Sights in Wellington
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Te Papa
Te Papa, the ‘Museum of New Zealand’, is an inspiring, interactive repository of historical and cultural artefacts. ‘Te Papa Tongarewa’ loosely translates as ‘treasure box’. The building dominates the Wellington waterfront and has become a national icon – an innovative celebration of the essence of NZ.
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Wellington Botanic Gardens
The expansive, hilltop Wellington Botanic Gardens can be conveniently visited via a cable-car ride (nice bit of planning, eh?). The hilly 25-hectare gardens boast a tract of original native forest along with varied collections including a beaut rose garden and international plant collections. Add in fountains, a cheerful playground, sculptures, duck pond, cafe, magical city views and much more, and you’ve got a grand day out. The gardens are also accessible from the Centennial Entrance on Tinakori Rd (Karori bus 3).
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Beehive
Office workers swarm around the distinctive and well-known modernist Beehive, which is exactly what it looks like, and forms part of NZ's parliamentary complex. It was designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence and built between 1969 and 1980. Controversy surrounded its construction and, love it or loathe it, it's the architectural symbol of the country.
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Katherine Mansfield’s Birthplace
Often compared to Chekhov and Maupassant, Katherine Mansfield is NZ’s most distinguished author, known throughout the world for her short stories. The house where she spent five years of her childhood now opens its doors as Katherine Mansfield’s Birthplace, and is lovingly restored and maintained with a restful heritage garden. The excellent video A Portrait of Katherine Mansfield screens here and the ‘Sense of Living’ exhibition displays photographs of the period alongside excerpts from her writing. A doll’s house has been constructed from details in the short story of the same name. Wilton bus 14 stops nearby.
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Carter Observatory
At the top of the Botanic Gardens, the Carter Observatory has re-emerged after a major renovation. New features include a full-dome planetarium in which you can take a simulated trip through the universe; a multimedia display of Polynesian navigation, Maori cosmology, and European explorers; and some of New Zealand’s finest telescopes and astronomical artefacts. If your lucky stars are with you, you might be able to safely see our closest star, the Sun, through the Thomas Cooke telescope’s solar filter. Check the website for evening stargazing times.
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Zealandia
The groundbreaking wildlife sanctuary Zealandia is tucked in the hills about 2km west of town (buses 3, 18, 21, 22 and 23 trundle nearby). The fenced mainland ‘conservation island’ is home to more than 30 native bird species including kiwi, kaka, saddleback and hihi, as well as the most accessible wild population of tuatara. There are more than 30km of attractive walking tracks and a range of guided tours available. A major new exhibition centre showcases New Zealand’s natural history and its world-renowned conservation story.
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Mediaplex
The innovative Mediaplex combines a film archive, library, cinema and research centre under one roof and has an extensive collection with over 90,000 titles of NZ film, TV and video dating from 1895 to this year's sitcom. From Wednesday to Saturday, the cinema shows treasures from the vault.
Highlighting Wellington's square-eye dedication to film and TV, Mediaplex is part of the New Zealand Film Archive, an organisation charged with collecting, protecting and projecting NZ's moving-image heritage.
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Wellington Zoo
Wellington Zoo has a commitment to conservation and research. There’s a plethora of native and non-native wildlife here, including the residents of the outdoor lion and chimpanzee parks; and the nocturnal kiwi house, which also houses tuatara. Check the website for info on ‘close encounters’, which allow you to meet the big cats, red pandas and giraffes (for a fee). The zoo is 4km south of the city; catch bus 10 or 23.
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Dominion Post Ferry
Trips across the harbour to Days Bay are made on the Dominion Post Ferry, departing from Queens Wharf 11 times daily weekdays and six times daily at weekends. It's a 30-minute trip to Days Bay, where there are beaches, a fine park and a boatshed offering canoes and rowboats for hire. A 30-45 minute walk from Days Bay brings you to the pretty settlement of Eastbourne, with appealing cafes and picnic spots.
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New Zealand Film Archive
The New Zealand Film Archive was established in 1981 to protect New Zealand’s moving-image history. Collections date from 1895 and represent every genre of filmmaking. The library has more than 30,000 titles you can watch for free and a big-screen program four nights a week. Combined with a cafe and gallery, it’s a great place to while away the hours (or days).
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Museum of Wellington
For an imaginative, interactive experience of Wellington’s social and salty maritime history, swing into the Museum of Wellington. Highlights include a moving documentary about the tragedy of the Wahine, and ancient Maori legends dramatically told using tiny hologram actors and special effects. The building itself is an old Bond Store dating from 1892.
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National Library of New Zealand
The muscular grey concrete of the National Library of New Zealand is a haven to varied collections of national importance. It encompasses the Alexander Turnbull Library, which holds historical photographs, drawings, prints, maps and the like. Regular events are held in the National Library Gallery, which has changing exhibits.
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City Gallery
The much-loved City Gallery reopened late in 2009 after renovations and the addition of a new wing. Expect surprises: the gallery’s a little cracker that secures acclaimed contemporary international artists as well as unearthing and supporting those at the forefront of New Zealand’s scene. Excellent Nikau Gallery Cafe on-site.
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New Zealand Cricket Museum
Cricket boffins will be bowled over by the historical memorabilia at the New Zealand Cricket Museum. Comprehensive displays cover the history and development of NZ cricket, including the sport’s arrival in the colonies and NZ’s first test match in 1894. The original 1743 Addington bat is a showstopper.
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Old St Paul’s
The last lick of paint was splashed on Old St Paul’s in 1866, and it still looks good-as-new from the outside. The striking interior is a stellar example of early English Gothic timberwork, with magnificent stained-glass windows and displays on Wellington’s early history.
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Cable Car Museum
The small-but-nifty Cable Car Museum tells the cable car’s story since it was built in 1902 to open up hilly Kelburn for development. Take the cable car back down the hill, or ramble down through the Botanic Gardens (a 30- to 60-minute walk, depending on your wend).
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Matiu-Somes Island
East by West ferries stop at Matiu-Somes Island (return fare adult/child $21/11), a wildlife reserve managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) where you might see weta, tuatara, kakariki and little blue penguins, among other critters. The island is rich in history, having once been a prisoner-of-war camp and quarantine station. Take a picnic lunch, although the eager can camp overnight (adult/child $10/5) or in a DOC house – book online at www.doc.govt.nz or at Wellington’s DOC visitor centre.
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Otari-Wilton’s Bush
About 3km west of the city is Otari-Wilton’s Bush, the only botanic gardens in NZ specialising in native flora. Expect to see and hear plenty of birds along the 11km of walking trails. Bus 14 from the city passes the gates.
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National Tattoo Museum
The National Tattoo Museum has thousands of examples of tattoo art on show, including Maori moko (facial tattoos), traditional and contemporary tools, and a tattoo studio in case the urge strikes. For dedicated ink-lovers only.
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Archives New Zealand
The Archives New Zealand is the official guardian of NZ’s heritage documents. Inside are gallery displays of significant national treasures, including the original Treaty of Waitangi (p), NZ’s founding document.
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Weta Cave
Real film buffs may want to check out the Weta Cave, the minimuseum of the Academy Award–winning company that brought LOTR, King Kong, and Narnia to life.
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Parliament House
The austere grey-and-cream Parliament House was completed in 1922. Free, one-hour tours depart from the ground-floor foyer (arrive 15 minutes prior). Next door is the 1899 neo-Gothic Parliamentary Library building.
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Academy Galleries
Part of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Academy Galleries features works by New Zealand artists.
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Waitangi Park
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Mt Victoria Lookout
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