Blown away by the capital
From the cable car to Katherine Mansfield House, Pamela wade finds there’ s plenty to see and do in our nation’ s capital.
Wellington iswell known for boasting a vibrant, creative culture fuelled by great food, wine, craft beer, coffee and events. It’s also a great place for a family holiday, with plenty to see and do around its compact city centre. Below are just four examples of what to try on your next visit to wonderful Wellington.
Te Papa’s private tours
Of course, you’ve been to Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. But there are always new things to discover, and the best way to find them is on a private tour. There are a number to choose from, but the in-depth tour is satisfyingly thorough. Be met in the foyer by your guide, then follow along for a leisurely hour-and-a-half, getting an overview and an inside view of the exhibits and the museum building itself.
Why go?
How else would you find out that even the fabric weave on the uniforms of the Gallipoli figures is also made to the same 2.4:1 scale? Or learn that Zealandia broke away from Australia, ‘‘because you would, wouldn’t you?’’
Trailing through the galleries of this, the biggest public space in the country, you’ll get the big picture, as well as the tiny detail that allows you to connect with it.
Insider tip
When booking a private tour, you can specify your interests, so it can be tailored. For those focused on Maori culture especially, the Maori Experience Kapu Tı¯ Tour should answer all your questions, and comes with appropriate refreshments. Note too, that although you don’t have to exit through the gift shop, you should – there’s excellent stuff in there.
On the way/nearby
Keep it historic by strolling along the waterfront to the Boat Cafe, in a 60-year-old tugboat. Check out the Sunday Harbourside Market, then take a wander to lovely Oriental Bay. Or head in the other direction to suss out the waterfront that way. Then you can get more history at the excellent little Wellington Museum, or more art at the NZ Portrait Gallery. Get active by hiring a bike, electric or otherwise, or a kayak.
Howmuch?
Entry to the museum is free. The 90-minute private, in-depth tour costs $210 for up to seven people, or $175 for the shorter, highlights version. Hour-long public tours cost $30 each for adults, $15 for children. There’s a variety of other tours on offer, private and public, including Maori Highlights, Art, Twilight Express, Accessibility and Early Bird Gallipoli.
Best time to go
Te Papa is open every day from 10am-6pm, so any time is good, but consider booking for the tours. tepapa.govt.nz/guided-tours
Mt Victoria Lookout
This is the worthiest way to get a view over Wellington and your effort is rewarded with 360-degree views of the city, harbour, airport, and sea. At just under 200 metres above sea level, the summit is not even that high, but the route up can be demanding, or more gentle, depending on the paths you choose. However you do it, everyone gets those views, plus unexpected antarctica input, which is not necessarily from a raging southerly.
Why go?
Because it’s there and it’s accessible. Plus, it’s an excellent excuse to indulge in some carb-loading, before and after. If you do the climb on a Sunday, and start near Te Papa, you can first negotiate the produce market and its big cluster of food trucks offering tempting world cuisine.
Once you’re fuelled up, stroll along the pretty waterfront past boat sheds, sandy beach and the gorgeous Seven Sisters villas, and look for the Southern Walkway near the junction of Oriental Parade and Oriental Tce. Follow the path up and you’ll soon be in the trees. You can follow the signs, or branch off on to one of the side tracks. As long as you’re heading uphill, you’ll get there. You might see people in a park walking dogs from the nearby SPCA, and you’ll certainly hear plenty of birds.
Then, you’re at the top, where amemorial points straight towards Antarctica, 4000 kilometres dead south, and you can read about Admiral Richard E Byrd, or about the pa once located there, or Wellington’s winds. Now, head back down the otherway, towards Majoribanks St, and stop for a feed at Ortega Fish Shack, or The Chippery.
Insider tip
Allow a couple of hours for the round trip and wear shoes that can cope with paths that may be stony and crumbly, or muddy and slippery. There are toilets near the car park at the top.
On the way/nearby
Take your time enjoying the sights on the way to the start of the track: the Solace in the Wind statue, the marina and colourful rows of boat sheds, as well as the pretty wooden villas.
