Things To Do in Wellington

Especially for Kids

If you’re ready to let the kids loose, head for Capital E, Civic Square, Victoria Street (tel. 04/913-3740; www.capitale.org.nz), open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and weekends 10am to 4pm. This wonderful place combines a varied program of exhibitions, events, and theater especially designed for families. It’s all about fun, entertainment, and education. Call for current programs and admission prices.

Story Place, at Te Papa, Cable Street (tel. 04/381-7000; www.tepapa.govt.nz), is a magical world of dress-ups, storytelling, songs, and art activities for children 5 years and under. There are daily 45-minute sessions from 10:15am to 4:30pm and admission is NZ$5. Tickets can be purchased at Te Papa’s Information Desk on Level 2 of the museum.

Older kids will get a buzz out of Wet & Wild, Frank Kitts Park, the Waterfront (tel. 04/235-9796), where they can let loose on in-line skates, in paddleboats, or on water bikes. It’s open daily December through February, weather permitting.

Away From the Crowds: Exploring Hutt valley

Located just 15 minutes north of Wellington and easily accessed via the motorway, Hutt Valley is a scenic area made up of two separate cities, Upper Hutt and the larger Lower Hutt. Weaving alongside is the Hutt River, where you’ll find some excellent walking and cycling tracks. The Hutt City and Upper Hutt i-SITE Visitor Centres, have detailed walking trail maps. Wellington Adventure Quad Bike Expeditions (tel. 0800/948-6386; www.wellingtonadventures.co.nz) offers several fun outings from a 1 1/2-hour expedition for NZ$169 per person, to a 2-day exploration of the Hutt region for NZ$399 per person. The Dowse Art Museum, is a key attraction in Lower Hutt; and Jackson Street in Petone is considered a place of national significance as the whole street is listed with NZ Historic Places Trust and the old shops are now home to many boutique stores and cafes.

Excellent beaches wrap around the upmarket seaside villages of Eastbourne and Days Bay, which are a short drive around the coast. Both are also accessible via the Dominion Post Ferry. Regular bus and train services also run to Hutt Valley. If you’d like to stay on this side of the harbor, Guthries Beachfront Cottage, 221 Marine Parade, Eastbourne (tel. 04/582-6221; www.guthriescottage.co.nz), is a 2-bedroom cottage that would suit a small family or two couples traveling together. It’s NZ$300 per couple and breakfast is included; each additional person costs NZ$40. Boulcott Lodge, 615 High St., Boulcott, Lower Hutt (tel. 0800/782-928 in NZ, or 04/586-1558; www.boulcottlodge.co.nz), is an excellent, 17-room motel complex with rooms and apartments from NZ$145 to NZ$200. It has a Qualmark Enviro-Gold rating and Wi-Fi is available throughout. The visitor centers can put you in touch with some excellent camping grounds.

Island Sanctuary

Kapiti Island is a conservation lover's paradise. Managed by the New Zealand government as a nature reserve for over 100 years, it is known for its well-protected native flora and fauna. The island has always been important to a number of different Maori tribes, and of the total 1,965 hectares (4,854 acres), 13 hectares (32 acres) at Waiorua Bay is still designated Maori land. This is where you'll find Kapiti Nature Lodge and Kapiti Island Nature Tours (tel. 06/362-6606; www.kapitiislandnaturetours.co.nz), owned by John and Susan Barrett and John's sister, Amo Clark. John's whanau (family) has lived on Kapiti since the 1820s, and they have a wealth of historical and conservation knowledge about the island, which you'll discover if you take one of their guided walks. Their lodge offers cabins (each with four bunks) set in native bush, plus some oceanview accommodations with en suites. There's a dining room in the central lodge and a wealth of activities from nature and history walks to weaving weekends, amazing photo opportunities, night kiwi spotting, and the chance to swim, snorkel, or scuba dive in Kapiti Marine Reserve. The lodge has a capacity for just 10 overnight guests and 24 day visitors.

