Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is a harbour city nicknamed Windy
Wellington and promotes itself as "Absolutely Positively Wellington". Its motto "Suprema a
situ", which claims site supremacy - with some justification.
Like many cities, Wellington's urban area extends well beyond the boundaries of a single
local authority. Greater Wellington or the Wellington Region means the entire urban area,
plus the rural parts of the cities and the Kapiti Coast, and across the Rimutaka Range to
the Wairarapa.
Wellington was named in honour of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and
victor of the Battle of Waterloo. The Duke's title comes from the town of Wellington in the
English county of Somerset.
In Maori, Wellington goes by three names. Te Whanganui-a-Tara refers to Wellington
Harbour and means "the great harbour of Tara". Poneke is a transliteration of Port Nick,
short for Port Nicholson (the city's central marae, the community supporting it and its
kapa haka have the pseudo-tribal name of Ngati Poneke). Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Maui,
meaning The Head of the Fish of Maui (often shortened to Te Upoko-o-te-Ika), is a more
traditional name, derived from the legend in which the North Island was fished up by the
demigod Maui Tikitiki-a-Taranga).
Wellington is New Zealand's political centre, housing Parliament and the head offices of
all government ministries and departments, plus the bulk of the foreign diplomatic
missions based in New Zealand.
Wellington's compact city centre supports an arts scene, café culture and nightlife much
larger than most cities of a similar size. It is a centre of New Zealand's film and theatre
industry. Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand), the New Zealand Symphony
Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the biennial New Zealand International Arts
Festival are all sited there.
Wellington has the 12th best quality of living in the world, according to a 2007 study by
consulting company Mercer. Of cities with English as the primary language, Wellington
ranked fourth Legend recounts that Kupe discovered and explored the district in about the tenth century.
European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the New Zealand
Company on the ship Tory, on 20 September 1839, followed by 150 settlers on the Aurora
on 22 January 1840. The settlers constructed their first homes at Petone (which they
called Britannia for a time) on the flat area at the mouth of the Hutt River. When that
proved swampy and flood-prone they transplanted the plans without regard for a more
hilly terrain.
PLACE TO VISIT
Te Papa - The national museum. It's worth a look if you're a museum kind of person.
Free (except for the occasional special presentation). Particularly good if you have
children to entertain on a rainy day.
The Wellington Cable Car - from Lambton Quay (next to the McDonald's), 04
472 2199, . Open 7 days until 10pm. The easiest way to get a nice view of the city and
harbor, the Cable Car runs on rails from Lambton Quay to the Botanic Garden in Kelburn
every ten minutes. $2.50 one way, $4.50 return (Concession prices are available for
children, students and senior citizens over 65)
Frank Kitts Park - A great place to wander around, with walls to climb, inline
skates, and jet ski rental.
Mount Victoria - (196 metres) The best lookout in Wellington. The full 360-degree
view is a great place to see the the airport, the harbor, 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.
Oriental Parade - A new 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".
Karori Wildlife Sanctuary - A predator proof fence encloses an old water
catchment area, forming a mainland island that provides a natural haven for endangered
native birds, tuatara, weta, and other indigenous flora & fauna, safe from introduced
predators. It can be seen from Wrights Hill above.
Plimmer's Ark - Under and in the Old Bank Arcade on the corner of Lambton Quay
and Customhouse Quay - near Plimmer's Steps. 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.
National Library of New Zealand - is on the corner of Aitken and Molesworth
Streets. Across the road from the Cathedral and Parliament. The library regularly holds
exhibitions.
Turnbull House - on 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 Government Buildings - opposite Parliament at 15 Lambton Quay. This is
the largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere and the second-largest wooden
building in the world. This restored wooden building is now the home to Victoria
University Law School.
Old St Paul's - one block east of Parliament, was the Anglican center for decades.
Superseded by the new cathedral north of Parliament, the old one is popular for
weddings and funerals.
Wellington Central Library - If you are at all interested in books, you should not
miss the city library. Entry is free and it's huge with great places to just sit and read or if
you bring your laptop to connect home via one of the city's paid-for wi-fi networks. The
library can be found in the city square, next to the information centre.
WHAT TO DO
City Gallery - in Civic Square lacks a permanent collection but runs a consistently
avant-garde set of exhibits. It also has the excellent cafe Nikau attached to it.
Botanic Garden - is a nice place to go for a picnic, or just an afternoon walk. 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 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
Daytripper 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
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.
Red Rocks/ Seal Colony - This is an interesting walk named for its distinctive
red rocks (probably Jasper). From Island Bay travel west till you run out of road. Here you
will find a disused quarry. The walk along this beach is pleasant but rocky and often very
windy, so dress accordingly. If one walks for about 30 min you will 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 do not 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).
Beck's Incredible Film Festival - Incredibly strange, exploitation cinema and
extra low budget movies.
Festival of the Arts - February/March every two years. Next festival is 2008
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 to 26 metres of water off Island Bay on Wellington's south coast.
The wreck lies about 600 metres southeast of Taputeranga Island
Cuba Street Carnival - Wellington's largest free street festival is held annually in
late February.
HOW TO REACH
By air - Wellington International Airport is in Rongotai, about 5 km from the central city.
It sits on an isthmus between the Miramar peninsula and Mount Victoria. The southerly
approach is over Cook Strait, while the northerly approach is over the harbor.
Wellington airport is a major transit point for domestic travellers. There are frequent
flights to Auckland, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Hamilton, Nelson,
Blenheim and many other destinations. International flights from Australia arrive about
twice daily - the evening flight arrives after midnight when most facilities are closed.
By boat - There are regular ferries between Wellington and Picton, connecting with
buses and the train to Christchurch. Cruise ships from overseas often stop in Wellington.
By road - There are only two major roads into Wellington, but they are the top two:
State Highways 1 & 2. State Highway One follows the western coast to the north, and
State Highway two heads north-east through the Hutt Valley, over the Rimutaka Ranges to
the Wairarapa. Both roads are initially a motorway, but after approx 20kms turn into single
lane highway as they negotiate difficult terrain. While local authorities are working on
improvements, serious and fatal crashes are common on these roads - remember to
keep left, keep to a reasonable speed, and to use the passing bays to overtake slower
traffic.
By train - There is a train service between Wellington and Auckland. There are daily
commuter services from Palmerston North and Masterton and a generally half-hourly
suburban commuter service to Johnsonville, the Hutt Valley, Porirua, and Paraparaumu
on the Kapiti coast.
