Wellington Travel Forum

Hi - I am looking for a nice hotel, not too expensive, close to the Bluebridge Ferry for an 8am start, also local attractions.

We are keen to do the cable car. What else should we not miss, apart from Te Papa. We only have 2 days in Wellington.

Regards.

If you are a passionate gardner :) take the cable car to the top and then walk down through the Botanic gardens. I guarantee you will enjoy.

NB Don't do it the other way, its a steep climb.

At the very bottom is the rose garden and begonia houses. and a cafe

STEVE

If you enjoy nature, I recommend the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. It is very close to the centre of town, and a lovely walk thru nature.
http://www.sanctuary.org.nz/

I also opt for the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. Plenty of rare birds to watch. If you are not interested in bird watching it is only half the pleasure.

In two days you can see a lot of Wellington. Sure, you have to get on the Cable Car, walk along the Waterfront. You already mentioned Te Papa. Other things not to miss - my taste... ;-) - is Old St. Paul's, the Parliamentary Zone including the Beehive and the Old Government Building, totally made of wood, the Railway Station, Oriental Parade, and Courtenay Place for dining and nightlife. If you need more rather new info I have just posted a Wellington page from our visit in March.

We stayed at the Aitken on Mulgrave apartments, this is close to the ferry terminal (and even closer to Parliament). BUT make sure you get a room towards one of those two streets, otherwise you have a dark room with a construction site right outside your window.

What can also be a pleasant thing to do if it is a nice day, and if you have a car, is drive from Oriental Bay, round the coast, stopping at the Massey Memorial for the views, round the bays, through the Shelly Bay Air Force station ( a bit of a mis nomer on the coast I know,) to Seatoun. You can then go over the pass and round the southern part of the coast line to Lyall bay or Island Bay as well before heading back to town.

Some of the sights we visited:
- Te Papa Museum: an absolutely must, if visiting Wellington
- Wellington Botanic Garden: The garden is easy accessible by the famous red cable car from Lambton Quay, but there are also entrances at Glenmore Street and Tinakori Road. Another access is by walking through Bolton Street Memorial Park to the Lady Norwood Rose Garden.
- The Red Cable Car; you will have splendid views of Wellington and the harbour.
- Civic Square: a wide and open square with both civic buildings like the City Council Building and cultural places like the City Gallery and the Michael Fowler Centre.
On the Civic Square (Corner Victoria and Wakefield Street) is the official Visitor Information Centre of the city.
- Old Government Buildings: an impressive massive building, built of kauri wood.
- Old St. Paul's Cathedral: we were impressed by the warmth of the timber interior with some beautiful stained glass windows.
- Marine Drive Tour: an 'off the beaten path' drive. It is no longer than 30 km's, but is a beautiful and varied coastal road, starting from Te Papa Museum.

happy travels
Jaap

A good Hotel to stay at is Just Hotel on Willis street.
www.justhotel.co.nz
It is not very expensive close to absolutely everything especially the famous Cuba street and Lampton Quay where you can catch the cable car from as well as courtney place full of restaurants and nightlife.
To get to the Bluebridge walking would take about 20 minutes or 5 minutes in a taxi.

Hope this helps