Howmuch?
All it costs is sweat and effort, which are amply rewarded.
Best time togo
Ideally, a sunny day. Realistically, avoid rain, but enjoy the challenge of the wind. wellington.govt.nz
Wellington Cable Car
This has to be one of the best commutes ever: from the suburbs to the city centre in just five minutes, gliding down the hill in a cute and comfortable funicular cable car. And the best bit is, Wellington visitors can travel in the opposite direction, from the bustle of Lambton Quay to green and leafy Kelburn, where a fine selection of peaceful activities is within easy reach, as well as spectacular views over the city and harbour. Why go?
Because this is awellington icon and shouldn’t be missed. From 1902, and originally steam-powered, the red cable cars have trundled up and down the hill, through three tunnels and over three bridges, multiple times every day. But it’s more than just a mode of transport: there’s art, too. There are murals at the terminal and en route to enjoy, and the two 100-metre tunnels have light installations that are dazzling and frequently changing.
The gradient is 17 per cent, which is steep by anyone’s measure, and the cable cars are stepped so the floors are horizontal, allowing people to travel standing as well as seated.
Insider tip
There’s an eatery at the top, with wonderful views. You can take a free shuttle to Zealandia, leaving from the Kelburn terminal roughly every 30 minutes. Afterwards, you can be dropped back in town at the i-site.
On theway/nearby
The Cable Car Museum alongside features technical stuff and history, as well as some entertaining stories from Wellingtonians who have their own cable cars. The Botanic Garden is nearby too, full of native and exotic trees, flowers and ponds and gardens. Or head into the dark at Space Place to learn all about stars and planets.
Zealandia has 225 hectares of unspoiled bush, which is home to many species of native birds, including the kiwi and kaka.
Howmuch?
Adult return is $9, children (5-15) $4.50 and students $6, family passes available, as well as one-way fares. Gold card holders travel free off-peak. The cable car runs every 10 minutes: weekdays from 7.30am to 7pm, with 8.30am starts at the weekend.
Best time to go
Avoid commuters, but go early enough to enjoy the attractions at the top. It will be closed for its annual maintenance from July 20 to August 7. wellingtoncablecar.co.nz
Katherine Mansfield House
Refreshed, repainted and reopened last October after extensive work inside and out, this is the Thorndon birthplace and first home of our most famous and best-loved writer, respected worldwide for her beautifully crafted short stories.
Built in Tinakori Rd by her father, Harold Beauchamp, this modest two-storey house has gone through a number of alterations over the years, but is now restored as far as possible to how it looked when Katherine Mansfield lived here with three generations of her family, from 1888 to 1893.
Fragments of wallpaper discovered behind skirting boards enabled the interior decoration to be recreated. Typically colonial Victorian, there are quantities of polished wood, gilded frames, elaborate fireplaces, rocking horses and creepy dolls, lumpy beds, busy decoration and grim family photographs. Not everything is original, but sincere attempts have been made to make the furnishings authentic.
Why go?
Although Katherine Mansfield lived here for only six years before moving to Karori, her first home naturally made a big impression on her, and it inspired the setting for her stories. Unless prearranged, the tour is self-guided, but staff are wellinformed, and there is also a 50-minute video to watch about her life and times. The small garden outside is planted appropriately.
Insider tip
In the shop you can buy a recipe book that features the dishes and menus mentioned in her books. And you could hardly get more authentic than the shop’s jars of medlar jelly, made from the tree in the garden.
On theway/nearby
Cross over the Wellington motorway and regain some peace in the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Park in Fitzherbert Place, opposite Katherine Ave. The US embassy looming nearby is on the site of Mansfield’s last home in Wellington. You can then wander back down towards the city, calling in at the National Library, which also holds a collection of Mansfield-related books, photos and objects. Stop off to take some refreshment at the nearby Thistle Inn, where km was a regular patron.
Howmuch?
Adult entry is $10, seniors and students $8, schoolchildren and kmb society members free.
Best time to go
Open from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Currently, there’s a special exhibition of dolls’ houses and miniatures. katherinemansfield.com