15 cool & unique things to do in Wellington
Get to know New Zealand’s cool little capital with these must-do activities.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you book through those links (at no extra cost to you!). Thanks for your support.
There’s a line from Jack Kerouac’s On The Road which is about San Francisco, but could just as easily, in my mind, be about Wellington; “the fabulous white city… on her eleven mystic hills with the blue Pacific and its advancing wall of potato-patch fog beyond, and smoke and goldenness in the late afternoon of time.”
New Zealand’s capital city, population roughly 210,000, is undeniably pretty, with wooden houses stacked on steep hillsides, framed by native bush above and wrinkled sea below.
If you’re lucky enough to be in town on a sunny day, it won’t be long before you hear the local refrain; “you can’t beat Wellington on a good day.”
They’re not wrong, those locals.
It’s hard not to love a city where kaka, our native parrots, screech overhead, coffee is good and strong, and you’re never too far from the coast.
The Wellington harbour, as seen from the Interislander ferry on a very rainy March day
There’s also the fact that more so than any other New Zealand city, Wellington is cool. Wellingtonians are cool, and you’ll see more personal style here than in most other New Zealand cities. Eclectic fashion and hair styles are the norm, as are very discerning tastes in coffee and food. Wellington is the seat of New Zealand’s government, so locals are dialled in to politics (and many work in the numerous government agencies in the Thorndon business area).
The edginess of Wellingtonians is also a vague sort of stubbornness.
Wellington sits in the Roaring Forties, a latitude known for delivering howling gales that make wearing floaty dresses or carrying an umbrella nigh impossible. It takes a certain type of person to stick out the weather, hanging in there for the good days when the city is bright with promise.
Wellington at a glance
How to spend one or two days in Wellington
One night in Wellington is enough to see the city centre and enjoy some of the restaurants and cocktail bars on offer; but staying for two nights will give you more time to visit two out of the three big attractions (Zealandia, Te Papa, and Wētā Workshop) with a few extras like the Cable Car and the waterfront thrown in.
WELLINGTON IN ONE DAY
Stay in a hotel near Cuba Street (I love both The Intrepid and The Cobbler) and you’ll be right in the midst of the action.
After lunch at Fred’s Sandwiches, browse a few Cuba Street shops on your way down to Te Papa. After the museum, stroll the waterfront on your way to the Cable Car; hitch a ride up to Kelburn, and head to dinner at Graze. Head back into the city and stop by The Library for a nightcap.
The next morning, get coffee at Swimsuit or Sketchbook, pastries for later at Shelly Bay Bakery, or brunch at Floradita’s before heading out of town.
WELLINGTON IN TWO DAYS
Adding to the above; catch the free shuttle to Zealandia and spend a couple of hours spotting birds. Spend the afternoon shopping for souvenirs at independent stores like Abstract Designs, and perk up again with coffee and cake at Amuse Snack Bar, before heading up Mount Victoria to see the city bathed in evening light. Stop in at Koji for dinner on your way back into the centre.
WELLINGTON IN THREE DAYS
Take a day trip to Kapiti Island or Martinborough, or even further afield to the wild Cape Palliser; there’s plenty to explore beyond the city limits.
Where to stay
Both The Intrepid and The Cobbler are cool, independent hotels located close to the buzz of Cuba Street.
The best things to do in Wellington
Attractions and activities in or around the central city.
Eat and drink your way around Wellington
I plan much of my time in Wellington around where, and what, to eat. There are some wonderful owner-operated joints, cosy wine bars, and specialist coffee places that make some of the best coffee in the country.
Start your day with coffee from one of the city’s best; Customs is a local favourite, as is the perenially welcoming Sketchbook, but I also love the avocado-green art deco building at Havana Coffee Works.
Cuba Street is a safe bet for a lunch stop, with classic cafes like Floraditas. My top pick is Fred’s Sandwiches — easy, quick, and delicious. Further afield, Taste of Home is ideal for a takeaway lunch, or Amuse Snack Bar if you’re looking for coffee and a bite to eat at that awkward time in the late afternoon when most other places are closed.
Come evening, Wellington’s restaurants tend to be smaller scale, intimate affairs – it pays to book tables in advance, especially for weekend evenings.
Graze Wine Bar is my favourite, innovative enough to do half-size share plates so you can eat your way through the whole menu. Margot’s has an intimate atmosphere and brilliant share plates (including humungous servings of bread). Or, if you’re in town on a Monday night when all other restaurants are closed, Koji has hit and miss service, but great food, including a plant-based menu.
