Wellington is a must-see city and region when travelling to Aotearoa, New Zealand. It took us a little while to see it properly, though. We fell into the mistake of using it purely as a way to catch a ferry to the South Island. Don’t make the same mistake we did! There is so much to see and many things to do in Wellington. It now sits firmly at the top of our favourite cities in Aotearoa as it is so well surrounded with native bush and native birds! The city itself is also teaming with life and art and friendly people.
There is truly something for everyone here. Whether it’s the outdoors and nature you love or the city life with quirky shops, awesome local eateries and epic craft breweries. There are day trips galore from the city and the public transport makes it super easy to get around. So the next time you are catching a ferry to or from the South Island, give yourself a few days, or better yet a week, to truly soak up the Wellington vibes and see all the incredible sites the city and greater Wellington have to offer. You might just fall in love with this vibrant place.
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Spend A Day At Zealandia
Make sure you give yourself an entire day to wander around Zealandia, and if you have the time, go back for a night tour and the chance to spot a Kiwi (the bird that is). This first of its kind fenced eco sanctuary provides a predator free environment for some of Aotearoa’s rarest native species to thrive.
Take your time wandering the grounds, and you should be lucky enough to see a vast array of native birds soaring through the branches. You really do need to spend a day here and take it slowly on the trails. The slower you go, the less chance you have of scaring off any of these remarkable birds. They are all wild and free to roam about as much as they like. So the slow method is the best way to see as many as possible.
Be sure to check out some of the free talks that happen near the Kākā feeders as well. We had a great time chatting to a few of the volunteers and learnt so much about the birds. This was one of our highlights of not just Wellington, but all of Aotearoa. We love birds and this is one of the best places to see lots of native birds all at once! You will also get to spot some tuatara in the fenced enclosure, along with some weta in the hiding holes with viewing windows dotted along the paths of the park. We kept track of all the different bird, reptile and bug species we saw during our day here. Can you beat us?
Leaf Veined Slug – 1
Tieke -12
Weta – 2
Kereru – 10
Tuatara – 6
Paradise Duck -4
Tūī – 17
Rifleman – 4
Whitehead – 4
Bellbird – 5
Welcome Swallow – 2
Kākā – 29
Piwakawaka – 8
California Quail – 11
Robin – 4
Hihi – 3
Black bird – 13
Pied Cormorant – 8
Entry to Zealandia gives you two days to explore! So if you don’t have time for a full day, be sure to go back the next day for a few hours at a different time of day to see some more birds. The birds are most active in the morning and late afternoon.
Hike The Paekākāriki Escarpment Track
If you are after some stunning ocean views, or a great way to get a look at Kapiti Island, then the Escarpment Track is for you! Don’t be fooled by the coastal views, this isn’t an easy-going track. There are plenty of stairs to tackle on this undulating cliff side walk. The view will accompany you the entire way, though, so the climbing is well worth the effort.
The best way to access the track is by catching the train from the city and getting off at Pukerua Bay. The track is well-marked right from the station so you can’t miss it! Follow the stairs and swing bridges all the way up the coast to the beautiful beachside town of Paekākāriki. It’s about a 10km walk which took us just under 4hrs to complete, including a lunch stop along the way and a wait under some trees for some rain to pass.
From Paekākāriki, you can catch the train back to Wellington City Centre. We highly recommend grabbing a bite to eat and exploring the town a little before you head back to Wellington.
Day Trip To Cape Palliser
You’ll need a car (or motorhome) for this one. The drive out to Cape Palliser is about 2.5hrs from Wellington City Centre, but believe us when we say it is well worth the trip! Not only is the drive out absolutely stunning, there is also so much to see and do out at the cape. We started by driving all the way down to the end of the road and walking the steep 250 steps up to Cape Palliser Lighthouse. The views from the lighthouse are amazing! On a clear day, you’ll be able to see all the way to the South Island. The lighthouse itself is iconic and worth the climb up, even on a cloudy day.
After visiting the lighthouse, be sure to stop in at the fur seal colony (fun fact: these are actually sea lions not seals, despite the name of the colony) just down the road from the lighthouse. It’s the largest colony on the North Island. You’ll be able to watch the sea lions playing in the water and sleeping on the rocks. If you do have a motorhome, then make sure you turn this into an overnight trip by freedom camping at one of the beaches or staying at the DOC campsite at the pinnacles.
