Wellington

Introduction

Mural in Wellington

© steff

New Zealand's capital Wellington is not the country's largest city (that honour goes to Auckland), but it's a vibrant city with a thriving café scene and many great museums, galleries and music venues.

"Windy Wellington" is set along the Cook Strait at the south-western tip of North Island. It's a steep, packed city; activity is centered around the CBD, where a large proportion of Wellingtonians work.

Neighbourhoods

Wellington's CBD is quite compact, so you can reach any part of it on foot. It is divided into four main districts:

• Courtenay Quarter - The city's nightlife is centered around Courtenay Place. This is also a central hub for the public bus system, including the airport bus service.
• Cuba Quarter - Adjacent to Courtenay Quarter, Cuba Quarter harbours a vast number of restaurants, cafés and bars. Walk up the pedestrian-only section of Cuba Street or the pedestrian-only stretch of Manners Street and soak in the atmosphere.
• Lambton Quarter - Centered around Lambton Quay, a popular street for shoppers.
• Waterfront - You can walk along the waterfront from Whitmore Street to Oriental Parade. Along the way, you'll pass the Events Centre, Museum of Wellington City and Sea, Frank Kitts Park and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum, ending up at the marina.

Sights and Activities

Museums

• Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand) is New Zealand's national museum and can be found on Wellington's waterfront. This museum has amazing exhibits on the history, art and culture of New Zealand.
• Museum of Wellington City & Sea is located on the Jervois Quay on the waterfront in the historic Bond Store. This museum was originally the Wellington Maritime Museum. Today it has expanded its collection to include much more. Open: 10:00am to 5:00pm, Admission: Free.
• Katherine Mansfield Birthplace was originally the home to one of New Zealand's most famous writers, Katherine Mansfield, today it is a museum dedicated to her life.
• The Colonial Cottage Museum is located in the suburb of Mount Cook. This cottage was built in 1858 and is considered Wellington's oldest building. The museum is dedicated to the early colonial life of New Zealand's founders.
• New Zealand Cricket Museum is a great place to learn all about New Zealand's history and love for cricket.
• City Gallery is a good place to check out a current exhibition. The gallery is located at 101 Wakefield in the Civic Square. Open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm except during exhibition changeovers and Christmas Day.

Drama and Dance

• New Zealand Ballet is a good place watch some classical dance at world class theatre.
• St James' Theatre features plays and operas from classical writers to modern writers.
• Downstage Theatre is a great place to see some more contemporary New Zealand drama.
• Bats Theatre - if you want to see the more experimental side of drama, then this small theatre is the place for you. The theatre has a small backstage area making it possible for it to run multiple plays at the same time year round.

Other Sights and Activities

• Wellington Cable Car and Cable Car Museum offer a scenic journey from Wellington's CBD up to the top of the Botanic Gardens. Then check out the museum and learn about the history of cable cars.
• Old St Paul's - Visit this wonderful Anglican Church that was built in 1865. Remember to look at the wooden structure and stained glass windows from the inside.
• New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is a great place to listen to some amazing classical music.
• Archives New Zealand houses a collection of New Zealand heritage documents.
• Wellington's Waterfront - Stroll along the coast and watch the boats go by.
• Wellington Law School is the largest wooden building in the whole southern hemisphere.
• Westpac Stadium is the place to catch a football, cricket or rugby game, depending on the time of year.
• Wellington Zoo - Spend a day looking at the animals at this wonderful zoo. Open: 9:30 am to 5:00pm everyday except Christmas. Admission: Adult; $15, Children 3 to 16; $7.50, Under 3 free, there are also concessions and group deals. Address: 200 Daniell Street, Newton, Wellington.
• Karori Sanctuary - A few minutes outside Wellington is this sanctuary, which seeks to provide a realistic image of what life in New Zealand was like before human settlement.
• Botanic Gardens - Rising on the west above Lambton Quarter are the Botanic Gardens, 25 hectares of native flora overlooking the city and harbour. You can walk to it, catch the cable car from Cable Car Lane, or take bus 3.
• New Zealand Parliament Tour - Free, daily tours of the Parliament buildings, lasting around one hour. Try to book ahead.

