Explore WellingtonPlan Your Walking Tour of the City and Beyond!As you Explore Wellington New Zealand’s capital city located at the southern most tip of the North Island, you can plan a series of walking tours.......it is so compact. The city is surrounded by hills, with historic houses clinging to the sides......... the Harbour at the fore front. Scenic viewpoints especially from Mt Victoria look across Cook Strait to the Southern Alps and Marlborough Sounds in the South Island. Many of the suburbs are beachside, and the drive around the harbour hugs the coastline.Explore Wellington beaches and bays.... Eastbourne, Lyall Bay, Island Bay...each has their own character. North of the city on the Kapiti Coast you have a string beautiful beaches .Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt are satellite cities . While Wellington enjoys a temperate climate....... it has earned the title “Windy Wellington” due to the winds that frequently whip through the narrow streets funnelled through from Cook Strait. Here I share some of my favourite experiences when I explore Wellington. About Wellington CityWellington is a picturesque city that has had something of a revitalisation in recent years. Small..... with a compact city centre, it is a nice city to visit if you base yourself in a central location where you can walk to do much of your sightseeing.Being home to our parliamentarians and many government services there is excellent shopping and entertainment and a good range of cafes , bars and restaurants catering to a reasonably well off population. The Wharf area is a vibrant mix of cafes, bars and entertainment, museums and Art galleries. The Kelburn Cable Car creates a splash of red against the dark green hillside.Once a historic wooden car, it is now a modern car. Oriental Parade is a lovely stroll around the waterfront and in summer has outdoor cafes and activities – kayaking, rollerblading as well as the beach for safe swimming. Cuba Street Mall is a fascinating place to watch the world go by – enjoy a meal......... shop......or experience the nightlife! Courtney Place Is the other area which comes alive at night. Basin Reserve -Wellington has its famous “cake tin” stadium right in the city centre and is the scene of many national and international rugby games. Take a Walking Tour and Explore Wellington City!
Explore Wellington Nature Attractions
Lord of the Rings Tours and AttractionsExplore Wellington.......explore Middle Earth! Wellington was the main base for the filming and production of the famous film trilogy the Lord of the Rings and is certainly a great destination for LOTR fans.
Now home to the annual Wearable Arts Competition that originated in Nelson If amazing quirky design is an interest try and combine your trip to Wellington with this fascinating show. Check the Information Centre for details of current shows and concerts when you are in the city. Other Interesting Wellington Activities
Activities Near to WellingtonRed Rocks – If you are looking to explore the Wellington coast this is a lovely walk.The 30-40 minute coastal walk from Owhiro Bay to Red Rocks is created by ancient pillow lava. Iron compounds in the rock, gives it the distinctive red colour. There are four original baches( holiday homes) which have historic places trust protection. You can carry on to Sinclair Head (3 kms) and a bachelor fur seal colony - they have left the females to care for their young. You will see seals from May to Ocotober. There are organised tours for this trip.Wine and Gourmet Food - The Wairarapa is another of New Zealand’s well known Wine regions specialising in Pinot Noir. Take a day or overnight tour to Martinborough the wine centre.............. and include a stop at Greytown to visit some Gourmet Food places. You could either take a self drive tour, it is only an hour north of the city............... or go with a tour company – Zest Tours specialises in food and wine tours. You can also take a scenic train trip to Martinborough – via Featherston. Recommended City ShoppingLook out for:Old Bank Arcade – Lambton Quay - is a nice place to browse some boutique designer shops, view the historic sections of the original old banking chamber below the glass floor and have a coffee at Smith the Grocer. Kirkcaldie and Stains - This old department store still retains some of the tradtional ambiance , yet houses a treasure trove of beautiful homewares and clothing, furniture and much more. It is an excellent place for a coffee and snack break in their cafeteria. Getting Around the City
Wellington Day ToursDay Tours can often be the most efficient way of seeing a lot in a short time.Rover Day Pass – This entitles you to hop on hop off at different destinations around the city in a self guided one day tour. Wellington Day Tours: This includes a selection of Lord of the Rings Tours and sightseeing around Wellington. The Ring Rover Tour : visits locations in and around Greater Wellington used during filming of Lord of the Rings movies. You will visit 9 locations, have a picnic lunch, and receive a souvenir map. All this with a guide who will keep you entertained and informed as you explore the city – Middle Earth to LOTR fans! Twilight Rover – See the city lights from the top of Mount Victoria and the fascinating glow worms at Otari-Wilton’s Bush for a night experience of Wellington.
Eating OutExplore Wellington cuisine - it is well served with numerous excellent eating places from top end restaurants to well priced ethnic restaurants, cafes, and bars.At the top end Logan Brown is run by Steve Logan and Alistair Brown who do a wonderful TV and DVD series “Hunger for the Wild” I like to have lunch at Dixon Street Deli – the food is delicious and you can browse the well stocked deli section after you have eaten . Shed 5 Restaurant and Bar on Queens Wharf is a wonderful old building restored to its current glory retaining the old timbers and ambiance and serving excellent meals! Vista - Located at the beginning of Oriental Parade is a pleasant restaurant looking out over the harbour. The meals included tapas, lunches and full dinners. It had been recommended by a friend who had been there....and I was equally very happy with my meal. Gotham -This is a great cafe in the central city. It was packed with locals and we could see why. The meals were excellent and arrived quickly with well trained staff serving. There are so many different ethnic restaurants to choose from - the line up looks like you are anywhere but in New Zealand as you peruse the list. Wellington AccommodationWellington has a good selection of hotels.James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel , Wellington I found this hotel an excellent location to explore Wellington from. You can walk through to the main street and are near to the Railway Station, Parliament Building, The Wharf , Shopping, Restaurants and an easy walk to all the city sights. I can recommend this hotel. Bay Plaza Hotel , WellingtonLocated at the beginning of Oriental Parade - This is another hotel I highly recommend.In a great location a hop, step and jump from Te Papa Museum and the waterfront,restaurants, shopping etc is all within walking distance. A three and a half star hotel, it is not luxurious, but comfortable with recent refurbishment, a good breakfast, and friendly, helpful staff.A supermarket is just across the road. Copthorne Hotel , Wellington This 5 star hotel is very near Bay Plaza on Oriental Parade and across the road from the beach yet still close to all the city features including Te Papa, restaurants, shopping etc. The rooms are spacious with harbour views.Popular as a conference venue this is a good choice if you are looking at the top end of the market. Apartments – There is a huge choice of self contained, serviced apartments in Wellington. Look for something along The Terrace for a central self contained place.
Richmond Guest House , Wellington – We found this cosy guest house clean and comfortable. The bus stop was near by, and it was close to Te Papa and Oriental Parade end of the city.
There are also camping grounds further out at the beaches on the Kapiti Coast - Waikanae and Paraparaumu if you are happy to just be in the vicinity.
More Wellington LinksWellington Map - Interactive Weta-Cave Explore Wellington to Holidays in New Zealand-Home
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