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Organized Tours

If your time is limited, you'll get a comprehensive view of Wellington by booking with Hammond's Scenic Tours (tel. 04/472-0869; www.wellingtonsightseeingtours.com). Their Wellington CityTour covers the financial and commercial area, Parliament buildings, and Botanic Gardens; they also go up to Mount Victoria lookout and then around the coastal bays, returning to the city via View Road. It costs NZ$50 (US$36/£18) for adults and NZ$25 (US$18/£9) for children ages 4 to 14. Wally and his son Lance run the operation, giving it a personalized flavor with good commentary. Their 2 1/2-hour tours depart daily at 10am and 2pm.

Flat Earth (tel. 0800/775-805 in NZ, or 04/977-5805; www.flatearth.co.nz) has a range of excellent specialty tours, including very interesting Maori Treasures tours priced from NZ$220 (US$156/£79) per person for a half-day, and excellent Capital Arts Tours that immerse you in the city's art and architecture for NZ$132 (US$94/£48) per person for a half-day.

Zest Food Tours (tel. 04/801-9198; www.zestfoodtours.co.nz) is another excellent new business and is a real hit with foodies. Its Walking Gourmet (daily 9:30am-1:30pm) costs NZ$210 (US$149/£76) per person and introduces you to the capital's lively food scene and hard-to-find places. Taste Wellington (daily 9:30am-3pm) costs NZ$395 (US$280/£142) per person and includes coffee roasting, top specialty food stores, a wine-matched lunch at an award-winning restaurant, and a visit to the home of a local food writer. Chocolate Espresso (9:30am-noon) is a behind-the-scenes look into Wellington's chocolate hotspots for NZ$99 (US$71/£36) per person. Tours can be tailored to specific interests.

Wild About Wellington (tel. 027/441-9010 in NZ; www.wildaboutwellington.co.nz), has a fabulous Boutique Beer Tasting Tour, which is hosted by local beer expert/writer, Neil Miller. The 2-hour walking day tour is great value at NZ$105 (US$75/£38); and a 3-hour evening tour is NZ$135 (US$96/£49) per person. Fashion lovers should ask about their equally good City of Style Tour, which takes you to meet local fashion designers for NZ$120 (US$86/£44) per person.

Seal Coast Safari (tel. 0800/732-527 in NZ, or 04/929-7839; www.sealcoast.com) offers a completely different outing that departs daily from the visitor center at 10:30am and 1pm. For NZ$79 (US$56/£28) for adults, children 14 and under half price, you'll spend 2 3/4 hours taking the coastal road to the seals at Red Rocks. Walk Wellington (tel. 04/384-9590; www.walk.wellington.net.nz), on the other hand, gives you a fabulous value introduction to the city. The Essential Wellington tour is NZ$20 (US$14/£7.20) per person and departs from the visitor center daily, rain, hail, or shine at 10am. Additional afternoon walks are offered in summer at 5:30pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Call tel. 04/802-4860 for bookings and departure times.

Wellington Movie Tours (tel. 027/419-3077 in NZ; www.movietours.co.nz) will give you a comprehensive overview of the Wellington movie scene, including visits to The Lord of the Rings locations, the Weta Store, on-site movie clips, and movie props. Tours range from NZ$40 to NZ$110 (US$28-US$78/£14-£40) per person.

On the Water

Take a Somes Island excursion with the Dominion Post Ferry. Simply take the ferry and stop off on the island, picking up a return ferry a few hours later. The island recently reopened to the public after 100 years of restricted access. In recent times, it has served as a quarantine station and before that as a prisoner-of-war camp. It has been replanted and developed as a wildlife refuge and has walking tracks and great views.


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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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Frommer's New Zealand, 5th Edition Frommer's New Zealand, 5th Edition

Author: Adrienne Rewi
Pub Date: March 10, 2008
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Home > Destinations > Australia and the South Pacific > New Zealand > Wellington > Organized Tours