Our little capital is dead fun
Ihave called Wellington home for the good part of a decade. And until very recently, I subscribed to a lazy cliche about the capital: ‘‘All there is to do is eat and drink.’’ To be honest, I was perfectly OK with that, and spent years putting in the research, scouting out the city’s best cafes, bars and restaurants.
Visiting family and friends would be treated to a tour of my favourites – a punishing itinerary often involving two breakfasts, back to back, though I would argue the Sunday morning Harbourside Market, with all of its tempting food trucks, was more of a ‘‘sightseeing’’ opportunity.
But then Covid-19 came along, and we all had a lot more time to really get to know our backyards. And that’s when I found myself eating some humble pie (the key lime pie from Sweet Mother’s Kitchen, in case you are wondering), because it turns out there is a lot more to Wellington than just its foodie scene.
Over the past two years, I have discovered the joys of a post-work stroll along Oriental Bay, and a weekend hike up Mt Victoria. I used to take these walks for granted, but now I can’t believe how lucky we are to have them on our doorstep.
Similarly, pre-pandemic, visiting Te Papa and City Gallery Wellington was something I had always had on my to-do list, but never got around to.
During this time at home, I have taken a guided tour of Te Papa, attended a Surrealist Soiree set amid the works of Salvador Dali, and seen an exhibition of the works of pioneering Swedish artist Hilma af Klint.
I have even toured a local cemetery. It turns out New Zealand’s second-largest burial ground, Karori Cemetery, offers regular walking tours with different themes (the one I was on was dubbed Murder and Mayhem).
It was one of the strangest things I have done, but I highly recommend it.
The great thing about Wellington is it is just a short drive from other amazing destinations.
In this week’s cover story on pages 34-35, Brook Sabin visits Ka¯ piti Island, a predator-free nature reserve where you can see some of New Zealand’s most endangered birds. As he points out, it is basically Aotearoa’s equivalent to an African safari.
Of course, over the big hill is Wairarapa. I know I have just said it is not all about eating and drinking, but I hope you will forgive me for including a piece about the iconic Martinborough Hotel on page 28. It really is the perfect base for a weekend of winery hopping.
I have also managed to sneak in a story about Wellington’s favourite supermarket, the legendary Moore Wilson’s, on page 33.
OK, so it turns out I am still pretty food-obsessed. But we have plenty more ideas of great things to do (and yes, eat and drink) in Wellington, the Ka¯ piti Coast and Wairarapa.
Find them all in our latest Go-To Guide, at stuff.co.nz/go-to-wellington-wairarapa.