Visiting the Capital City
Wellington is an adorable large “village” of more than 400,000 people that thrives on a cafe culture. It’s my favorite little city in the world. You will find it super walk-able as everything is accessible within a short distance and the stunning scenic harbor will often get the locals saying that “you can’t beat Wellington on a good day”. The suburbs of the Capital city are located on steep hills that add to a warm inclusive feel. Be warned though, Wellington can be very cold in winter and has a nickname of the windy city! Bundle up and leave the umbrella at home, the Wellington wind will devour your brolly!
Best places to see the stunning harbor views
Brooklyn Wind Turbine Walk
From the central city you can walk, or take a car or bus up to the Brooklyn wind turbine. It’s the perfect walk to view Wellington City and suburbs. The walk will taken you 1.5 to 2 hours and under 1 hour on the way back. You will encounter side walks and a gravel track. If you haven’t walked it since 2016 you might want to revisit it as a new turbine was installed.
Mt Victoria Outlook
This is one place I never miss. I always drive my overseas guests up to the Mt Vic outlook via the winding roads of the suburb of Roseneath. It’s no more than a 10 minute drive from the central city. You’ll get a panoramic view of Wellington and often can see the Interislander ferry on its journey from Wellington to Picton in the South Island.
Should you want to walk up to the summit of Mt Victoria from Wellington city allow 2 hours, there and back.
Mt KauKau
Mount KauKau is on the other side from the Mt Victoria outlook of the Wellington harbor, near the suburbs of Johnsonville and Khandallah. You can catch a train from Wellington to Simla Crescent Station, on the Johnsonville line train. From the Simla Crescent entrance you can follow the trail and start your 3.3km (2 mile) walk. The walking time is less than 1 hour 15 mins and the difficulty is medium to hard. You’ll be rewarded with scenic views of Wellington, the South Island and the eastern suburbs.
A city to walk and explore
Cafe Culture
There are so many great cafes you won’t find any issue finding extremely good coffee and fabulous places to dine.
I recommend you head to Hannahs laneway off Dixon Street (Between Leeds and Eva Streets). The Wellington Chocolate Factory, Craft beer bar and Leeds street bakery are just a few of the delights to try.
Read all about the best cafes and coffee houses in Wellington here (from 2017)
Lombard Street, Wellington
Nightlife culture
Take yourself down to Queen’s Wharf, St John’s bar waterfront area near Cable Street or walk from Lambton Quay, along Willis street to Courtenay Place to experience the bars and restaurants of Wellington. Depending on what winter weather you experience the waterfront might not be the place to head to but Courtenay place is always “happening”.
Central City Exploring
Walk from one end of the city to the other within an hour. Choose one way to walk through the central business district (CBD), ending at Parliament and the iconic Beehive building. On your return trip walk along the harbor waterfront all the way to Oriental Parade. Just keep walking and exploring, stopping at a few cafes along the way!
The Wellington Cable car is on the only public running cable car left in New Zealand. Take it from the heart of Wellington City, at Cable Car Lane off Lambton Quay, up to the suburb of Kelburn and to the top of the Botanic Gardens. This is another popular spot to take in panoramic views of the city.
Culture
The museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa is located in Wellington and it’s world-class. Te Papa, or “Our Place”, opened in 1998 and is located on the waterfront in central Wellington. Entry is free with some short-term exhibitions charging a fee. There are six floors of exhibitions, cafes and gift shops with a focus on New Zealand’s culture and environment.
In additional to the national museum you can get your cultural fix by taking in live theater. Bats theatre at the end of Courtenay Place at 1 Kent Terrace is the place to check out for live plays, dance, improv and mostly New Zealand theatrical works.
Middle Earth – The Lord of the Rings
If you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings when visiting Wellington, also known a Middle Earth, you must take in a tour of Weta workshop. It’s a special effects and prop workshop that is responsible for such films as (you guessed it) Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia, Avatar, The Adventures of Tintin and The Hobbit to name just a few!
If you’re flying in or out of Wellington airport keep an eye out for a 13 metre (42 foot) long sculpture of Gollum inside the airport!
In 2003 Gollum greeted
visitors to Wellington Airport
Visiting the Weta Workshop,
Miramar, Wellington
Nearby spots to visit
The Kapiti Coast
The best coastline view walk
The escarpment walk form Pukerua Bay to Paekakariki is a tough 10km (6.2 mile) hilltop climb. The two swingbridges and endless steps make for a breath-taking walk! The views out towards Kapiti Island make it worth it. You can catch the train from Wellington to Pukerua Bay, walk the Escarpment and get the train at Paekakariki back to Wellington. Allow yourself 3-4 hours for this walk. I recommend walking it from Pukerua Bay to Paekakariki. The view as you look out towards Kapiti Island and less steps (well at least it seems that way) are why I prefer this route!
Kapiti Island
Take a day trip to Kapiti Island nature reserve, a sanctuary for native birds, forest, and wildlife. You will have to book in advance as no one can land on the island without a permit. Drive one hour north of Wellington to Paraparaumu Beach and take a 20 minute boat ride to Kapiti Island.
Kapiti Island was once the home of the Maori tribe, Ngati Toa Rangitira and is now a protected area set aside for native plants, birds who can live in a pest and predator free environment.
My favorite thing to do when back in my hometown is to eat Fish and Chips on the Paraparaumu beachfront.
Martinborough (Wine region!)
World renowned for it’s Pinot Noir, a day trip or overnight stay to the Martinborough town and wine area is highly recommend. The drive, over the Rimutaka Hill road, is not an easy one and you might be best to take the Wairarapa train from Wellington to Featherston then board the bus that meets the train to Martinborough. This charming little colonial town is home to over 20 wineries.
Make sure to read my previous blogs on Visit New Zealand, How to Master the long flight to New Zealand and Visiting New Zealand in Winter, The North Island, Part 1 of 4.
Leave a comment below if you have a specific question on visiting New Zealand. You can connect with me on Instagram @kiwlizb