Events and Festivals

Wellington regularly has sporting, theatre, music and dance events, so be sure to check this website to find out what's on while you're there.

Some of the notable festivals to keep an eye out for:

• Summer City Festival Wellington runs from December 31 through to mid-March, featuring live music, sports events and much more.
• Fringe Festival runs from mid February to early March. Sample the best of New Zealand art, dance, theatre, music and comedy.
• Hertz Sevens is a two-day festival at Westpac Stadium in which 16 international rugby teams battle it out. This happens in early February.
• Capital E! is a two-week arts festival for kids held in the 2nd and 3rd week of March.
• JimBeam Homegrown: Enjoy New Zealand's best bands and DJs, performing early March along the waterfront.

Weather

The city averages 2,059 hours of sunshine per year. The climate is temperate marine, is generally moderate all year round, and rarely sees temperatures above 25 °C or below 4 °C. The hottest recorded temperature is 31.1 °C (88 °F), while -1.1 °C is the coldest. The city is notorious for its southerly blasts in winter, which may make the temperature feel much colder. It is generally very windy all year round with high rainfall; average annual rainfall is 1,244 mm, June and July being the wettest months. Frosts are quite common in the hill suburbs and the Hutt Valley between May and September. Snow is very rare at low altitudes, although snow fell on the city and many other parts of the Wellington region during separate events in July and August 2011.

Getting There

By Plane

Wellington International Airport is a small airport, but there are several international flights as well as a growing number of domestic flights. Air New Zealand flies to Auckland, Brisbane, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Nadi (Fiji). Air Nelson flies to Nelson, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Hamilton, Napier, Rotorua, Westport and Invercargill. Eagle Airways flies to Whangarei, Whakatane, Gisborne, Taupo, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Nelson, Blenheim, Westport and Timaru and Mount Cook Airline (part of Air New Zealand) flies to Hamilton, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin. Other airlines include Air2there (Blenheim, Nelson, Paraparaumu), Air Chathams (Tuuta on the Chatham Islands), Sounds Air (Blenheim, Kaikoura, Nelson, Picton, Capital Air (Takaka), Virgin Australia (Auckland, Brisbane, Christchurch, Sydney), Qantas (Melbourne, Sydney), Jetstar Airways (Auckland, Christchurch) and Capital Air (Takaka, seasonal only).

Landing at Wellington Airport in a strong wind can be an adventure, and most pilots adopt a powered approach, followed by a full reverse thrust and hard braked landing due to the shortness of the runway (2,081 m). This tends to create a roller-coaster ride, so make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened and all loose items are stowed before landing. Many locals swap stories of approaches with large dips, shudders, bumps, sudden sideways movement, followed by the plane going around for a second (and even sometimes a third) attempt to land. While there has been the odd Cessna landing on its roof, no large passenger plane has ever had a serious accident in Wellington.

The Airport Flyer bus departs regularly until 21:00 and runs through the CBD and on to Lower Hutt. $12 to Wellington, $18 to Lower Hutt. When you come out of the terminal, ignore any bus signs that point to the left – turn right to get to the Flyer bus stop at the south end of the terminal.

When you get to the airport, you can call the Metlink hotline at 0800 801700 for info. A friendly person will answer very quickly. If you say where you are going, they will tell you what bus to take and even what special pass to buy (for example, if you are catching a train after getting off the Airport Flyer).

If travelling in a group, it will be more cost effective to use a ride-sharing service. Uber to CBD will cost around $20. Turn right when exiting the terminal and follow signs to the "App-based Pickup Zone". Shuttle van services, taxis and covered car parking are directly outside the terminal.

By Train

The Overlander travels between Wellington and Auckland daily during December to April. Off season the Overlander travels on friday, saturday and sundays.

The Capital Connection travels from Palmerston North every weekday morning and returns evenings.

Tranz Metro provides frequent daily trains from the Wairarapa and the Kapiti Coast.

