After 10 days in Melbourne, I boarded a plane to Wellington, New Zealand. Wellington is known for being windy and rainy since it is on the water, and it definitely lived up to its reputation. The weather was so bad my first two days there, I barely left the hostel except to eat. When the weather finally cleared up enough for me to go exploring, I found that New Zealand’s capital is a fun city to walk around in, and there are lots of free or inexpensive things to do.
Take a walk along the harbor and Queen’s Wharf. From here you can see a multitude of boats and ships docked in the harbor, houses up on the hill, and the nearby Te Papa Museum. Entrance to the museum is free, unless you want to go to any special event exhibits that might be there.
You can easily wander into the main part of the city from the wharf, and within minutes you’ll be right in the middle of shopping, restaurants, and government buildings such as the famous beehive Parliament building. If you are interested, they offer a free one hour tour of the Parliament buildings.
The botanical gardens are located in the center of the city up on a hill. You can either walk up or take the cable car (NZ$6 round trip or NZ$3.50 one way) and explore the gardens and woods. There is no entrance fee for the gardens.
For a different perspective of Wellington, head up to Mount Victoria lookout, and don’t forget to take pictures along the way. I took the photo above while we were still on the very steep streets on our way up. Mount Victoria offers a great view of the whole city, especially when the weather is nice.
Of course, you have to eat, and while not super expensive, it’s not as cheap as it is to eat in Southeast Asia. Head over to the pedestrian area of Cuba Street for a wide variety of restaurants and bars.
I thought Wellington was a great city to just hang out in, wander around, and relax. There’s enough to keep you busy, but enough of a cafe culture to keep you from feeling like you have to run around sight seeing all day. Just make sure you bring rain gear and some warm clothes, even if it’s summer.
You might also enjoy:
Tags: botanical gardens, New Zealand, New Zealand north island, round the world, solo travel, Te Papa Museum, travel addiction, travel pictures, Wellington
Your story and the pictures you have taken make Wellington seem like an ideal short trip for anyone on the east coast of Australia being only three hours flying time away. Looking at your pictures I could only marvel how good your photography skills are and also how serene Wellington looks and feels compared to what was going on in Christchurch; i.e. the big earthquake they had there.
What is your take on how much things cost there? I’ve heard that the Australian dollar to New Zealand dollar exchange rate is good but when you get there fast food and other items that travellers usually consume is quite expensive. Is this true?
Thank you so much Matthew! New Zealand is still a bit expensive compared to SE Asia, but it’s probably a little more affordable that Australia. I didn’t really think the food was anymore expensive than Melbourne, probably more or less the same. Definitely a good trip from Australia since you’re so close!
Ahhh, Wellington. I’m feeling homesick!
Amanda recently posted..The Sights of Iceland’s South Shore
I’m sure you’ll get back there again in no time!
Although the weather was good when we were there, I wasn’t really blown away by Welligton (no pun intended haha). Funnily I actually preferred Auckland. I agree with you about Mt Victoria – there are great views from up there!
Julia recently posted..New Zealand: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
It was a nice city, but I agree with you on Auckland. I don’t know why so many people say Auckland isn’t a nice place, I really liked it there.
There was a huge rainstorm over the two or three days we visited, of course, but we still enjoyed Wellington. Such a great foodie town!
Andrea recently posted..Essentials To Know Before Travelling to Moscow
Such a nice blend of nature and the urban environment! Keep up the good posts.
Ryan McCoy recently posted..30 or So Facts and Graphs to Understand The New, New Vegas
Thanks Ryan!
Omg, we had terrible weather. So bad we were stuck in our car for like 30 mins. Haha. But great reason to go see the museum!
I wouldn’t know you had bad weather judging from your pics – they’re beautiful! Love wet Welly!
Kieu – GQ trippin recently posted..7 Reasons to Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef with Calypso!
Thanks Kieu! You wouldn’t know it because I stayed inside cafes and the hostel the days it rained!
[...] was also wet for Ali down in Wellington, but of the rainy kind. This port city is known for its tumultuous weather, but Ali did eventually [...]