Putangirua Pinnacles
A visit to Cape Palliser isn’t complete without a walk to the Pinnacles. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, then you may recognise this as a film location from the movie Return of the King. This particular scene is the approach to the paths of the dead. The striking eroded rock formations do have quite an eerie vibe to them. These geological features are called hoodoos, formed through vertical erosions. They are spectacular to admire from afar, and even better to walk through the valley and gaze at from the ground.
Sadly, when we last visited, the walk through the floor of the valley was closed due to a slip that is yet to be repaired. This is still the case at the time of writing this blog post. However, you can still appreciate the view from the top of the Ridge Track. So even if the loop walk is still closed when you go, make sure you do the return walk via the Ridge Track. The Ridge Track walk is 3km there and back with a bit of a climb to get to the lookout.
Learn About Māori Voyagers And All Things Space At Space Place
We love star gazing in Aotearoa, it’s got some of the darkest skies we have ever seen, which makes it perfect for spotting stars and seeing the Milky Way in all its glory! However, we had never thought a visit to Space Place would be for us, it looks like it’s geared more at kids than adults, and we didn’t think New Zealand had a lot of space history for us to learn about. Gosh, were we wrong!
We are so glad that we went and got to learn about the rocket launches that semi-regularly happen from Mahia Peninsula, along with the space contributions the country continues to make. But that wasn’t the best part.
The best part was learning all about the Māori history and connection to the stars. We got to learn about the stories connecting the constellations and how the stars were used to navigate. It was absolutely incredible. There are some great interactive displays here that were fun for adults and kids alike. We particularly loved getting to touch a piece of the moon and an asteroid!
The highlight of our visit was definitely the planetarium. We watched Ngā Tohunga Whakatere – The Navigators. This short movie, made by Space Place, shares the story of Māori, Pacifica and European voyaging traditions with a focus on how the Māori and Pacifica people navigated the seas, expertly using the stars. It was such a good show, and finished with a live 15-minute star talk showing the stars we’d be able to see in the sky that night. We even learnt how to use the southern cross to navigate!
There are lots of different shows you can see at the planetarium, so be sure to check here for which one you’d like to watch before going.
Take A Ferry To Mātiu, Somes Island
We spent half a day wondering around Mātiu Island, and honestly we wish we had stayed longer. There is so much to take in here, with lots of different walking tracks all over the island. Mātiu Island was a strategic pā site for Māori as it was only accessible by waka, making it easy to defend. In more recent years, the island became the first harbour light in Aotearoa and still has a lighthouse on the island to this day. The island was used during the world wars for internee camps and defence, with some of the old buildings now turned into information centres where you can learn more about the rich and varied history of Mātiu Island.
Now the island is a predator free sanctuary for native flora and fauna with kaitiakitanga (guardianship) upheld by Taranaki Whanui Ki te Upoko o te Iki. Mātiu is a vital habitat for Kākāriki (red-crowned parakeet) and korora (little blue penguins). We loved watching the kākāriki flying through the trees whilst we wandered the tracks on the island. Keep an eye out for the 8 different reptiles that call the island home, this is your chance to see a tuatara in the wild! We weren’t lucky enough to spot any, but we did enjoy trying.
There are plenty of great picnic spots too, our favourite was up on the top of the grassy hill where you can see remnants of old gun emplacements. The view from up here was beautiful. You can see out to the water all around you and the city in the distance. We didn’t get to spend too long at our picnic, though, as we needed to get back to the jetty in time to catch our ferry.
When you book your ferry out to the island, be sure to choose the latest return time that you can. We had just enough time to explore, taking the 10am ferry out to the island and the 12:45 back. There is a 2:55 return option that will make your day on the island that little bit less rushed. Catching the ferry out to the island felt like an adventure in itself. It’s so nice sitting out on the top deck, watching the city get smaller behind you as you head out to the island. Keep an eye out for dolphins and sea lions in the water, too. We didn’t get to see any, but the ranger on our trip out showed us an epic video of a pod of dolphins swimming alongside the boat from his last trip to the island.
Explore The Many Museums And Art Galleries
Wellington is home to some absolutely incredible museums and art galleries. We highly recommend checking out all of them as they are so interesting and very interactive. Conveniently they are all within walking distance of each other so you can make a day of it wondering from one to the other along the waterfront. If you do only have time for one, then make sure it is Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand. It really is THE museum to visit on any trip to Aotearoa.
It has absolutely everything here, from the history of Aotearoa, to fossils and an incredible ANZAC exhibit designed by weta. The museum is divided up into sections, making it easy to seek out your favourite things. There is also an art section and some great outdoor views over the Wellington city skyline.
We also highly recommend a visit to The Wellington Museum. It was so much fun to visit. It’s highly interactive and tells you the history of this great city. With different levels to wander up and down and plenty of cool things to play with whilst you learn about all things Wellingtonian.
