Otari-Wilton’s Bush

Wellington


The only botanic gardens in NZ specialising in native flora, Otari features more than 1200 plant species including an extant section of native bush containing the city's oldest trees (such as an 800-year-old rimu). There's also an information centre, an 18m-high canopy walkway, 11km of walking trails and some beaut picnic areas. It's located about 5km northwest of the centre and is well signposted; bus 14 passes the gates.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Wellington attractions

1. Bolton Street Cemetery

1.11 MILES

Lost beneath a canopy of oak and pohutukawa, between freeway off-ramps and apartment towers, this fabulously dank and atmospheric remnant dates back to…

2. Wellington Botanic Gardens

1.14 MILES

These hilly, 25-hectare botanic gardens can be effortlessly visited via the Wellington Cable Car (nice bit of planning, eh?), although there are several…

3. Katherine Mansfield House & Garden

1.22 MILES

Often compared to Chekhov and Maupassant, Katherine Mansfield was one of NZ’s most distinguished authors, who pushed the short-story form to uncharted…

4. Space Place

1.24 MILES

Inside the Carter Observatory at the top of the Botanic Gardens, this full-dome planetarium offers space-themed multimedia shows and stargazing sessions…

5. Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

1.24 MILES

At 88m long and 18m high, this modern Anglican cathedral exudes quasi-Moorish architectural vibes inside its lofty interiors. It first opened its doors in…

6. New Zealand Parliament

1.25 MILES

New Zealand might be a young country but it has one of the oldest continuously functioning parliaments in the world and has chalked up more than its share…

7. National Library of New Zealand

1.27 MILES

As well as being a wonderful resource for researchers, the National Library has various exhibition spaces including the Turnbull Gallery, displaying rare…

8. Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

1.28 MILES

Ngā Taonga is a vortex of NZ moving images into which you could get sucked for days. Its library holds tens of thousands of titles: feature films,…