November 20, 2013

Travel Series: Things To Do In Wellington



1. Wellington Cable Car - The Wellington cable car has been around since 1902. It runs from Lambton Quay in the CBD to the top entrance of the Botanic Garden and Kelburn Lookout. The terminus for the cable car at Kelburn is also adjacent to the Cable Car Museum (free) which houses two of the original cable cars. This is a great way to see part of the city, as well as views over Wellington.

2. National Museum Of New Zealand - Te Papa - Te Papa is New Zealand's national museum. New Zealand's geology and natural environment and the stories of New Zealand's indigenous people, the Maori, are celebrated in Te Papa's permanent exhibitions. A Marae is also found onsite here and is a contemporary meeting house. Te Papa offers daily informative tours for visitors. Te Papa is open 365 days a here, 10am - 6pm, and is free entry (there is a small charge for special exhibits).

3. Weta Cave - Located in Miramar, Weta Cave is the place where magic is created. Home of Heavenly Creatures, The Lord Of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, Weta NZ was made famous for their visual effects used in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy movies and has become one of the most famous and commonly used visual effect companies for most major Hollywood movies. They have one 3 Acadamy Awards for their work.This is a must see for both movie buffs and the public in general.

4. Lord Of The Rings (LOTR) Tour - Wellington Rover Tours offer both a half day and a full day LOTR tour for avid movie buffs and fans alike. It takes you through Wellington where you can see locations used in the Trilogy right through to Kaitoke Regional Park the home of Rivendell. It leaves from the Wellington i-Site Visitor Centre and the full day tour also includes an Orc sized picnic lunch or cafe lunch plus a visit to the famous Weta Cave.

5. Cuba Street - Cuba Street is a registered historic landmark in New Zealand [since 1995]. Cuba Street was named after an early 1840 settler ship to New Zealand. Cuba Street is a melting pot of culinary wonder, buskers, art galleries and quirky cafes. It is also the home of the infamous bucket fountain.

6. Katherine Mansfield Birthplace - Katherine Mansfield Beauchamp is New Zealand's most famous author and one of the world's best known short story writers. This historic house has been restored, and the room where Katherine Mansfield was born has been set up so that you can travel back to 1888, the year she was born. This house is also a registered historic landmark in New Zealand.

7. Parliament Buildings - A visit to the capital city of New Zealand would not be complete without a visit to the Parliament buildings. Take a free guided tour of 1970's styled Beehive building, Parliamentary Library and Parliament House.

8. Reserve Bank Museum - Celebrate New Zealand's economic heritage and history by visiting the Reserve Bank Museum. An extensive range of memoribilia, artifacts, and rare notes and coins can be found here along with New Zealand's only working Moniac economic modelling computer. Admission is free.

If you've missed the rest of the Travel Series, you can find it here.


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