By Car

Wellington is located at the southern tip of the North Island and is accessed from the north via two State Highways: State Highway 1 and State Highway 2. From most destinations in the North Island, you'll follow State Highway 1 south of Levin through the Kapiti Coast, Porirua and northern suburbs of Wellington. From the Hawke's Bay and the Wairarapa, you'll follow State Highway 2 over the Rimutaka Ranges and through Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt. Both routes meet at the Ngauranga Interchange, on the harbour shoreline 5 km north of the city centre.

Due to difficult terrain, there are sections of winding two-laned roads on both routes approaching Wellington. Traffic on State Highway 1 will encounter the Centennial Highway between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay, where the road and railway run along a very narrow strip of land between the hills and the sea. Traffic on State Highway 2 will encounter the Rimutaka Hill Road, which winds its way over the Rimutaka Ranges and may occasionally close due to high winds or snow during winter. Centennial Highway is due to be bypassed by a new four-lane inland motorway in 2020, but until then serious and fatal crashes will continue to be common: remember to keep left, maintain a reasonable speed, and use the passing lanes to overtake slower traffic.

Hitchhiking from central Wellington is difficult as most traffic stays within the metropolitan area, and it is illegal to hitchhike on the motorway until the Hutt Valley (about 15 km or 9 mi northeast of Wellington) or Paremata (about 20 km or 12 mi north). If intending to hitchhike, you are best to catch a train to Waikanae or Upper Hutt and walk to the main highways to catch a lift from there (the best spot for Upper Hutt hitchhikers is at the Caltex petrol station about a 3 km walk north from the railway station along Fergusson Drive). Using a sign will help in finding a willing driver going your way.

By Bus

There are many different long-distance bus providers which operate to and from Wellington. All are listed on the Bus and Coach Association New Zealand website. The two main nationwide bus companies are Intercity and Nakedbus.

By Boat

Interislander operates a regular ferry service between Wellington on the North Island and Picton on the South Island. Bluebridge also operates between the North (Wellington) and South Islands (Picton) with up to four sailings a day between the two cities.

Getting Around

By Car

Driving in the core of Wellington is generally not necessary or as convenient as walking. However, it's not particularly difficult once you learn the one-way system, nor is traffic a big worry outside of normal rush-hour periods.

Street and garage/surface lot parking is not particularly difficult for a city of Wellington's density, but as with any city you may have to search a bit for a street spot. Street parking is generally metered in the centre at a rate of $4/hr (M-Th 08:00-18:00, F 08:00-20:00), often with a one or two hour time limit. Multi-storey car parks tend to be similarly priced, but you can generally stay for longer periods.

In the suburbs immediately surrounding the city, coupon parking zones exist in conjunction with Resident Only parking. In the Coupon Zones, two hours of parking are free. Beyond that you must display a coupon to allow you to park for the entire day. These are available at convenience stores for $5 each. Enforcement of the Coupon Zones is 08:00-18:00. Resident Zones are generally reserved for residents (displaying a current permit) at all times, and you may be served with a ticket for parking there without a permit.

On the weekend, metered car parking is free, with a two-hour time limit on both days.

Some of the options to rent cars include the following companies:

• Avis
• Hertz
• Budget
• New Zealand Rent A Car
• Thrifty
• Ace Rental Cars
• Go Rentals
• Europcar

By Taxi

As in all New Zealand cities, taxi rates vary according to the company. There is a "flagfall" charge, then a per kilometre charge once the cab starts moving. Extra fees apply for things like airport pickup, phone booking, electronic payment etc. Major taxi companies in Wellington include (alphabetically) Combined, Corporate, Green and Kiwi. There are many alternate taxi companies and taxis are usually in plentiful supply. Check the door of the taxi before you get in for the current approved fare rates.

By Public Transport

MetLink provides full information about routes and fares about Wellington's public transport system.

Wellington city itself has an extensive network of buses, including a significant number of routes served by electric trolleybuses. Excellent and free network maps and route timetables and maps are available from locations throughout town, including the main visitor centre in Civic Square, the Central Library, and many convenience stores. Being a rather linear city, the heart of Wellington is heavily served by the central bus corridor between the Railway Station and Courtenay Place. Nearly all lines run along this section, so you rarely have to wait more than a few minutes to catch a ride.

