Wellington
Welcome to Wellington
The insider's travel guide to WellingtonCreative Wellington has a claim to be New Zealand’s most cultural city. From art galleries to theatre, craft beer to coffee, Wellington is a compact city packing a powerful punch. If you’re still looking for outdoor activities, try mountain biking or sea-water kayaking, or take a walk on the Makara Peak track for views across the west coast beach.
The Wellington atlas
5 picks Places & Experiences You Won't Find Elsewhere-
Venture to the top of Mount Victoria and you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of New Zealand’s capital, Wellington. The Mount Victoria Lookout is a relatively easy walk from the city centre, along woodland trails that were used in The Lord of the Rings.
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Start in Auckland and begin your Lord of the Rings adventure by travelling to Rotarua where you can explore Maori culture and sulphuric geysers, before touring the Hobbiton Movie Set. Head to Lake Taupo to see the amazing Huka Falls before travelling into Tongariro National Park, location for Mordor and Mount Doom. Transfer to Wellington for a taste of city life – and a visit to the Weta Workshop – before a whistlestop tour through New Zealand’s south island, including the scenery in Nelson, a helicopter tour from Kaikoura over locations for Rivendell and Mines of Moria, Lake Heron for a stay in a sheep station and Lake Tekapo for kayaking, hot springs and stargazing – and the location for Edoras. Travel to Queenstown where you can tour locations used for Minas Tirith, the Misty Mountains and Isengard. Cruise on Milford Sound to see dolphins and penguins, before ending back in Queenstown for adventure activities like bungy jumping and ziplining.
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Start your trip in New Zealand’s biggest city Auckland with a trip to the Sky Tower for views over the city. From here, it’s a short journey to the Coromandel and on to Raglan for a mix of pristine beaches and secluded coves, where you can sea kayak, swim or simply explore. Next, visit the hot springs and sulphuric mud pools of Rotorua, taking in Maori culture and food, before travelling to the vast Lake Taupo for the Huka Waterfalls and Maori rock carvings. This is also an excellent base for exploring Tongariro National Park. End your North Island trip in cultured Wellington, home to excellent craft beer and coffee.
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At opposite ends of the North Island, New Zealand’s two largest cities are separated by gorgeous beaches, geothermal features, volcanic plateaus, and wildlife reserves. This route between Auckland and Wellington covers some North Island highlights.Starting in Auckland, loop southeast and up to the Coromandel Peninsula. The Coromandel Ranges run through the centre of the peninsula, and around the coastline are bays, beaches, and marine reserves.You may want to stop for a day or two in Tauranga, a dolphin-watching hot spot before continuing onto Rotorua This hub of Maori culture set on a large lake is dotted with steaming vents, spurting geysers, and bubbling mud pools. An even larger lake, Taupo, is an hour’s drive south-west. In Taupo, spend time boating or kayaking on the lake.Spend three days hiking and exploring volcanoes in Tongariro National Park then continue south, stopping for a day on the Kapiti Coast and Kapiti Island before spending your last couple of days in the proudly artsy capital, Wellington.
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The top of the South is a microcosm of the country, with diverse mountains, beaches, forests, lakes, and wildlife. Arrive in the Marlborough Sounds and complete a loop along the northern and western coastline, and through the mountains.The ferry from Wellington takes about three hours, and passes through the dramatic Marlborough Sounds, a network of sunken valleys and isolated bays. Picton is the largest town in the sounds, and offers wildlife-watching cruises with chances of seeing penguins and dusky dolphins.From Picton, follow the Queen Charlotte Drive to Havelock, a handy lunch stop on the way to Nelson.Spend a day or two in pleasant Nelson, the largest city at the top of the South Island, or continue directly to the Abel Tasman National Park.Continue on to Golden Bay, over the slow and winding road to Takaka, a preferable base for exploring the western side of Abel Tasman.Return over the Takaka Hill, to leave Golden Bay and head to the small village of St. Arnaud, on Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes. How long you spend at the Nelson Lakes depends on how much hiking you want to do.From St. Arnaud, continue in the direction of Murchison for great white-water rafting on the Buller River, and then on to Greymouth on the West Coast. Stop at Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks on the way.After a day at the Hokitika Gorge, head east to Hanmer Springs. The journey traverses the 740-metre Arthur’s Pass, through the mountains of the Arthur’s Pass National Park.Finally, head to Christchurch to connect to an international flight or continue road tripping for a few more days, up the east coast, to make a full loop back to Picton.
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Enjoy panoramic views from Mount Victoria
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New Zealand Lord of the Rings route
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Northern adventure route
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Auckland to Wellington Road Trip
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South Island Road Trip
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