Wellington Travel Guide

Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand and is a really cool place to spend a few hours when you’re next in the city. Museums are not always everyone’s cup of tea but this place is a bit different. Te Papa is a super interactive museum that is fun and full of surprises. The exhibits and collections are super fascinating including a huge collection of Maori artefacts and the museum’s very own Marae. There’s heaps to do for the kids too with plenty of hands on exhibits so this is definitely a ‘must do’ on your next visit to Wellington. Te Papa is also a GO Play partner so you can save 10% when you hire your car with GO Rentals.

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Zealandia is a truly remarkable place. This ground breaking ecosanctuary is literally 2kms out of the main CBD and you wonder how they have hidden such an amazing place so close to the city. Living wild within the sanctuary are over 30 species of native bird including the little spotted Kiwi. If you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, simply hop on the Karori Bus or the free shuttle that regularly comes through town and within 5 minutes you will be a world away from the busy city centre and enjoying up to 30kms of tracks and trails within the ecosanctuary.

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If you love your films, then a visit to the Weta Cave is a must. This place is a pretty mind-blowing museum of the Academy Award-winning special effect company that have brought some of the world’s biggest movies to our screens including the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit Trilogy, King Kong and more. The Weta Workshop is where all the magic takes place and they continue to work on huge movies including Ghost in the Shell, Power Rangers, The BFG and The Great Wall. There are a number of tours you can book on to and it’s definitely worth popping into the shop after your tour to pick up some awesome memorabilia.

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New Zealand is a great place to visit for Lord of the Rings fans and there are lots of places you can go to visit the filming locations from the trilogy. Wellington is a great place to take a tour as there were lots of scenes filmed in and around the city so after you have taken the Weta Workshop tour and found out more about the special effects, costumes and set design, it’s time to head out and discover some of the locations dotted around the city. Many parts of the Shire were filmed around Wellington and you will take a trip up Mount Victoria and visit the ‘Greenbelt’ and outer Shire. Some of the Black Rider scenes were also filmed around Wellington. A tour is a great way to find out more about the movie and to act out some of the scenes. Rover Tours are one of the best tour companies in the city so give them a whirl.

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If you are looking for something a bit more adventurous, Adrenalin Forest is the place for you. As the name suggests, this is a high adrenaline adventure forest where you will climb high into the trees taking on a series of courses and obstacles in the treetops. The highest course takes you 31m above the forest floor and the highlight is the flying fox at the end of each course. Located only 20 minutes from the CBD in the beautiful forest, Adrenalin Forest is a great place to spend a couple of hours if you are looking for some aerial adventure. They are also a GO Play partner so you can bag yourself a 10% discount when you go with GO!

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New Zealand has many great wine growing regions and thankfully there’s one right on Wellington’s doorstep. Martinborough in the Wairarapa region is famous for producing some acclaimed pinot noirs, vivid sauvignon blanc and some elegant syrahs. The region benefits from a cool, dry climate which is ideal for producing beautiful grapes. The drive from the city up to Martinborough is a beautiful one and will take you around an hour. Once up there, you can pick from a number of cellar door tastings or even book onto a tour from the city. Martinborough is a beautiful place to spend the day or if you have the time, why not think about an overnight stop off on your way north or south.

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Perhaps one of the most iconic activities to partake in when you’re in Wellington is a ride on the famous cable car. Hop on at Lambton Quay and the little red cable car will take you up to Kelburn. At the top you will find the Wellington Botanic Gardens which are definitely worth a look. You will also find the Carter Observatory which is a great place for stargazing on clear nights. You can take the cable car back down to the city but a top tip from our GO Explorers is to walk back down through the gardens. Riding the cable car needs to be on your list of things to do in Wellington – the views from the top back over the city are spectacular and it’s great to get out and get some fresh air.

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The Beehive is up there when it comes to famous parliamentary buildings along with The Houses of Parliament in London, the Capitol Building in Washington DC and the Pink House in Buenos Aires. The Beehive, designed in 1980 by British architect Sir Basil Spence does divide opinion but love it or loathe it, it’s one of New Zealand’s most recognised buildings and has become an icon of the city. You can take a tour of the Beehive and adjacent Parliament House every hour from 10am to 4pm and our GO Explorers recommend getting there 15 minutes early as the tours get pretty busy.

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If you want to get a stunning view of the city, a trip up to the top of the Mount Victoria lookout is a must. This is the city’s most accessible viewpoint and stands at 196m above the waterfront city centre. It is possible to take the bus most of the way to the top, however GO Explorers Gavin and Carly reckon that’s for wimps – if you’re going up to the top, you’ve got to go by foot! It’s possible to walk from the city centre all the way to the top – it’s a bit of a trek but a beautiful walk as you head out along Oriental Parade before heading up Carlton Gore Road. We recommend making a bit of a day of it and packing some sammies and something to drink – there are few better places to enjoy lunch than the top of the Mount Victoria lookout.

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