One of the attractive places for the traveler is Wellington, New Zealand: what to see first, of course, depends on his tastes and goals. Majestic mountains and clear lakes, ocean waves, animals in their natural habitat – this is just a small list of attractions on the island. It was not for nothing that director Peter Jackson chose this country to create the famous epic blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings.
Wellington sights
The first thing to see is the main city of the country – Wellington, the southernmost capital in the world with a population of about half a million people. This civilized, clean and comfortable city is located on one of the 2 major islands of the Pacific Ocean.
Despite the relatively short history (people began to live in New Zealand no more than 1,000 years ago), there are many interesting places.
Tramway
From the city center there is a small streetcar that connects the waterfront with the suburbs – Kelburn, located on the hill.
Two red carriages take tourists up to a height of 120 m. During the journey, the cable car passes through several tunnels. They are illuminated by arcs of colorful lights, which distinguishes the ropeway from those in other cities.
At the top of the track is the Botanical Gardens, so tourists often combine a ride on the streetcar with a visit to this place.
In addition, at the extremity of the route visitors will find a small Museum of the History of the Cable Car.
Mount Victoria
This mountain is 196 meters above sea level. At the top of it there is an observation deck with a 360° viewing angle.
From here, tourists can enjoy a beautiful panorama. In sunny weather, the port and Cook Strait are clearly visible. And if you’re lucky, you can see the outlines of the South Island in the distance. The airport, the commercial center, the Government House, the Governor General’s House of New Zealand, and the Greek Orthodox Cathedral are clearly recognizable below. Oriental Bay, the most expensive neighborhood in the capital, is also visible.
For hikers and cyclists have special paths, on which the way takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours. There are benches along the route for resting.
Botanical Garden
The area of the Wellington Botanical Gardens is 25 hectares. It is already 150 years old, and its exposition includes more than 400 species of plants. Here you can relax, examine exotic species of flora, learn a lot. Visitors will find century-old subtropical trees, a rose garden, a small pond and even sculptures of people and animals.
The garden area includes many interesting objects that are worth seeing:
- Rosary.
- House of tropical plants with the world’s largest water lily and a collection of orchids.
- Home of begonias.
- The Garden of Stones.
- A Victorian-style greenhouse.
- Tea House.
There is a small artificial pond with ducks in the Botanical Garden. For children equipped with a play area with swings.
Government Palace
Parliament is housed in a cone-shaped building that locals call a beehive for its resemblance to a traditional English beehive. It has 10 floors, with another four underground with the Prime Minister’s office.
This building with its original architecture is a national symbol of New Zealand and is depicted on one of the local banknotes.
Next to Parliament stands the old Government Palace. The 4-story building is the largest wooden structure in the world, although from a distance it looks stone and somewhat reminiscent of an Italian palazzo. It now houses one of the faculties of the University of Victoria.
Cuba Street
For young people, the pedestrian street of Cuba Street is perfect. It is reminiscent of Moscow’s Arbat. In 1995, she was awarded the title of historical value of the city.
Numerous cafes, restaurants, stores, various entertainment attracts tourists. Here you can eat delicious food for every taste and purse, have fun, buy memorable gifts.
Street artists, musicians, and photographers demonstrate their talents here. Every year there is a carnival on Cuba Street.
Cultural Center on Te Ngakau
In the central square of Te Ngakau are the town hall, city library, art gallery, national museum, M. Fowler concert hall.
The town hall hosts meetings of city authorities, theme nights, exhibitions, and concerts. This place is considered the cultural center of the city.
Catherine Mansfield House Museum
Wellington is home to the Catherine Manfield Museum. This is a New Zealand writer of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. is very popular and is considered a famous modernist writer of his era. She created literary short stories: the collections “Bliss,” “Party in the Garden,” etc.
St. James Theatre
This building, built back in 1912 by the famous architect G. White, was the first construction of that time of concrete on a metal frame. Its wide and low stage creates the illusion of proximity of the audience in relation to the actors.
The interior decoration of the theater is striking in its luxury. It is decorated with marble chips, colored stained glass windows, cypress and eucalyptus floors, and cherubs on the ceiling. Creative evenings, concerts and celebrations are often held here.
Carter Observatory
A small observatory appeared in Wellington back in 1907. It is located in the Botanical Gardens. Everyone can look at the stars through a powerful telescope and learn a lot at the planetarium. Now the latest technical means are helping to observe the celestial luminaries.
Te-Papa-Tongarev Museum
It is a large complex of several expositions: about nature, historical and cultural events. There are themed exhibitions on the Lord of the Rings movie, Maori life and culture, archaeological sites, etc. The purpose of the museum is to preserve all the achievements of the New Zealanders.
Admission to the 6-story museum is free. According to visitors, the greatest impression is made by the installation dedicated to the heroes of the First World War. The 4-meter-high figures of warriors, their mothers and girlfriends stunned viewers with their realism.
