Sightseeing OverviewTe Papa, the national museum, dominates the city’s skyline on the
waterfront, and a visit to this extraordinary place is
a must for any visitor to New Zealand. Several other attractions can be found on the waterfront or nearby, including the
Parliament Buildings and the
Museum of Wellington City & Sea. The hills around the harbor also have their fair share of attractions, most notably the
Botanical Gardens and
Katherine Mansfield’s Birthplace, while further afield are the
Wellington Zoo and the
Karori Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Tourist InformationWellington i-
SITE Visitor Center Corner of Victoria and Wakefield Streets (Civic Square)
Tel: (04) 802 4860
or 0800 933 5363.
Website:
www.wellingtonNZ.com The
Wellington Visitor Information Center offers visitors a comprehensive range of services, from information to travel bookings.
Key Attractions:Wellington Waterfront and Te Papa Museum Once the center of Wellington’s bustling port, the
Wellington Waterfront is one of the city’s most distinctive and attractive precincts. Separating central city from sea, the Waterfront is home to many bars and restaurants, galleries and museums (including the wonderful
Te Papa Tongarewa, see below), and a meeting place of choice for those just wanting to spend a couple of hours in the sun, be it reading a book, people watching or just going for a stroll.
Website:
www.wellingtonwaterfront.co.nz Te Papa Tongarewa (
Museum of New Zealand)
Wellington’s star attraction,
Te Papa (affectionately known as ‘Our Place’) has been described by the
Washington Post as ‘one of the most ambitiously eclectic museums in the world’. A fascinating museum right on the harbor, there is no better place to learn about the country’s culture, its history and its people. Don’t miss it.
Cable Street, Waterfront
Tel: (04) 381 7000.
Website:
www.tepapa.govt.nz Free admission.
Wellington Botanical Garden and Cable Car Take the cable car from Lambton Quay and spend half a day exploring over 25 hectares of exotic forests, native bush, colorful floral displays and gorgeous specialist gardens of
Wellington Botanical Garden. Great views of the city can be had from the top of the hill. Don’t miss the award-winning Lady Norwood Rose Garden and the historic Bolton Street Memorial Park, where many of the city’s pioneers are buried. Gardens are open daily sunrise to sunset and entry is free.
Glenmore Street
Tel: (04) 499 1400.
Website:
www.wbg.co.nz Free admission.
Parliament Buildings A visit to the capital city would not be complete without a visit to New Zealand’s beautifully refurbished
Parliament Buildings. Located in the historic suburb of Thorndon, the complex is made up of three architecturally distinctive buildings: the Edwardian neo-classical Parliament House, the Victorian gothic Parliamentary Library and the striking 1970s style Beehive building. Although much of these buildings are usually closed to the public it is possible to take a free guided tour to discover where New Zealand’s politicians work.
Corner Lambton Quay & Molesworth Streets
Tel: (04) 471 9999/9503.
Website:
www.ps.parliament.govt.nz Free admission.
Wellington Zoo Wellington Zoo is the oldest in the country (it opened in 1906) and is home to over 500 animals, including meerkats, red pandas, Malayan sun bears and Sumatran tigers. African, Asian and native wildlife (tuatara, kiwi, kea among them) are all well represented.
200 Daniel Street, Newtown
Tel: (04) 381 6750.
Website:
www.wellingtonzoo.com Admission charge.
Museum of Wellington City & Sea The
Museum of Wellington City & Sea is an excellent introduction to New Zealand’s capital. The museum is housed in an 1892 warehouse and contains eight galleries over three floors with exhibits on the city’s history, including interactive exhibits and short films about Wellington. There is also a 20th century gallery.
Queen’s Wharf
Tel: (04) 472 8904.
Website:
www.museumofwellington.co.nz Free admission.
Old St Paul’s Constructed entirely of native timber in the mid 1850s, this is a fine example of 19th century gothic revival architecture adapted to colonial conditions and materials. The stunning wooden arches and stained-glass windows are particularly impressive. Various memorial items and displays tell the early history of Wellington. Tours by arrangement.
34 Mulgrave Street, Thorndon
Tel: (04) 473 6722.
Website:
www.historic.org.nz/OldStPauls/History.html Free admission.
Further Distractions:Katherine Mansfield’s Birthplace Katherine Mansfield Beauchamp is undoubtedly New Zealand’s most famous author and one of the world’s best-known short story writers. Visit her birthplace in Thorndon and step back into Victorian New Zealand in the late 1880s. Nestled on historic Tinakori Road, the exquisitely restored house and the heritage garden provide an excellent background to Mansfield’s writing and give a unique opportunity to experience New Zealand society of the time.
25 Tinakori Road, Thorndon
Tel: (04) 473 7268.
Website:
www.katherinemansfield.com Admission charge.
National Tattoo Museum A look at the rich history of the ‘Tattoo’ or ‘Ta Moko’, traditional and contemporary tattoo practices; and the spiritual, political and symbolic dimensions of body art throughout the Pacific, Asia and wider, and more recently, fashionable body adornment practices.
42 Ablesmith Street
Tel: (04) 385 6444.
Website:
www.mokomuseum.org.nz Admission charge.
National Cricket Museum This small museum houses a wealth of national cricket mementoes and memorabilia, including costumes and textiles, pictures and photographs, ephemera (programs, postcards and cricket balls), trophies etc. The museum also has a research and lending library with an extensive range of cricket books.
The Old Grandstand, Basin Reserve
Tel: (04) 385 6602.
Admission charge.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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