Related
Zealandia
NOT-FOR-PROFIT | CONSERVATION-FOCUSED
A stone’s throw from the central city, a predator proof fence wrapped around 225 hectares of native forest provides a safe haven for birds and reptiles so rare they are effectively extinct outside of sanctuaries. Zealandia is a core reason why Wellington is one of the few cities in the world where native bird populations are increasing.
A tuatara, hiding in the foliage
A kaka at a feeding station
The first fully-fenced eco-sanctuary in the world, Zealandia’s fence keeps out the hordes of cats, rats, stoats, possums, and other pests which plague New Zealand’s native birdlife to the brink of extinction.
After the fence first went up, around 3 tonnes worth of possums were cleared from the area. The fence needed careful designs to make sure none could climb back in; research found that if one possum climbed nearly the top of the fence before it stalled, another could piggyback on top of it to make it all the way over.
Sanctuaries like Zealandia are small arks, carrying forward our precious birds until the day when they can (hopefully) exist again outside of predator proof fences.
A free electric shuttle runs from the city centre and the top of the cable car (and the cheerful driver gives a lovely introduction to the sanctuary on the drive). Once you arrive, explore the network of trails in the sanctuary at your own leisure, or join a two-hour guided tour.
There’s a good chance of spotting kaka, a noisy native parrot, at feeding stations, flightless takahē stomping around in the grass, and the ancient tuatara, a “living fossil” that is exceptionally difficult to spot, even from metres away in the research area.
Other birds include tieke/saddlebacks, which only live in eco-sanctuaries, and the exceptionally rare hihi (thought to have only 2000 individuals left nationwide) which you can spot at feeding stations.
Visit for a night time tour, and you might see the kiwi who live in the sanctuary.
On a self-guided day visit, I spent around two hours in Zealandia, but you could easily stay for longer, sitting quietly somewhere to see what you can see. When I went, there were quite a few people on the trails, and the noise made birds somewhat difficult to spot (if you’re very keen on birdlife, Kapiti Island had much better bird spotting opportunities).
But, I was lucky enough to see three tuatara, the first time I have laid eyes on these fascinating little guys – that in itself made the visit worth it for me, along with the knowledge that the ticket price helps fund essential conservation work.
General admission is $31 for an adult, and there’s no need to book in advance. Tours start from $70 per person, bookings required.
Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand’s National Museum
The sprawling building on Wellington’s waterfront is easily one of the best attractions in the city. Narrative-based and interactive, Te Papa doesn’t feel like a museum as much as a colourful walk through New Zealand’s environmental, cultural, and social history.
The te reo Māori name, ‘Te Papa Tongarewa’, translates literally to ‘container of treasures’. The museum houses a wealth of exhibitions from New Zealand’s natural history and environment (where you’ll find a personal favourite of mine, the colossal squid – the only one on display in the world) to Mana Whenua, which tells the stories of Māori life and heritage through taonga (treasures) such as waka (canoes), carving, weaving and even a full-sized wharenui, or meeting house.
Other exhibitions, such as that on the Treaty of Waitangi, give excellent background on New Zealand history, and how the nation of today came to be.
One of the major highlights of Te Papa is the long running Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibition. The brainchild of New Zealand film icons Sir Peter Jackson and Wētā Workshop, the exhibition details New Zealand’s military history in WWI via the stories of eight ordinary New Zealanders. Massive sculptures capture each individual in a moment of time, in exceptional detail, right down to every single hair on their heads.
General admission is $35 for international visitors — you can buy tickets at the ticket desk on Level 2
The Cable Car
📍280 Lambton Quay, Wellington Central
Even more so than the hilly, coastal setting, creative flair and Victorian architecture, the Wellington Cable Car invites comparisons with San Francisco.
The red Cable Car has been making its clanking journey Running from Lambton Quay up a steep hillside to Kelburn and the Botanic Gardens for more than 120 years. The 5-minute trip will save your legs on the hills (it culminates at 120 metres above sea level) but it’s mostly worth doing for the novelty value.
From the top of the Cable Car, enjoy the view (and photo opportunities) of the city, explore the Botanic Gardens, catch the free shuttle to Zealandia, or walk to Graze Wine Bar in the Kelburn shops for dinner.
Tickets cost $12 return, cars run every 10 minutes.
Walk the Wellington waterfront
Roughly two kilometres long, built on former wharf structures, the Wellington waterfront has plenty of open space to enjoy views of the harbour. Locals head here to run, walk, jump into the water, or just sit on one of the weathered wooden benches next to the sea.
