Visiting Wellington

(Wellington, New Zealand)

The city of Wellington stands on the southern coastline of the North Island of New Zealand, alongside the Cook Strait and the Pacific Ocean.

Wellington is famed for its spectacular sandy beaches, which offer an excellent selection of water sports, including surfing and scuba diving. Other highlights in Wellington include a high concentration of Victorian architecture, a bustling harbour area lined with attractions, and more than its fair share of top restaurants and shopping districts.

Visiting Wellington: Places to Visit

• Bus and coach tours of Wellington, offering one of the most simple ways to sightseeing around the area, with yellow double-decker buses and insightful commentary
• Walking tours of Wellington, led by experienced guides and operated by the local council, with daily tours starting along Lambton Quay
• Helicopters tours, the ultimate way to view the city, with a variety of packages available at Wellington International Airport
• Balloon flights, concentrated in the Wairarapa area of Wellington and lasting up to one hour, including champagne during the journey
• Cruises around Wellington, a great way to appreciate the city's skyline, with day trips and evening dinner cruises being amongst the most popular
• Kelburn Cable Car, a funicular railway which operates throughout the day and features impressive views of both Wellington city centre and harbour area
• State Opera House, built at the beginning of the 20th century and hosting many popular concerts and musical events each year
• Carter Observatory, with powerful telescopes and a selection of stargazing exhibits and astronomy shows
• Mount Victoria, a favourite lookup point, with panoramic views of central Wellington, together with peaceful picnic spots
• Mount Kaukau, located on the northern side of Wellington and known for its walking trails
• Porirua Harbour, the city's historic harbour, where scenic bays, water sports and cruises are in plentiful supply
• Antrim House, a grand mansion with Edwardian-style architecture, located in the centre of Wellington
• City to Sea Bridge, a truly breathtaking structure which links central Wellington and the Lambton Quay area
• Civic Square, a modern and bustling public square, resembling those found in Italian cities, full of shops and cafés with outdoor seating areas
• National War Memorial, remembering the lives of those who died during battle, standing along Buckle Street and home to a number of seasonal events each year
• Old Government Buildings, built during the mid-1870s and remaining one of the biggest buildings on the planet, standing alongside Wellington's Lambton Quay
• Government House, located on the south side of Wellington, with an impressive exterior and equally elaborate interior, filled with antiques and paintings, occasionally opened to the public
• Wellington City Library, an eye-catching modern building which is home to many thousands of books, together with a number of important local historic artefacts and documents
• Theatres in Wellington, including Bats Theatre on Kent Terrace, Circa Theatre along Taranaki Street, Downstage Theatre on the Cambridge Terrace, Hutt Repertory Theatre on Oxford Terrace, Mana Little Theatre on Sunset Parade, McKenzie Theatre in the Civic Square, Phoenix Theatre along Dixon Street, Victoria University Memorial Theatre on Kelburn Parade and the WestpacTrust Saint James Theatre at Courtenay Place