Spend The Night At Kaitoke Regional park
You definitely don’t have to spend the night at Kaitoke Regional Park, but it is an awesome spot to camp if you can! We stayed in Vandalf, but you can, of course, stay in a tent if you don’t have a van.
Just an hour out from the city centre, this is a great park to add on to your trip out to Cape Palliser as you drive past it on the way. It’s a beautiful park with lush bush and peaceful camping spots tucked amongst the trees. It is so beautiful that it was chosen as a film location for the elven city of Rivendell in Lord of the Rings. You can visit the film location and find a replica of the archway into the elven city! Nathan loved taking pics here, Tiff just thought it was the ideal spot to keep trying to read Lord of the Rings (she likes the movies, but cant seem to get to Rivendell in the book, she barely makes it out of the shire before moving on to something else to read).
There is much more to the park than just the film location for Lord of the Rings. Although, a lot of people seem to come just for this. Give yourself some time to wander around the different tracks here and admire the bush. The Swing Bridge Track is great if you are short on time. It’s nice and easy and rather short at only 2.1kms.
Ride The Cable Car To The Botanic Gardens
The cable car is a fun and easy way to get up to the botanic gardens and some great views out over the city. Sadly for us, it was raining the day we went up so we didn’t get great views due to the clouds.
The Cable car connects the central city to the suburb of Kelburn sitting high above the skyscrapers of Wellington. The original line was built in 1889 and whilst the current line is incredibly modern, there is just something about a cable car that makes you feel like you are stepping back in time. It’s a quick but fun journey up to the summit, made even better with some light shows through the tunnels.
But perhaps the best part is the regenerative breaking used by the cable cars. When the cable cars are breaking or when there are more passengers going down than up, the cable cars generate electricity and feed it back into the Wellington grid! Making this a great eco-friendly option to get up to the botanic gardens and save your legs the effort of a steep climb.
You’ll find Space Place at the top of the summit too, along with a free shuttle bus that will take you to Zealandia! Given how handy the cable car is, be sure to look into the multi trip cards here before deciding on a ticket!
Walk To The Baring Head Lighthouse
The Wellington region is home to some pretty cool lighthouses. One of the coolest lighthouses closer to the city is Baring Head Lighthouse. Not only do you get to see the lighthouse, you’ll also get an epic coastal hike along the way. Once you get to the lighthouse, you can learn more about it and the surrounding park in one of the old lighthouse buildings.
The walking trail starts at East Harbour Regional Park. Cross the bridge on foot and follow the markers to the lighthouse. It’s an 8.6km loop walk with a few steep sections, but the path is well maintained. We were super lucky to see a rainbow over the water on our hike out to the lighthouse. We actually spent longer enjoying the coastal views than we did at the lighthouse because the wind picked up as soon as we got there. We did, however, enjoy climbing the rocks in front of the lighthouse to get this pic!
Wander The Otari-Wiltons Reserve
The Otari-Wiltons Bush Reserve is the only botanic garden in Aotearoa that specialises in native plants. With more than 1,200 native plant species, most of which have been grown from seeds and cuttings collected in their original habitats. The gardens were started in 1929 with the aim of recreating ecosystems from all over the country. There is a lovely little waterfall here along with a super cool board-walked canopy section through the trees.
Being so close to Zealandia, you are likely to come across a kākā or two, as well as plenty of other native birds. The walking tracks that run through this section of native bush connect up to the skyline walkway and great views of the city. This is a wonderful option if you want to see the skyline views without walking the entire 13.4kms of it.
But perhaps the highlight of a trip to Otari-Wiltons Reserve is the 800 year old rimu tree. In the heart of the old forest area of the gardens sits this majestic tree, one of the oldest in Wellington. Sit on the benches provided and gaze up at this wise old tree whilst you ponder all the things it has seen in its lifetime.
Spend A Day Exploring The City
Wellington is the type of city you really need to get out and about in. Just wander around, duck into the quirky little shops you spot along the way, and enjoy the great atmosphere of the city. When you get hungry, stop for a bite or two and then keep on exploring! There are so many great eateries on offer to fuel your day of exploration. A favourite of ours was Best Ugly Bagels, second only to the delicious sandwiches on offer at Super Deli.
Keep a look-out for all the artwork that makes this city great as you wander around. If you didn’t check out a museum or two prior to this, then be sure to stop in for a look. And of course, you can’t miss out on a visit to the local indie book store, Unity books. In Tiff’s opinion, a city isn’t worth visiting if there isn’t a great bookshop there. Luckily for Wellington, Unity Books more than ticks this box. They have a huge selection of local authors and the staff are super friendly and so nice to chat to.