Oriental Bay boat sheds
The hulking TSB Arena more or less marks the northernmost place to begin walking the waterfront. From there, head south towards the sprawl of Te Papa, a central feature of the waterfront.
Along the way, keep an eye out for the typographical sculptures of the Writers Walk; tributes to the city from 23 writers, including Katherine Mansfield, James K Baxter, and Elizabeth Knox.
If you’re game for a cheap thrill, check out the Taranaki Wharf Jumping platform. Located outside Te Papa, on top of the historic Taranaki wharf piles, the 7.5-meter-tall steel spiral staircase has two jumping options (the drop depends a little on the tide – at low tide, the jump looks a lot more intimidating).
“I love this city, the hills, the harbour, the
wind that blasts through it. I love the life and pulse and activity, and the warm decrepitude ... there’s always an edge here that one must walk which is sharp and precarious, requiring vigilance.”
The water looks a little murky, but is usually safe for swimming. To be sure, check LAWA before you jump in.
Continuing along the waterfront, the Oriental Bay boat sheds are a pretty pop of colour. At the corner of the Clyde Quay Wharf and Clyde Quay Boat Harbour, there’s a good chance of spotting white-fronted terns. If you’re interested in photography, this is a neat spot to check out.
Check out some of Wellington’s live music scene at San Fran
Wellington has a thriving live music scene, and one of the most popular venues where you can get amongst it is San Fran.
San Fran do a free gig every Wednesday night called Eyegum with local up and coming musicians. The genre is leans toward indie pop but it's a different lineup every week, so it’s a cool way to check out the scene on a budget.
Follow theimage04 on Instagram for a brilliant Wellington gig guide. They post weekly with a schedule of what's happening/gigs at all the main venues in town and any other events happening elsewhere (that they know of)
Wētā Workshop
You don’t have to be a movie nerd to appreciate Wētā Workshop – I admit that I’m not, but I still enjoyed the behind the scenes tour. I imagine you would enjoy it even more if you’re a fan of films like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Avatar.
The story of how the workshop came to make props, creatures and costumes is interesting in itself, but getting to see glimpses of artists shaping swords and other cool things is fascinating. There is a huge amount of creativity simmering away in Wētā Workshop, and it’s inspiring to see even a small part of it.
For me, seeing the artists at work – and learning that these niche jobs even exist – was the highlight, over and above playing with the props from various films. There’s obviously a lot that they can’t show you, but what you do get to see is interesting.
Tours start from $60; I was kindly hosted by Wētā Workshop
Mount Victoria
For 360 degree views Wellington, head up Mount Victoria. If you’re an early riser, it’s a beautiful spot for sunrise. It’s also a neat place to watch planes coming in to land.
A carpark at the top means it’s easy enough to drive up, but there are also trails climbing through the pine forest that lies between the town centre and Mount Victoria’s summit. It takes around 40 minutes to reach the top.
A signposted Hobbit’s Hideaway trail through the trees leads to Lord of the Rings filming locations; you might recognise some of the gnarled pines from scenes early in the hobbits’ journey in The Fellowship of the Ring, notably where Frodo and the other hobbits hid from the ring wraith.
Hannah’s Laneway
Walk from Leeds Street to Eva Street, through the old Hannah’s shoe factory buildings, to experience Hannah’s Laneway; a small corner of Wellington with several noteworthy foodie stops.
The shelves at Shelly Bay Baker are lined with organic sourdough bread, and other goodies made from fresh stoneground flour. Get a salted caramel cookie to fuel your city wanderings. Wellington Chocolate Factory crafts bean-to-bar chocolate using ingredients from the Pacific; pick up a bar or two as a souvenir, or join the Chocolatier Experience to make your own unique bars.
Later in the day, Pizza Pomodoro serves some of the best pizza in the central city. Garage Project has a sunny outdoor area perfect for enjoying locally brewed beer. And Hanging Ditch is a funky cocktail bar with curious decor and a wide-ranging drinks list.
Leeds and Eva Street run parallel to Cuba Street, one block over, so it’s easy to add Hannah’s Laneway onto a stroll down Cuba Mall.
Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe
New Zealand’s only dedicated pinball arcade, this shop – which bills itself as having “interactive mechanical artworks” – is full of flashing lights, sound, and fun.
Games are $2 each, so stepping inside to play on one of the twenty odd machines is a budget-friendly way to escape the weather on a bad day. The shop is open into the evening, and has a fridge well stocked with local beers.
Further afield — day trips and things to do in wider Wellington
Kapiti Island
Driving to or from Wellington on State Highway 1 along the coast, and you’ll see the hulk of Kapiti Island lying out there in the sea mist.
