At the southern tip of the North Island of New Zealand is the country’s capital city, Wellington. It sits between the Rimutaka Range and the Cook Strait. Fun fact: It’s the world’s southernmost capital city. Being a roughly halfway point, it’s a great stop for backpackers and adventurers to chill out for a few days. Whether you’re travelling up or down the country, you’ve probably spent a lot of time conquering mountains, swimming in lakes, or bungee jumping. Wellington is a cool little metropolitan hub to recharge at and then set off again, ready for more adventure. Here’s your guide on how to spend 48 hours in Wellington.
Wellington by night (Image: pixabay.com)
Where to stay
Anywhere near Courtenay Place or Cuba Street is ideal, since they’re the central most areas of the city. Though I personally haven’t stayed at any hostels, you could check out Hostelworld for reviews. To be honest though, you could stay anywhere in the Wellington township area because it’s such a compact city! You can walk pretty much everywhere, and if it’s too far to walk, it’ll just be a short bus ride away. I stay in Lyall Bay, which is considered “really far away” in Wellington terms, but it’s only a 15-minute bus ride to town. Moral of the story: Don’t worry too much about location because everywhere is easily accessible.
Day 1
Morning
Presumably you got in last night from a long bus ride or flight, and wake up this morning feeling refreshed and ready to explore. I’d recommend doing just that! Go for a walk along Courtenay Place and Cuba Street to get a sense of the city. You’ll find lots of places to eat here, but I’ll go into more detail about where to eat in my next post. Head to Lambton Quay if you’re up for a spot of shopping. They have heaps of retailers here, so if there’s anything you need, this is the place to find it. Next on your list is beautiful Queens Wharf, tracing along the harbour. You’ll walk past the man-made Lagoon and the impromptu diving board, where people always seem to be swimming in and diving off no matter the temperature outside.
The beautiful, blue Wellington Lagoon
Afternoon
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hire kayaks or paddleboards from Queens Wharf for about $35 for 2 hours. This is heaps of fun; you can paddle around the lagoon and even head out into the bay. Just be careful to leave enough time coming back because the tides can change on you in an instant! When we went, it was easy to get out there but a real workout coming back. Check out this video my friend Tanguy made from when we went paddleboarding in Wellington if you need any convincing. If you want to get out on the water, but don’t want to get soaked to the skin, they hire out peddle-boats from the Lagoon too.
Evening
Once you’re clean and dry after your kayak adventure, you might want to check out Mount Vic Lookout if you’ve got access to a car. From here, you’ll get panoramic views of Wellington City and across the water, which are stunning at dusk or at night. If you don’t have a car though, you might want to save this for tomorrow because walking up there is no small effort. You could go for a walk along Queens Wharf again instead; it has a very different feel at night than it does during the day. Bring a jumper and rug up, it’s cold by the water at night!
If you’re up for a drink to warm up, The Library and Hanging Ditch are great little cocktail bars. If a livelier crowd is what you’re after, see if any rugby games are televising and find the nearest sports bar. Rugby is THE sport of New Zealand, and watching a match with the locals is certainly something you want to experience, if you haven’t already. You don’t want to get home too late though, you’ve still got things to do tomorrow 😉
The view from along Queens Wharf. The Te Papa Museum is the big yellow building behind the ship.
Day 2
Morning
I know museums aren’t for everyone, but I’d definitely recommend checking out Te Papa. It has some really cool exhibits, and there’s something for everyone. My personal favourite is the preserved giant squid. They also have featured exhibits that change a few times a year, so you’ll want to find out what’s showing at the time. When I last went, the ANZAC exhibit was showing. This was incredible; Weta Workshops had crafted these insanely lifelike giant figurines from the war at Gallipoli. They depicted the stories and struggles of individuals; two soldiers loading and firing a machine gun as their friend lay wounded next to them; a nurse, heartbroken after receiving news of the death of her brother; an injured soldier scraping his food rations out of a tin. The workmanship was amazing and the stories really hit home. Entry is by donation (if you can afford it) so it’s worth popping in for a quick look.
The view from Mount Victoria Lookout
Afternoon
If you haven’t been yet, check out the Mount Victoria Lookout. There are a few walking trails you can take up there, but it is quite a hike. The panoramic views are worth it though; you’ll get the best view over the city and surrounding harbour and mountains. For any Lord of the Rings fans out there, Mount Vic was a filming location for The Fellowship of the Ring. You can find the spot where Frodo tells the other hobbits to “Get off the road!” when escaping the Nazgul, and hide under the same tree that they did.
From Mount Vic, you can head down for a stroll to Oriental Bay. Even though it’s technically a man-made beach, it’s still a really nice place to spend a sunny afternoon. Across the road from the beach is a gelato place called “Kaffee Eis”. They’re known for having some of the best gelato in Wellington, so if you’ve got a sweet tooth like me, you don’t want to miss this. I still have fond memories of their feijoa gelato, eaten whilst enjoying the late afternoon Wellington sunshine by the beach. (FYI: For anyone who wants gelato but can’t make it down to Oriental Bay, they have a Kaffee Eis on Cuba Street too).
Evening
Take a final stroll along the waterfront on your way back to your accommodation to pack. This might be a great chance to check out some top eateries in town. My next blog post will cover how to eat in Wellington like a local, so stay tuned for that. Hopefully you’ll be leaving tomorrow with fond memories of Wellington and maybe you’ll even want to extend your stay!
The walk to Red Rocks, not another soul in sight.
Stay a little longer
If you’re in Wellington for more than 2 days, here are some more things you can check out!
- The Red Rocks walk in Island Bay. You can either drive out to Island Bay or catch the number 1 bus to the end of the line. It’s a beautiful walk on a pretty isolated stretch of beach, so you’ll be on your own except for an occasional four-wheel-drive. If you’re there between May and October, you might be lucky enough to spot some seals down there!
- The Weta Cave. If you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, you need to get yourself down to the Weta Cave. They have guided tours that you need to book for, but even just going down to have a look will have you fan-girling. They have the stone trolls out the front, and all kinds of props and costumes on display.
- Wellington Botanical Gardens. Pack a picnic and spend a lazy afternoon wandering around the gardens. They have a variety of events on throughout the year, so you can check out the calendar here to see if anything tickles your fancy.
- Check out if there are any rugby matches at the Cake Tin. This is the next step up from watching a rugby game at a sports bar. The atmosphere at a live game is fantastic! General admission tickets are about $40, and can be bought online or just at the door. The Wellington super rugby team is the black-and-yellow Hurricanes, so I’d be wary if you’re thinking about supporting anyone but them 😉
Which places could you definitely not miss in Wellington?