The train is the best form of public transport between the central city and Johnsonville, as well as the Hutt Valley, Porirua and the Kapiti Coast - although you do have to walk from Melling or Western Hutt, or catch a bus from Petone or Waterloo (Hutt Central) stations to central Lower Hutt's CBD. Services run half-hourly on the Hutt Valley, Kapiti and Johnsonville lines seven days a week, and hourly on the Melling line on weekdays. At peak times, services run much more frequently.

The Kelburn cable car is a Wellington icon. It provides a regular service between Lambton Quay and Kelburn. The Wellington city terminal is at the end of Cable Car Lane, just off Lambton Quay, near the intersection with Grey Street. The Kelburn terminal is at the end of Upland Road by an entrance to the Botanic Gardens.

The Eastbourne ferry service, which provides regular services between Queens Wharf and Days Bay in Eastbourne, also stops at Somes Island most trips.

Bus and train fares use a zone structure. While there are 14 fare zones in total on the Metlink network, nearly all the Wellington urban area is covered by seven zones (there are two semi-rural suburbs of Upper Hutt in zone 8). Child tickets are available to those aged 5 to 15 and those 16 and over still at secondary school, while children under 5 travel free.

Electronic Snapper fare cards can be used on all buses, and are available from most supermarkets and convenience stores. These cards offer a discount off the adult cash fare, with an additional discount on off-peak travel. Snapper cards can be topped up electronically at various agencies for a small fee. However, you need to remember to tag not only when you board the bus but also as you leave the bus, or you will be charged for the whole route.

Trains still use paper ticketing. Ten-trip tickets and passes can be bought from ticket offices at major railway stations and from selected outlets across the city.

If you plan to use public transport extensively, you can buy a day pass which allows unlimited trips after 09:00 on weekdays and all day weekends and holidays. Four Metlink Explorer day passes are available: zones 1 to 3 only (i.e. Wellington City only) for $10.00, zones 1 to 7 for $15.00, zones 1 to 10 for $20.00, and all zones for $25.00.

Special fares apply on some routes, including the 91 Airport Flyer bus. On outbound Wairarapa trains (i.e. to Masterton), you will be charged for a fare to Maymorn station (zone 8) even if you disembark before then; this minimum fare does not apply in the inbound direction (i.e. to Wellington).

By Foot

It's easy to get around the central city on foot, as it's very compact and pedestrian-friendly.

The core of Wellington is notably compact and vibrant, and is well-suited to exploration by walking. As dictated by geography, the core of the city is quite linear, with the classic commercial backbone known as the Golden Mile making for a diverting and pleasant walking route. This route runs from the Railway Station down Lambton Quay to its southern end at Willis Street. It then runs down lower Willis Street to Manners Street, and continues straight onto Courtenay Place. On the Manners Street section, the route crosses Wellington's bohemian heartland of Cuba Street, which heads south into the core of Te Aro. While these streets mark the traditional core of the commercial city, the surrounding blocks also have plenty to be seen.

Another enjoyable and popular place to amble in the city core is the Waterfront, from the revitalized Kumutoto area in the north, past Queen's Wharf to Frank Kitts Park, and then through the Lagoon and City-to-Sea Bridge areas and on to the Te Papa museum and Waitangi Park. From here the waterfront curves northeastward along lovely Oriental Bay with its beach and promenade.

By Bike

Bicycles can be rented at several places. Dockless bikeshare OnzO is available in the city. There are bikes parked around the city, unlock using the app, then leave anywhere once you finish. $0.25/15min.

Eat

Wellington has a lot of restaurants and cafés, in fact more cafés, bars and restaurants per head than New York City. Malaysian food is surprisingly popular and available in most areas. You can also get good Turkish kebabs anywhere in the city, or Lebanese at the Phoenician Falafel on Kent Terrace (their kebabs are better than all the Turkish places too). Fish and chips is the best value food and you usually get better quality in the suburbs.