The Weta Cave Museum
The place was founded by Weta, a studio that made costumes, makeup and props for famous blockbusters. Here you can see them and the armor, weapons, special effects that were used in famous movies such as “Lord of the Rings”, “Avatar”, “The Adventures of Tintin”, “The Hobbit”, “Van Helsing”, “I, Robot” and others.
War Memorial
Not far from the Palace of Government is an obelisk erected in memory of all New Zealanders who died during the world wars and military conflicts. It was created in 1931, and a little later supplemented with bas-reliefs and figures of lions.
Every year on April 25, various events are held near the monument to commemorate the fallen soldiers.
Wright’s Hill Fortress
This fortification was erected at the end of World War II. But by the time it was equipped with military equipment, the battles had ended and peace had been made. So it was not used as a military fortress. Nevertheless, it attracts many tourists because. Its entourage has been used in many famous movies, such as The Fellowship of the Ring, based on the works of Tolkien.
Where to have fun in Wellington
The only drawback of Wellington is its harsh climate. The proximity of the ocean causes a constant strong wind. It often rains and it’s not hot. Nevertheless, you can swim here and have some fun.
Beaches
Wellington beaches are striking for their cleanliness and livability:
- The main one is Oriental Beach. Clean, well-maintained, it is located near the most expensive area of the city. There is a long road along the waterfront that you can walk along.
- Another good beach is Gorgeous Beaches. It is safe for families with children, allows you to relax without worrying about the child. Many people go snorkeling and kayaking there.
Reservoirs
On North Island, near Wellington, there are unusually clear lakes. In one of them, the transparency of the water is such that you can see the bottom (up to 80 m deep) from the height of the drone’s flight.
There are straits located between the mountains. They are navigated by a kayak, a rowing boat similar to a kayak. There is a school in Wellington that teaches kayaking.
Natural and protected areas
On the outskirts of Wellington you can watch geysers, natural fountains of boiling water that periodically gush out of the ground. You have to wait a maximum of 50-60 minutes to see the hot jet.
New Zealand is a land of volcanoes. Some of them are active.
Forests
Most of the North Island is covered with humid subtropical forests. They are mostly preserved in the hard-to-reach mountainous areas.
It is characterized by evergreen conifers, of which agathis is the most interesting, reaching 30-50 m in height and 6 m in thickness.
Another striking representative of the flora of New Zealand is the beech. Five varieties of this tree grow here.
Walking tours of Wellington
Tour guides offer several 1-2 hour walking routes around Wellington.
Popular Routes
A sightseeing walking tour called “Wellington – City of Roaring Winds” introduces travelers to popular sites and helps build a picture of New Zealand’s capital city.
First tourists go to the place where the modern life of Wellington is bustling and its contrasts are evident – British architecture, the color of the Maori. The soul of the city opens up in the Thorndon business district and the Te Aro youth neighborhood.
Then tourists walk along lively Willis Street and Lambton Quay, peek into the government quarter with the “beehive,” stroll along the cheerful promenade of Cuba Street. At the bend of Lambton Bay, you can get a close look at the old boat sheds and the modern masterpieces of the Te-Papa-Tongarev Museum and the Freyerberg Basin. And in the old streets you can feel the provincial spirit of the British Empire.
An experienced guide explains where Maui’s fish-head harbor town came from and how it developed, how Maori and settlers were neighbors, what traditions Polynesians follow, how many names the New Zealand capital has changed, and why it is called the “hanging gardens.
Another interesting excursion is called the Pinnacles Track. There are amazing rock formations created by nature. This is where the “trail of the dead” in the third part of the movie “Lord of the Rings” was filmed with an absolutely fantastic view.
Boat tours of Wellington
New Zealand is a great place for outdoor activities. Here you can go sailing, boating with an experienced crew or rent a kayak and ride to the amazing Lake Taupo on the North Island along the calm Waikato River.
Old Maori cave paintings can be seen in the rocks near Main Bay. The most attractive stone sculpture of the lizard, which, according to legend, was the guardian of the lake. Also of interest is a 14-meter engraving depicting the great Māori navigator Ngatoroiranga.
There are hot springs on the Waikato River where it is pleasant to bathe, and on a hot day travelers are refreshed by the water of the lake.
It is interesting to swim among the 150 islands of the Bay of Islands. It is a vast fjord on the North Island. Kayaking in firefly caves and swimming under waterfalls leave a strong impression.
Where you can stay
Wellington has lodging options for people of all financial backgrounds.
Hotels
Tourists can book accommodation in:
- motel;
- hostel;
- an ordinary hotel;
- apartments;
- house.
The most expensive apartments for two people cost from 17 to 34 thousand rubles per night. They are Mercure Wellington Central City Hotel and Apartments, Quest on Johnston Serviced Apartments, U Residence Hotel and others.
The cost of an overnight stay in hotels for 2 people ranges from 13 to 31 thousand rubles.
Hotels
Rooms for a small price – from 3,494 to 5,884 rubles per night – with 2 beds are offered by hostels Trek Global Backpackers, Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers, and others.
You can book a room with breakfast included at a hotel, such as the BnB at Bidwill. It is located at a distance of 1.6 km from the city center.
