new GOOT Partners all the time so check back for more. |
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