Many of the best cafés and restaurants are centered around Cuba Street, Manners Street and Courtenay Place. Here are a few specific suggestions:

• Great India Restaurant, 141 Manners Street. Phone: (04) 384 5755. Serves excellent authentic Indian food at a reasonable price. Their naan is great.
• Goblin Café, James Smiths Corner. Phone: (04) 471 1251. A nice café at the east end of Cuba Street. This is one of the places where you can buy prepaid CafeNet cards and use wireless internet (see Keep Connected section).
• Abrakebabra, 90 Manners Street. Phone: (04) 473 3311. Middle Eastern food with home-made breads. Middle Eastern video hits play, adding that extra touch of authenticity.
• Tulsi Contemporary Indian Cuisine, 135 Cuba Street. Phone: (04) 802 4144. Another great Indian restaurant. On par with Great India Restaurant. Tulsi has a cheap lunch special.
• The Lido Cafe, 85 Victoria Street. A bustling café opposite the Wellington City Library, boasting a great range of fine loose leaf teas.

Drink

Wellington has a bustling nightlife, concentrated along Courtenay Place, one of the major streets running from the CBD. It runs through Te Aro and ends in Mt Victoria. The nightlife causes this street to have the highest population density in all of New Zealand on Friday and Saturday nights. In most establishments, drinks are remarkably affordable at about $6, and entrance charges are either nonexistent or minimal. In some of the better clubs reasonable dress standards apply, however in the day the mood is usually extremely casual, with flip-flops (called Jandals in New Zealand) and even bare feet occasionally accepted (a common Kiwi choice on hotter days). Cuba Mall also features some cool and more alternative bars.

Away from Courtenay Place in the CBD district (Lambton Quay) there are many after work bars frequented by office workers, however this area becomes deserted in the later hours, and thus these establishments usually do not provide all night partying.

Sleep

• Nomads Capital, 118 Wakefield Street. Located just opposite the waterfront, this is a new hostel with great low prices.
• Wellywood Backpackers, 58 Tory Street. In the centre of Courtenay Quarter, just off Courtenay Place. A big hostel with good facilities and friendly staff. One of the closest hostels to the central bus depot.
• YHA Wellington City, 292 Wakefield Street (cnr Cambridge Terrace). A high quality YHA on the edge of the city centre, well within walking distance of all the main sites.
• Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers, 1 Bunny St (cnr Waterloo Quay, opposite the Railway station), ☎ +64 4 4738482, toll-free: 0800 225 725, ✉ [email protected]. Dorm beds from $29. Single room with shared bathroom $70. The travel desk on the ground floor can help with booking transport and activities.
• Lodge in the City, 152 Taranaki St (cnr Vivian & Taranaki Sts), ☎ +64 4 385-8560, toll-free: 0800 257 225, fax: +64 4 385-8531, ✉ [email protected]. Dorm $23, single room $50, doubles from $85.
• Worldwide Backpackers Wellington, 291 The Terrace, toll-free: 0508 888 555, ✉ [email protected]. Queen, double, twin, double + single, 3 share, 4 share and 6 share.
• Rowena's Lodge, 115 Brougham St, ☎ +64 4 385-7872. Camp sites from $15, dorms $23.

The Setup on Manners, 57 Manners St, CBD (opposite McDonald's), ☎ +64 4 830-0990, ✉ [email protected]. Free Wi-Fi & Sky TV. From $105.

• CityLife Wellington, 300 Lambton Quay (vehicle entrance: 14 Gilmer Terrace), ☎ +64 4 922-2800, toll-free: 0800 368 888, fax: +64 4 922-2803, ✉ [email protected]. Four star plus, suite style hotel. Rooms on the Gilmer Terrace side face directly onto the steep hill the hotel sits on and have no view.
• Distinction Wellington Century City Hotel, 70 Tory St, ☎ +64 4 801-0780. Studio rooms, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments and penthouse suites. From $149. edit
• Museum Hotel - Hotel de Wheels, 90 Cable St (opposite Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand), ☎ +64 4 802-8900. In one of the largest ever building relocations, this hotel was moved across the street in 1993 to make way for Te Papa museum. From $149.
• InterContinental Hotel Wellington, 2 Grey St, ☎ +64 4 472-2722, ✉ [email protected]. Adjacent to the waterfront, InterContinental Wellington is the only internationally-branded 5 star hotel in Wellington.
• Park Hotel Lambton Quay, 101 The Terrace, ☎ +64-4-260-5000. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Hotel opened in 2016. Rooms have some cooking facilities. from $149.

