Wellington, New Zealand — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
WellingtonInternationalAirport
Tel: (04) 385 5100.
Website: www.wellington-airport.co.nz
Wellington International Airport is located 8km (5 miles) southeast of the city, a 10-to-15-minute drive from the city center. It is a busy airport (the busiest in New Zealand for domestic scheduled flights in fact) with regular trans-Tasman flights.
Airportfacilities: ATMs, bureau de change, mobile phone hire, information desk, several restaurants and cafés, duty-free, shops and left luggage. Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, and Europcar New Zealand.
Business facilities include the Wellington Airport Conference Center (tel: (04) 385 5199) - eight rooms for hire that can accommodate up to 120 delegates. Audiovisual equipment, technical support, videoconferencing and catering are available, as well as office equipment, including photocopying and fax facilities. Booking is available online, via the airport's website. There are a number of airline lounges for business-class passengers and club members.
Transport to the city: Airport Flyer runs a bus service between the airport, Wellington and Hutt Valley. Details are available from Metlink (tel: 0800 801 700; www.metlink.org.nz). A door-to-door shuttle service is also available from numerous shuttle companies including AP Shuttles (tel: (04) 939 9590) and Airport and City Shuttles (tel: (04) 977 4747). Taxis are also available.
Getting There By Road
New Zealand is an ideal country to explore by car, as the scenery is spectacular. Most roads are State Highways ('SH'). All other roads are known, although not officially, as 'B' roads.
You will just need a valid national driving license to drive in New Zealand, for up to 12 months. The legal driving age is 18 years, and the minimum age for hiring a car is 21. Insurance is not mandatory but recommended. Traffic drives on the left and seat belts are mandatory.
The New Zealand Automobile Association (www.aa.co.nz) provides information on road conditions (tel: 0900 33 222) and general information (tel: 0800 500 444) and has a reciprocal agreement with the British AA, whereby visiting drivers can get free maps.
Emergency breakdown services
NZ AA (tel: 0800 500 222).
Routes to the city
The two main roads into the city are SH1 down the Kapiti coast from the north, and SH2 through the Hutt Valley to the east.
Coach services
InterCity Coachline Service (tel: (04) 385 0520 or 0800 468 372; www.intercitycoach.co.nz) runs throughout New Zealand. Discounts are available for Youth Hostel members and VIP cardholders. Backpackers also use the Kiwi Experience (tel: (09) 366 9830; www.kiwiexperience.com) and the Magic Bus (tel: (09) 358 5600; www.magicbus.co.nz) which sell a variety of passes including accommodation in hostels.
Getting There By Rail
Tranz Scenic (tel: (04) 495 0775 or 0800 872 467/TRAINS; www.tranzscenic.co.nz) operates New Zealand's rail service. Trains are efficient and reasonably priced but rare, operating more as a tourist service than a business or commuter network.
Rail Services
There is a range of Tranz Scenic rail routes from all major New Zealand cities, including the daily Overlander service to Auckland (three times a week from May to September; journey time - approximately 12 hours).
Getting Around in Wellington, New Zealand
Public Transport
The Greater Wellington Regional Council operates a good network of buses, running roughly 0700-2300. Metlink (tel: 0800 801 700; www.metlink.org.nz) can provide information on routes and timetables. Several passes are available. A cable car runs from Lambton Quay up to the Botanic Garden (see Key Attractions for further information).
Taxis
There are several taxi stands throughout the city. Capital Taxis (tel: (04) 384 5678; www.capitaltaxis.co.nz) and Green Cabs (tel: 0508 447 336; www.greencabs.co.nz) are both reputable companies.
Car Hire
Car hire companies in downtown Wellington include Avis (tel: (04) 801 8108; www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (04) 802 4548; www.budget.co.nz), Hertz (tel: (04) 384 3809; www.hertz.co.nz), and Thrifty (tel: (04) 388 9494 or 0800 737 070; www.thrifty.co.nz). All have desks at the airport and at the ferry terminal.
Bicycle Hire
Penny Farthing Cycle Shop, 89 Courtenay Place (tel: (04) 385 2279; www.pennyfarthing.co.nz) hires out bikes (including mountain bikes) for the day or longer. So do Pins Cycles on the corner of Willis and Boulcott Streets (tel: (04) 472 4591) and Mud Cycles, 338 Karori Road (tel: (04) 476 4961; www.mudcycles.co.nz). Independent Cycle Tours (tel: (03) 329 9496; www.cyclehire.co.nz) is based in Christchurch, but also hires out bikes in Wellington for self-guided holidays.
Exploring hilly Wellington by scooter is less taxing, however, than by bike. Unbelievable Times Motorbike Hire (tel: 0274 920 909; www.unbelievabletimes.co.nz) is centrally located in the heart of Wellington at 64 Dixon Street. The fleet includes sport, touring and adventure motorcycles, mopeds and scooters for all skill levels.