Every person visiting Kapiti Island must have a permit, and extra permits are required to enter the Department of Conservation land on either side of Kapiti Nature Lodge. These can be acquired through the Wellington DOC office (www.doc.govt.nz) and cost NZ$12 for adults, NZ$6 for children. Ferries to the island, departing from Kapiti Boating Club at Paraparaumu just north of Wellington, depart each day at 9am and 2:30pm, and cost NZ$65 for adults and NZ$40 for children. The trip takes 15 minutes, and because Kapiti is a strictly controlled conservation area, you will be asked for a bag check to eliminate the possibility of pests and predators getting onto the island. The team at Kapiti Island Nature Tours can help you organize permits. They also offer a day tour to the island if you're short on time. The day tour includes the ferry trip, a guided walk, and lunch, and costs NZ$358 per person. The Overnight Stay and Kiwi Spotting Experience includes all meals, a guided walk, and the tour and costs NZ$567 per person.

Wellington is such a compact city that it’s easy for visitors to find their way around and to wander at ease. You can pick up the free guides, The Fashion Map and The Arts Map, at the visitor center. From the department and designer stores of Lambton Quay (nicknamed the Golden Mile) up Willis Street to the funkier side of town on Cuba Street, you’ll find markets, alternative boutiques, secondhand stores, and great cafes. It’s all easy and shopper-friendly. Store hours are usually Monday through Friday from 9am to 5:30pm, Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm, and Sunday from 10am to 2pm.

The best place to start is Lambton Quay, which has three linked arcades, and Capital on Quay, at 250 Lambton Quay (tel. 04/473-8868). There are boutiques, a heap of shoe stores, music shops, and excellent bookstores. It’s also where you’ll find Wellington’s most famous department store, Kirkcaldie & Stains (tel. 04/472-5899; www.kirkcaldies.co.nz), which has been offering traditional service and quality merchandise since 1863. Nearby, Untouched World, 147 Featherston St. (tel. 04/473-2596; www.untouchedworld.com), showcases renowned lifestyle clothing in merino and possum fur.

The historic Bank of New Zealand building on Lambton Quay is now the Old Bank Arcade & Chambers (tel. 04/922-0600; www.oldbank.co.nz), a retail arcade after the style of Sydney’s Queen Victoria Arcade. It has attracted interest from top national and international retail stores and includes cafes, restaurants, and designer clothing stores.

As you move onto Willis Street, you’ll find more fashion, books, and music; and Quoil, 149 Willis St. (tel. 04/384-1499; www.quoil.co.nz), a gallery representing New Zealand’s top contemporary jewelers. Further along, Aquamerino, 97 Willis St. (tel. 04/473-9106; www.aquamerino.com), sells a beautiful range of New Zealand merino clothing for men and women. Turn down Manners Street and make your way into the weird and wonderful Cuba Street area, which gets more interesting the higher up the mall you go. If you want your future predicted, your sexual preferences catered to, your body pierced or tattooed, or if you’re just craving a cup of damn good coffee, you’re in the right area. For the finest New Zealand contemporary art, head for Hamish McKay Gallery, 1st floor, 39 Ghuznee St. (tel. 04/384-7140; www.hamishmckaygallery.com); collectible designer toys are just along that street at Pop-Ups, 57 Ghuznee St. (tel. 04/801-5105;www.popups.co.nz).

Another good specialty-store area is the Tinakori Road Village. Much more upmarket than Cuba Street, it’s not overly big, just a few smart, little gift stores, galleries, and the like. My favorite is Millwood Gallery, 291b Tinakori Rd., Thorndon (tel. 04/473-5178; www.millwoodgallery.co.nz), an art-and-book boutique filled to the gills with divine papery offerings. It specializes in original works of art based on Wellington and has a range of cards and gift wraps. Antiques fans will love Tinakori Antiques, 291a Tinakori Rd. (tel. 04/472-7043), which has two small stores crammed with collectibles, furniture, and antique jewelry. I spent far too much time here. Groom, 306 Tinakori St. (tel. 04/472-5605), will appeal to the men. This tiny little squeeze of a store is home to barber and stylist Johni Rutene, a former rugby player who has covered the walls in rugby paraphernalia. Complete with an old-fashioned barber chair, it is one of the few barbershops offering hot-towel cutthroat shaves.