A better way to get to know more locals and experience some NZ culture (if that's what you are looking for) is a shared house (a "flat" in NZ English). These are an option for stays of a month in summer while students are away – usually flats are taken for the year or at least several months). Look for "Flatmates wanted" in the local Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday newspaper (Dominion Post) classifieds.

Flats are much cheaper and usually well furnished already by the other tenants in the communal rooms. You may need to provide your own bed (you could buy a cheap one second hand for the summer), or they might be able lend you one. All flatmates share the rent, bills and chores, and occasionally food, meals and even washing too. Some flats come fully furnished, but this is not the norm.

To find flats, the locals use www.trademe.co.nz.

Learn

• Victoria University of Wellington
• University of Otago, Wellington

Keep Connected

Internet

If you have your own computer, you can sign up with CaféNET. This allows you to buy credit (as you would on a prepaid phone) and log on at dozens of locations around the city centre. It costs $10 for a day pass, $50 for a week, or $20 for 70MB. You can pay by credit card or buy cards over the counter at these locations.

Wi-Fi access is getting more and more common in for example coffee places or fast food chains. It is becoming more common for Wi-Fi to be provided at hotels and motels, though sometimes at a fee. Wireless Hotspots are located in many cities and towns all over New Zealand from dedicated Wireless providers from whom you can buy connect time. Many camping holiday parks also have such services available.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Dial 111 for emergency police, fire or ambulance services. The worldwide emergency number for GSM mobile phones, 112, can also be used.
The country code is 64.

Most payphones in New Zealand require the use of phone cards for payment and it is getting harder to find payphones that accept coins. As phone cards are available at a lot of outlets, they are easy to purchase and very handy as a backup in case of emergencies. Many of them also accept creditcards. Local calls are free from residential phones and charges for calling outside that area can be found at the front of the regional phone books, amongst many other services.

Mobile telephone coverage is effectively national in near urban areas although the mountainous terrain means that outside the urban areas, and especially away from the main highway system, coverage does have huge dead patches. Do not rely on mobile phones in hilly or mountainous terrain. Mobile telephone users can call 555 only to report Non-emergency traffic safety incidents, such as a breakdown, road hazard or non-injury car crash, to the Police. There are currently three major mobile carriers in New Zealand.

• Telecom operates a UMTS (3G) network, named XT Network, nationwide on 850MHz with supplementary 2100MHz in metropolitan areas. (the same frequencies as Telstra in Australia and AT&T in the U.S.)
• Vodafone operates a GSM network on 900MHz/2100 MHz and a UTMS (3G) network operates nationwide 900MHz with supplementary 2100MHz coverage.
• 2degrees operates a UMTS (3G) network (2100MHz) in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, with supplementary GSM coverage provided elsewhere by Vodafone.

A prepaid sim-card connection pack with $10 credit from Telecom or Vodafone costs around $30, and prepaid sim-cards from 2degrees cost $10. Telecom has broader coverage in remote areas away from major cities compared to Vodafone and 2degrees.

Post

Most areas have dedicated PostShops, however stamps can also be bought at grocery shops, supermarkets and book stores. There are two main formats for domestic mail, namely Standard Post and Fast Post. Fast Post is used next day delivery between major towns and cities (two days from rural areas), whereas Standard Post will take a few working days to deliver nationwide. Standard costs NZ$0.50 for letters/postcards (NZ$0.80 for larger envelopes), Fast Post costs NZ$0.80 (NZ$1.20 for larger envelopes). International mail takes about 3-6 days to Australia (NZ$1.50), and 6-12 days to Europe, Asia and the United States (NZ$2). Post boxes are white, red and black and can be found in many areas throughout towns and cities, including information about when their contents are collected. Most post offices and smaller post shops have opening hours from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, and 9:00am to 12:30pm on Saturday. You can buy stamps here, or at newsagents and general stores. For parcels, you can use the NZ Post or otherwise courier companies like TNT, DHL, UPS or FedEx.

External Links

• Official Tourism Website