A tieke/saddleback
A tieke/saddleback
It’s only 20 minutes by boat from the mainland, but feels like it’s a century away.
In some ways it is; one of New Zealand’s oldest nature reserves, the island was first established as a sanctuary in 1897, although possums weren’t completely eradicated until 1986, in a herculean trapping effort. Rats were eliminated from the island in 1996; from that point onwards, birdlife on the island has thrived. Some birds, like the tieke/saddleback, nest in holes in tree trunks and are particularly susceptible to rats. Without rats, their populations have boomed, and the alarm-like call of the saddleback rings out almost constantly on the island.
Now, the island is almost a glimpse of how noisy and alive New Zealand’s forests would have been before human arrival.
Kāpiti Island Nature Tours is run by the Barrett whānau (family) who have been present on the island for the past 200 years. The family still privately owns a slice of the island, and plays an integral role as kaitiaki (guardians).
The company runs a ferry for day trips, and accommodation for overnight stays. I caught the ferry over for the day with Kapiti Island Nature Tours, and hiked the trails to the island's summit at 521 metres.
The birdlife on the island is some of the most abundant I have ever seen. Small flocks of whiteheads moved through the canopies. In places I could hear the distinct call of the hihi, and saw brief glimpses of both males and females.
But the highlight for me, was seeing for the first time the blue-grey ghost with the haunting song; the kōkako. You’re more likely to hear than see the kōkako. The songbirds are poor fliers and stick to tree canopies, but their sonorous, organ-like voices ring like bells through the forest. The kōkako has the longest known duetting of any songbird in the world.
For birdlife, and a conservation story that is a resounding success, the trip out to Kapiti Island is absolutely brilliant.
Day trips start from $159 per adult for the return boat trip; check out Bookme for discounted fares.
Take a day trip to Martinborough, a wine village near Wellington
Poppies vineyard
Wine tasting at Poppies
If you’re up for turning this day into a longer day trip, carry on down to the rugged coastline along the very bottom edge of the North Island.
Make a pit stop for coffee and cake at The Land Girl cafe in blink-and-you-missed-it Pirinoa. It’s the perfect amount of quirky, with upcycled outdoor seating where you can enjoy country views, and even some vintage clothing treasures to browse.
The Putangirua Pinnacles are a key stop along the coast. These unique rock formations have an eerie appearance like fairy chimneys. You can walk through the pinnacles up a rocky streambed, or up to a ridgeline for views of the rock formations amidst the forest.
The road to Cape Palliser follows the pebbled coast around the southern Wairarapa.
It’s dotted with one-way bridges, slowing you down in preparation for the pace of life in Ngawi, a quirky fishing village wedged between a cliff and gravelly beach.
Bulldozers tinted orange from salt spray sit in a haphazard line along the water’s edge, their rusted hulks waiting to drag homecoming fishing boats from the ocean.
Rogue sheep trot across the road, unbothered by passing cars.
Continuing past Ngawi, you’ll feel as if you’re reaching the end of the world. In some ways you are; this is the southernmost point of the North Island.
The road becomes narrow and potholed, dipping in and out of fords and clinging to the rocky cliff in places.
On the way to the lighthouse is the largest fur seal colony in the North Island.
The seals are everywhere, hopping between bushes and lugging themselves over rocks, wafting pungent smells as they go. They are often sprawled right by the parking area, so take care and make sure you keep at least a 20-metre distance.
The Cape Palliser lighthouse is the last stop on the road. Boldly candy striped in red and white, it has stood at its fantastic vantage point since 1897.
Climb the 253 steep steps to enjoy views of the harakeke-covered hills and surf surging onto shingle beaches below.
Thank you for reading
All words (and typos and other errors) are my own, based on my own travels.
During my time on the road, I’ve found many wonderful places — galleries, restaurants, viewpoints and more. I’m sure you’ll find others. If there’s somewhere you think I should know about, contact me at hello@petrinadarrah.com, so I can share with other travellers in future work.
If you’re disappointed with one of my recommendations, I’d love to know that too; places change, or close, so I appreciate updated information.
Thank you for supporting my work – you being here lets me keep doing what I love to do, which is explore New Zealand and share it with others. So a heartfelt thanks for reading.
If you’ve enjoyed my recommendations, you might want to check these out as well before you go:
AUTHOR BIO
I’m a freelance travel writer from New Zealand with bylines in National Geographic Travel, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and more.
I’ve travelled up and down beautiful Aotearoa and I love sharing my recommendations for the best places to visit in New Zealand.
READ MORE