Shopping for Souvenirs

The always popular Simply New Zealand, 13 Grey St. (tel. 04/472-6817), has a huge range of gifts, jewelry, and crafts, as well as wool knitwear, Maori carvings, and America’s Cup souvenirs. Te Papa Store, Te Papa, Cable Street (tel. 04/381-7000; www.tepapastore.co.nz), has one of the best selections of New Zealand arts, crafts, and souvenirs in the city. Everything is top quality and attractively laid out, and you don’t pay local tax (GST) if you’re mailing gifts overseas. Ora, 23 Allen St., Courtenay Place (tel. 04/384-4157; www.ora.co.nz), open daily 9am to 4pm, features a big range of top-quality handmade New Zealand artworks in glass, fiber, ceramics, native timbers, and mixed media. They post goods overseas tax-free.

Other worthy places to browse top-notch arts, crafts, and jewelry are Avid, 48 Victoria St. (tel. 04/472-7703; www.avidgallery.com); Kura, 19 Allen St. (tel. 04/802-4934; www.kuragallery.co.nz); and Vessel, 87 Victoria St. (tel. 04/499-2321). And for all things woolly, drive around the bays to Sheepskin Warehouse, Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point (tel. 04/386-3376; fax 04/386-3379). New Zealand has the best technology in the world for sheepskin products, and if you doubt that, come here. An overseas shipping service is available and GST is deductible. For top-quality Maori art, both contemporary and traditional, step into Iwi Art, 19 Tory St. (tel. 04/803-3253; www.iwiart.co.nz).

The Markets

Moore Wilson Fresh Food Market, at Moore Wilson's on Lorne Street (tel. 04/384-9906), is where you'll find a wealth of organics, fish, flowers, breads, and other edibles. Jackson Street Market, corner of Jackson and Elizabeth streets, Petone (tel. 04/939-2811), features fine goods and gourmet products and is held Sunday mornings from 9am to 1pm.

This is one city where you won't run out of things to do after dark. Start by checking the current issues of Capital Times and What's On, both free and available at visitor centers and many cafes.

The Performing Arts

Wellington is home to the largest performing-arts festival in the country; it is also home to the National Orchestra and Opera, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and four thriving professional theater companies. In addition, you’ll find the National Dance and Drama Centre, the New Zealand School of Dance, and the New Zealand Drama School, all based in the capital.

The rejuvenated Westpac St. James Theatre, 77-87 Courtenay Place (tel. 04/802-4060; www.stjames.co.nz), opened its doors in 1998 after a NZ$21-million refurbishment project; this fine Edwardian venue now combines a preserved heritage theater with state-of-the-art technology. Apart from staging top-quality musical shows, it is also now the permanent home of the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company.

The city has a healthy professional theater scene. The Downstage Theatre, in Hannah Playhouse, Courtenay Place, corner of Cambridge Terrace (tel. 04/801-6946; www.downstage.co.nz), presents first-rate theater in an exciting, award-winning structure. Downstage’s year-round season presents its own productions and the best touring shows, including classics, contemporary drama, comedy, and dance, with an emphasis on quality New Zealand works. Tickets are NZ$40 to NZ$45 for most shows.

Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki St. (tel. 04/801-7992; www.circa.co.nz), sits grandly beside Te Papa. It produces quality and generally innovative productions. You can enjoy a preshow meal at its licensed cafe. Tickets are NZ$46 for adults and NZ$25 for under 25s. Bats Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace (tel. 04/801-4176; www.bats.co.nz), is seen as the country’s top developmental theater, presenting new and experimental plays and dance at great prices (NZ$12-NZ$20). Embassy Theatre, 10 Kent Terrace (tel. 04/384-7657; www.deluxe.co.nz), was refurbished for the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The combination of sumptuous 1920s decor with a giant screen and state-of-the-art digital sound, not to mention its cafe and bar, makes it well worth a visit. There are summer screenings of The Lord of the Rings every Sunday afternoon.

A Night at the Movies

All Wellington cinemas offer discounted tickets for daytime and Tuesday-night screenings. Students and seniors also get a discount. Look in the newspapers for schedules. Try the Embassy Theatre, 10 Kent Terrace (tel. 04/384-7657), with a giant screen and a new sound system; Hoyts Cinemas, which has two multiscreen complexes in Manners Mall and Manners Street; or Rialto Cinemas, Cable Street and Jervois Quay (tel. 04/385-1864), a three-theater complex. Penthouse Cinema & Café, 205 Ohiro Rd., Brooklyn (tel. 04/384-3157), is the city’s only suburban theater and draws a loyal local crowd.