Wander the Wellington Waterfront
Did you even really visit Wellington if you haven’t gotten a picture with the iconic sign? There is so much to see on the Wellington waterfront, the Wellington sign being one of them. Make sure you spend some time walking along the water and taking in all the sights. Start at Oriental Bay and follow the waterfront all the way down to Queens Wharf.
Along the way you’ll walk by swimming areas at the Oriental Bay Beach, the iconic boat sheds, some incredible statues, a lock bridge, Whairepo Lagoon, a few food trucks and some great shops. It’s a lovely walk and a great way to see what life in Wellington is like. The waterfront is always busy and often has events on too. Be sure to stop in at the shops and grab a bite to eat from one of the food trucks as you wander along.
Grab Some Treats From The Harbourside Markets
If you are wandering the waterfront on a Sunday morning or early afternoon, then you are in for a treat! The Harbourside Markets are a favourite of ours, and we have visited them every time we have been in Wellington on a Sunday. They are a great place to do your weekly fruit and veg shop, with local growers bringing in fresh and delicious produce to sell.
The best thing about them is the large variety of food trucks that come down to the markets. Pair that with some live music on the waterfront and you have the perfect market vibes. There is a great range of cuisines, and the hardest thing to do at these markets is pick just one thing to have for lunch. We usually end up picking at least two different food trucks and sharing our treats! It’s a great way to start your Sunday in Wellington.
Hit Up A Craft Brewery Or Two
Wellington is the unofficial capital city of craft breweries. There is even a craft beer trail you can do that takes in 23 breweries and bars serving up great beer in unique settings. The Wellington Craft Beer Capital Trail is less of a pub crawl and more of an amble for ale. Meander between the 23 destinations at your leisure. We recommend spreading this over a week or multiple visits to Wellington so you can appreciate the beer and remember all the places you visited after doing so!
You can pick up a map of the trail at any of the breweries and get stamps for all the places you visit! It is actually super cool, and gives you the option to win some prizes too. We highly recommend visiting Garage Project regardless of if you do the trail or not. Garage Project was easily our favourite craft brewery in Wellington, and it is up there for all of New Zealand, too!
Bonus Things To Do In Wellington!
World Of Wearable Art
If you are lucky enough to be in Wellington when WOW (World of Wearable Art) is on, then you simply have to get yourself a ticket to check it out! It’s a fashion show meets circus meets singing performance. We honestly weren’t too sure what it was all about when we went, but we had heard so much about it that we wanted to check it out. Or should I say, I (Tiff) wanted to check it out and Nathan was happy enough to tag along.
We got super cheap last minute tickets and loved every second of it! The fashion is out of this world, incredible, and the performances throughout the show were mind-blowing. It really leaves you going WOW! Neither of us are particularly fashion minded, but we were both blown away and so happy that we paid to see the performance. I don’t think there is a bad seat in the house so you really can’t go wrong.
If you still aren’t sure if you want to go, then walk down to the front of the TBS arena when the show is on, and you’ll get a chance to see some of the fashion creations from previous years as well as the odd roving performer or two. If you like what you see, then you can purchase tickets to upcoming performances right then and there!
Eco Harbour Cruise
Unfortunately for us, we didn’t get the chance to do the Eco Harbour Cruise whilst we were in Wellington. We were booked on for our last Friday, but the weather had other ideas. Waking up to torrential rain and plenty of wind, we knew we wouldn’t be going out on the boat and weren’t overly surprised when the call came in that today’s cruise would be cancelled due to the weather.
Don’t let us not getting to go put you off, though! We saw the boat out on the water when we visited Mātiu island, and it looked like a great tour. That was actually what convinced us to book our own tickets! They had a great vantage point of the rocks around Mātiu island, which you can’t get down to when you are on the island itself.
The best part, though? The cruise is emissions-free!
This is the Southern Hemispheres very first fully electric passenger ferry. No smelly fumes from the back of this boat, and it’s much quieter than a normal fuel powered vessel, making it perfect for a commentated cruise. The cruise is 90 mins around the harbour, taking in different locations depending on the day. You get to learn all about the history of Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, as well as the maritime environment you are cruising around. It’s high on our list if/when we get to visit Wellington again.
Keen for more inspo? Be sure to check out:
- The Best South Island Paid Experiences in New Zealand
- How To Plan An Eco-Conscious Holiday
- 10 Hidden Gem South Island Photography Spots
