Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and colourful timber houses on surrounding hills. Though sunny and mild most of the year, strong winter winds through the Cook Strait gives it the nickname "Windy Wellington."

2. WHAT’S THIS ALL ABOUT?
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost
point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront
promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and colourful timber houses
on surrounding hills. Though sunny and mild most of the year, strong winter
winds through the Cook Strait gives it the nickname "Windy Wellington."

3. ATTRACTIONS
Te Papa: Te Papa is the city’s ‘must see’ attraction, and for reasons well beyond the fact that it’s New
Zealand’s national museum. It’s highly interactive, fun and full of surprises. The riches inside include an
amazing collection of Maori artefacts and the museum’s own colourful marae; natural history and
environment exhibitions; Pacific and NZ history galleries; national art collection, and themed hands-on
‘discovery centres’ for children.
Mount Victoria Lookout: The city's most accessible viewpoint is on the top of 196m-high Mt Victoria, east of
the city centre. You can take the Roseneath bus some of the way up, but the rite of passage is to sweat
it out on the walk (ask a local for directions or just follow your nose). If you’ve got your own wheels, take
Oriental Pde along the waterfront and then scoot up Carlton Gore Road. If this whets your appetite, ask
a local how to get to the wind turbine or Mt Kaukau.
Wellington Cable Car: One of Wellington’s most famous attractions is the little red cable car that clanks up
the steep slope from Lambton Quay to Kelburn. At the top is the Wellington Botanic Gardens, the Carter
Observatory and the small-but-nifty Cable Car Museum, which evocatively depicts the cable car’s story
since it was built in 1902 to open up hilly Kelburn for settlement. Take the cable car back down the hill,
or ramble down through the gardens (a 20- to 60-minute walk, depending on your stride).
Wellington Botanic Gardens: The hilly, 25-hectare botanic gardens can be almost effortlessly visited via a
cable-car ride, although there are several other entrances hidden in the hillsides. They boast a tract of
original native forest along with varied collections including a beautiful rose garden and international
plant collections. Add in fountains, a cheerful playground, sculptures, duck pond, cafe, magical city
views and much more, and you’ve got a spectacular outing.

4. ACCOMODATION
YHA Wellington City: Ultra clean, modern, bright, fun and friendly. YHA Wellington City is
centrally located and ideal for everything that Wellington has to offer. There is an
espresso bar on site, selling barista made coffee and a selection of cabinet food. The
hostel is within easy walking distance to the bars, shops and theatres on Courtenay
Place and close to Te Papa Museum, the Waterfront and Embassy theatre. A wide range
of comfortable accommodation is available, from our spacious and well-appointed 4 and
6 share en-suite rooms to our deluxe private en-suite rooms.
Acorns Wellington Bed and Breakfast: Acorns Wellington Bed and Breakfast offers stylish,
self-contained studios with private courtyards. Free parking and free WiFi are available.
The guest house is located in Seatoun, just 5 minutes' drive from Wellington Airport and
10 minutes' drive from Wellington city centre. Each studio has a microwave, refrigerator,
toaster and cable TV. Some studios have a stove top and laundry facilities or tea and
coffee making facilities.
Ryhdges Wellington: The elegant Rydges Wellington is centrally located on Featherston
Street with a spectacular harbour view. It is a 10-minute walk from Wellington Cable Car
and a 5-minute walk from Westpac Stadium. Free WiFi is available.
InterContinental Wellington: The 5-star InterContinental Wellington is located by the
harbour waterfront, just 8 km from Wellington International Airport. It offers an exclusive
club lounge, a fitness centre, 2 restaurants and a bar.

5. WEATHER
Wellington is located on the south coast of New Zealand’s North Island and
enjoys a temperate climate, with an all-year-round absence of temperature
extremes. Strong winds are a feature of Wellington’s climate.
For up to date weather in Wellington visit our partner site World Weather
Online.

6. CLOTHING
Because New Zealand is so wild and rugged, you want to select lots of
sturdy materials for your clothing. Visit a good outdoor shop to help
you with this. The weather can chance quickly and in most parts of
the country it can get pretty cold as well.
Bring a good rain cover, a wind blocker and some extra pieces of
clothing you can use as layers. Especially when you go camping,
think about using materials that dry quickly and don’t weigh much.

7. IDEAL FOR…?
Wellington is an ideal destination for those of you
looking to travel with your mates. All hotels are
inexpensive for their star rating and they are
surrounded by pubs, bars and nightclubs.

8. WHAT NOW?
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