Wellington is New Zealand’s capital city and was chosen as the capital in the 1860s because of its strategic location at the far southern point of the North Island of New Zealand. Back in the 1800s, the South Island had a larger and more prosperous population due to the gold fields found there and it was thought that keeping the capital in the far northern city of Auckland was too far away. Today Wellington has grown into the third largest city in all of New Zealand and has been rated as one of the most liveable cities in the world. Wellington is known for its rich culture, being the farthest south capital city of a country in the world, and for having the highest average winds of any city. The Wellington Ferry Terminal is the arrival point for ferries sailing across the Cook Strait from Picton in the South Island, and the city is home to famous attractions such as the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Cable Car, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, and Weta Workshop.
Destination Overview
Wellington
Thankfully our ferry journey across the Cook Strait was a mild one, and we were spared the rough conditions that cause many cancellations throughout the year. After a road trip traversing the wonderful nature of the South Island, we were excited to spend time immersing ourselves in the New Zealand culture and enjoying the energy of a vibrant city. On our first day exploring Wellington, we were able to participate in an Introduction to Parliament Tour that walked us through the most important government buildings and taught us about how government functions in New Zealand. It happened to be a day parliament was in session, and we were invited back to watch from the visitor section. While the timing did not work out, we had time to watch a little of the session live from our television and observe parliament members in action where we had just been only a few hours prior.
We concluded the day by walking around Cuba Street, a popular pedestrian street lined with boutique shops, restaurants, and cafes. There were so many unique places to visit, and we decided to visit Little Penang to try Malaysian food for the first time. The Nasi Lemak with chicken as well as Mee Goreng were both delicious and introduced us to a new cuisine we definitely will be eating again. From just one day it was clear Wellington had a lot to offer, and we were excited to continue exploring more of the unique culture during our stay.
Where to Read More
3-Day Wellington Itinerary: A Vibrant Capital City
The breakdown of a Wellington itinerary to explore the capital of New Zealand and learn about the history, culture, and the ecological identity of the country.
An Interesting Fact
New Zealand is a Leader in Conservation
For millions of years New Zealand has been geographically isolated from other landmasses. This geographical isolation meant that the only way to reach the land was by air or by sea. Many birds did find their way to New Zealand, but over the millennia started to have unique adaptations that differed from anywhere else in the world. This led to interesting bird species such as Moas, Kiwis, and Takahes that all eventually became flightless. It wasn’t until the first Polynesians arrived by boat around the 1300s that land species such as rats were introduced to New Zealand. When Europeans arrived in the 1700s they brought even more species such as stoats, possums, and weasels. All of these species wreaked havoc on the flightless bird species preying on their eggs, chicks, and the birds themselves. Many of the bird species were quickly lost, such as the Moa, a bird that could grow as tall 12 feet but was hunted to extinction by the Polynesians. Even today many of the remaining flightless bird species are critically endangered, but New Zealand is putting forth large efforts to protect and grow the populations.
One of these ambitious conservation projects is called Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne and it is the world’s first fully fenced ecosanctuary located 4 km (2.5 miles) from the center of Wellington. This ecosanctuary was ground breaking because it is taking an incredible 500 year approach to conservation with the ultimate goal of restoring Wellington’s ecosystems to as close as possible prior to humans arriving in the 1300s. Already, Zealandia has seen extraordinary results, with reintroduced rare species thriving and many birds finding their way to the sanctuary naturally. Zealandia offers the ability to visit the sanctuary by yourself, on a day tour, or through a night tour. We were able to join one of the small group day tours to learn more first hand about the conservation efforts and have an expert point out the birds that we encountered throughout our 2 hour walk.
At the end of the tour, we were free to explore the sanctuary ourselves, and I wanted to look for a Takahe, one of the rarest birds in New Zealand. It was believed they were extinct until the late 1940s when a population was discovered in Fiordland National Park. Through extensive breeding programs New Zealand has grown the population to nearly 500 individuals and Zealandia was given a couple that can no longer mate. Our guide pointed us in the direction where we would have the best chance to spot the Takahes in the sanctuary. After walking along the trail for some time, we spotted both of the birds. It was incredible to watch them cross back and forth on the path that we were also standing on. Their calls to each other sounded like dinosaurs, and we stayed around until they went deeper into the forest out of our sight. Through amazing conservation efforts, New Zealand continues to be a leader in preserving unique nature and wildlife so that future generations get to experience the wonder we saw at Zealandia.
Travel Tip of the Week
Spend a Few Days in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand
While city activities might not be high on the top list of destinations while visiting New Zealand, Wellington has much to offer that makes it worthwhile to spend a few days if schedules allow. It is known for its cultural offerings, with the center of the action around Cuba Street’s vibrant pedestrian area. Throughout the city you can find New Zealand’s best coffee shops and craft breweries, with lots of delicious local and international dining options to choose from. Some of these include:
- The Garage Project Taproom– fun environment to sample craft beers
- Neo Cafe & Eatery– great place to have a delicious cup of coffee
- Karaka Cafe– traditional New Zealand dishes such as Ika Mata, Hangi, Pereti Paraoa Parai, Creamed Paua, and more
- Golding’s Free Dive– fun decorated bar that offers the ability to order a tasty pizza from its next door neighbor Pizza Pomodoro
Beyond being a great place for food and drinks, Wellington offers options for all types of interests. Some these include:
- A 1 hour Introduction to Parliament Tour offered free of charge that provides an educational behind the scenes experience to law making in the country
- The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, regarded as the best in the country, a place to spend hours learning about the Maori, colonial, and natural history of New Zealand
- Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne to spot the native birds of New Zealand and enjoy the hiking trails at your leisure throughout the sanctuary
- Oriental Bay Beach to Mount Victoria round trip hike to have incredible views of the city, watch the famous approach of wobbly planes on a windy day, stop at a few small Lord of the Rings filming locations, and relax or swim at the beach on a nice day
One of my favorite experiences that Wellington has to offer is a tour of Weta Workshop, which became famous when it won 4 Oscars for its work on costumes, makeup, and visual effects for the Lord of the Rings movies. When arriving at the building, you have the opportunity to go into the Weta Cave, as long as you can make it past the trolls that are guarding the entrance. Inside there are numerous props and souvenirs that Weta made which you can purchase or pose with. The guided tour is lead by a current employee and lasts for 1.5 hours. It is a behind the scenes tour where you learn about how they continue to work on movies today such as Dune: Part Two, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Cocaine Bear, among others. Many of the projects they are working on now are a secret and the prior props are not allowed for commercial purposes, so taking photos or videos is prohibited along much of the tour. However, it is still an unbelievable experience without photos and there is even one section of the tour where you can interact with the props that weren’t officially used in the movies. At the end of the tour you learn about the building blocks of creating sculptures and props with simple aluminum foil. Visiting Weta was a favorite experience of mine but only one of many top experiences you can have while visiting Wellington.
