Wellington, New Zealand — Activities
Wellington Culture
Wellington is the culture capital of New Zealand. It is home to the Royal New Zealand Ballet (tel: (04) 381 9000 or 0800 432 623; www.nzballet.org.nz), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (tel: (04) 801 3890 or 0800 479 674; www.nzso.co.nz), the National Opera (tel: (04) 384 4434; www.nzopera.com) and the national dance and drama schools, which all perform regularly.
Music and Dance
The Westpac St James Theater, 77-87 Courtenay Place (tel: (04) 802 4060 or 384 3840 for tickets; www.stjames.co.nz) is one of New Zealand's finest Edwardian lyric theaters, the venue for opera, dance and major musical shows, and home to the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Theater
Downstage Theater, 12 Cambridge Terrace (tel: (04) 801 6946; www.downstage.co.nz), is New Zealand's longest established theater company. For cutting-edge New Zealand productions, check out BATS, 1 Kent Terrace (tel: (04) 802 4175; www.bats.co.nz), for an unpredictable live theater experience almost every night of the year.
Film
The Embassy Theater, 10 Kent Terrace (tel: (04) 384 7657; www.deluxe.co.nz) is New Zealand's grandest picture palace, fully refurbished in time for the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King. Wellington was the main location for the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, directed and shot in New Zealand (2000) by Peter Jackson.
Regent on Manners, 73 Manners Street (tel: (04) 472 5182; www.hoyts.co.nz) shows all the latest releases. The Wellington Film Society (tel: (04) 934 4540; http://filmsociety.wellington.net.nz) in the Paramount Theater, 25 Courtenay Place (tel: (04) 384 4080; www.paramount.co.nz), screens a range of more unusual films including international classics, foreign language films, documentaries and kiwi classics.
For movie listings, times and reviews, visit www.film.wellington.net.nz.
Wellington Tours
WalkingTours
Central Wellington is only 2km (1.25 miles) wide, so you can easily explore it on foot. The self-guided ‘Wellington Writers' Walk' provides a journey of the mind and senses, pairing harbor views with poems, and takes around an hour. Walk Wellington (tel: (04) 384 9590) offers excellent guided walks with knowledgeable guides.
BusTours
Hammonds Scenic Tours (tel: (04) 472 0869; www.wellingtonsightseeingtours.com) has a ‘City and Coastline' tour departing twice daily. Wellington is the center of Lord of the Rings' Middle Earth; Wellington Rover Tours runs excursions for Hobbit fans (tel: (04) 471 0044 or 0800 426 211; www.wellingtonrover.co.nz).
BoatTours
East by West (tel: (04) 499 1282; www.eastbywest.co.nz) offers short trips from Queen's Wharf to Days Bay, offering great views of the harbor.
