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 is well 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, probably multiple times.
But you can never tick it off, because 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 indepth 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 get a nutshell summary of the New Zealand Wars as ‘‘testosterone, adrenaline, feathers and dust’’? Or learn that Zealandia broke away from Australia, ‘‘because you would, wouldn’t you?’’
Information presented with humour, considered opinion and enthusiasm is the very best sort and, whatever the subject, a guide will bring it to life.
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 Ma¯ ori culture especially, the Ma¯ ori 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. There’s always something going on.
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. Or just eat – there are so many good restaurants around the area.
How much?
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 Ma¯ ori Highlights, Art, Twilight Express, Accessibility and Early Bird Gallipoli. Check the website for details, as the museum has been offering special deals.
Best time to go
Te Papa is open every day from 10am-6pm, so any time is good, but consider booking ahead 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 really demanding, or more gentle, depending on the paths you choose.
However you do it, everyone – even the lazy types who come up by car or bus – 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, and getting glimpses of the views through the trunks.
You can follow the signs, or branch off on to one of the side tracks – many of which are bike trails, so beware of cyclists hurtling downwards. 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 a memorial 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. From up on the lookout, you’ll see the city, its green Town Belt, the hills and harbour, Miramar, the airport, and a cannon.
Now, head back down the other way, towards Majoribanks St, and its pretty villas, and stop for a feed at Ortega Fish Shack, or The Chippery. You’ve earned it.
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.
How much?
All it costs is sweat and effort, which are amply rewarded.
Best time to go
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 a Wellington 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. That means it has provided a service that has been appreciated by many millions of commuters and visitors.
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, adding an unexpected psychedelic element to the trip.
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, if you prefer. You can also walk back down into the city through the Botanic Garden.
On the way/nearby
You’ll want to know all about cable cars by the time you reach the top, so be sure to visit the Cable Car Museum right alongside. There’s technical stuff and history, as well as some entertaining (and occasionally hair-raising) stories from Wellingtonians who have their own private cable cars.
The Botanic Garden is nearby too: full of native and exotic trees, flowers and ponds and gardens both titivated and natural. Or head into the dark at Space Place to learn all about stars and planets and enjoy multimedia presentations.
Zealandia has 225 hectares of unspoiled bush, which is home to many species of native birds, including the kiwi and ka¯ ka¯ .
How much?
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 on a sunny day to enjoy the attractions at the top. It will be closed for its annual maintenance from July 20 to August 7.
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.
Many of the original features of the house remained intact, even if hidden – like the bamboostyle balustrade on the staircase – and they have been carefully returned to their original state. 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. They include such items as the typewriter bought for her by husband John Middleton Murry, as well as letters and personal belongings.
Why go?
Because who doesn’t love The Garden Party and
The Doll’s House? 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 these stories – and others.
Unless pre-arranged, the tour is self-guided, but staff are very well-informed and happy to answer any questions, and there is also a 50-minute video to watch about her life and times. The small garden outside is planted appropriately.
Insider tip
If you fancy recreating some of the meals in the stories, in the shop you can buy a recipe book that features the dishes and menus mentioned in them. And you could hardly get more authentic than the shop’s jars of medlar jelly, made from the tree in the garden. It also sells copies of The Doll’s House in te reo Ma¯ ori: Te Whare Ta¯ re.
On the way/nearby
Cross over the Wellington motorway roaring past just below the back garden 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 herself was a regular patron, and where one of her poems featuring the inn hangs on a wall in the dining room.
How much?
Adult entry is $10, seniors and students $8, schoolchildren and KMB Society members free.
Best time to go
Opening hours are from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Currently, there’s a special exhibition of dolls’ houses and miniatures. A sunny day is good for enjoying the garden.