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Wellington
About Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand, located at the southern tip of the North Island in the geographical centre of the country. The earliest name for Wellington, from Maori legend, is Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui. In Maori it means ‘the head of Maui's fish’. It is set between a magnificent harbor and rolling green hills. Wellington is often described as New Zealand's cultural centre, boasting a world-class film and theatre industry, an arts scene, café culture and an exciting nightlife.
Local highlights
Explore the city
- The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary-a conservation attraction with some of New Zealand's rarest and most endangered species like the little spotted kiwi, saddleback, stitchbird and kaka
- Visit the historic suburb of Thorndon with NZ's beautiful Parliament Buildings
- Wellington Cable Car runs from Lambton Quay in the heart of the city to the top of Upland Road with views on the harbour to the Hutt Valley, Eastbourne and Mt. Victoria
- Visit Wellington’s wonderful Waterfront
- Wellington Botanic Garden
Explore its museums and historical sights, such as
- Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
- The National Art Gallery
- The National Portrait Gallery
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa with New Zealand’s geology and stories of New Zealand’s indigenous people, the Mäori
- National Cricket Museum
- Government Buildings Historic Reserve(1876)- the world's second largest wooden building, now used as Victoria University's Law faculty and The Department of Conservation Visitor Centre provides information on National and Forest Parks
- Old St Paul's (1866)-18th Century Gothic Cathedral church constructed entirely out of native timber
Highlights in the vicinity
- Visit New Zealand’s top wine regions, Wairarapa and Marlborough
- Petone Settlers Museum-commemorating the first organized European settler landings in New Zealand, the museum focuses on migration and settlement into the Wellington region
- Take the Tranz Scenic train journey to Auckland
- Take a scenic coastal drive up the Kapiti Coast
- Nga Manu Nature Reserve approximately 50 minutes drive on SH1, north of Wellington
- Kapiti Island Nature Reserve-transport is provided by two licensed boat operators
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 368 Thousand
- Timezone: UTC +12
- Weather: Summer is pleasantly cool with an average maximum of just over 20 °C. The minimum winter temperature dips just below 6 °C. Probably the best time to visit Wellington is between late spring and early autumn. Wellington called the Windy City because of the prevalence of winds.
Local transport
- Taxi
- Public transport is well developed in Wellington and consists of buses, trains, ferries, and a funicular (the Wellington Cable Car).
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: Wellington Airport is only 15 minutes drive from central Wellington
- Train: Wellington is one of only two cities in New Zealand to have a passenger rail service (the other being Auckland)
- Buses: Kiwi Traveller offers a daily bus to Rotorua, New Zealand’s premiere tourist destination, through some of the best scenery in New Zealand
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