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Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is a city located at the southern end of the North Island, south of the Rimutaka Ranges. The city is the third urban area of the country after those of Auckland and Christchurch (about four hundred thousand inhabitants in 2020).
Here are the main public offices of New Zealand. The urban area of Wellington extends along the peninsula between the Cook Strait and Wellington Harbor, occupying a picturesque bay and a natural amphitheater. Its metropolitan area includes the towns of Porirua City, Lower Hutt City and Upper Hutt City. Wellington, has a recent history.
The city was founded in 1839 and became the country’s capital from 1865, when it replaced Auckland. Today it is considered as one of the best cities in the world for quality of life, and also one of the least expensive, it has a sophisticated atmosphere, with over 400 restaurants and numerous museums and cultural centers.
A GREAT RICHNESS OF MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
The city presents New Zealand’s best artistic and cultural offerings. In the city are the National Museum of New Zealand (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa), dedicated to natural history and Maori culture. The Wellington Museum (Museum of Wellington City & Sea), dedicated to the city and maritime history. The Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, birthplace of the famous writer. The Gallery of Modern Art (City Gallery Wellington). The city is also home to the Symphony Orchestra and the Royal New Zealand Ballett. Important artistic events take place there, including the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival.
Among the things to visit are the Parliament Buildings which include the House of Parliament, the Executive Wing (nicknamed “The Beehive”), the Parliamentary Library and the Bowen House. The oldest building in the city is the Colonial Cottage in the suburb of Mount Cook, dating back to 1858, which houses a small museum (Colonial Cottage Museum). Another historic building is the Anglican church of Old St. Paul’s, in neo-Gothic style, founded in 1865.
Civic Square, in the city center, is a beautiful urban space surrounded by the buildings of the Town Hall, the Auditorium and Concert Hall (Michael Fowler Center), the Central Library (Wellington Central Library), and the Modern Art Gallery (City Gallery).
BOTANICAL GARDENS AND BEACHES
Do not miss the experience of the cable car (Wellington Cable Car), which connects Lambton Quay with Kelburn Hill. From here you have splendid views over the city, and you can visit the famous botanical gardens (Wellington Botanic Garden), which occupy 25 hectares of land between the Kelburn and Thorndon hills. For those traveling with children, a very interesting visit is to the zoo (Wellington Zoo), the oldest in New Zealand, but full of modern interactivity with animals.
There are many beaches in the city, the most popular is Oriental Bay, but beyond the bay, connected by ferries there are other beautiful beaches. Days Bay is one of the most beautiful places for a picnic. For great city views, go up to Mount Victoria. Very interesting, in the suburb of Karori, is the visit to the natural area of Zealandia (Karori Wildlife Sanctuary), an area of 225 hectares completely fenced to exclude non-native animals from the territory and to preserve the species native to New Zealand. South of the city, a colony of seals is found in Red Rocks.null
HOW TO GET TO WELLINGTON
Wellington Airport (WLG) is located approximately 6 km southeast of the city center. Wellington International Airport is connected with flights to Australia and some Pacific islands as well as numerous internal flights. The airport of the New Zealand capital is the third airport of New Zealand – by number of passengers – after those of Auckland and Christchurch.