Re: wellington, do I need to stop by or? Posted: Fri March 11, 2011 10:53 PM UTC
I love Wellington and think you would miss a lot of you did not visit. Sure, it is a city - but it is a wonderful city full of art and lots of hills. The surroundings are spectacular, not just the east to Cape Palliser, but the southern hills and the red rock (seal) coast around Island Bay and Owhiro Bay. There is also a predator-free island in Wellington Harbour, named Matiu/Somes Island, similar but smaller than Kapiti Island, full of rare birds and geckos.
Another fantastic place of wildlife is in Karori, just three or four kilometres from the very city centre. It is the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, now called Zelandia or so, I have lost track of their permanent name changes. A predator-proof fence surrounds a huge area, so you also have the pleasure of seeing protected birds, including lots of kaka (parrots) and tuatara.
Apart from that I think it is no problem to get a permit for Kapiti Island in time, you just have to organise it in time and have to know on which day you want to go. You also have to organise the boat trip from Paraparaumu to the island. (The other two options are easier to organise and do not any beforehand planning.)
In Auckland I agree that the beauty is outside the city - but you have to be in the city to get there, for example to the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. As you seem to be interested in NZ wildlife, I recommend Tiritiri Matangi. Also the West Coast beaches (Piha, Bethell's, Karekare) are always worth a visit and rather unique. I also think that Auckland Museum is the best museum in New Zealand regarding Maori culture and the history of NZ's involvement in wars, far better than Te Papa in Wellington (which again is better with its interactive displays, earthquakes in particular, and great temporary exhibitions).
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