Print
Email
Bookmark & shareA Top Day in Wellington
Wellingtonians are obsessed with good coffee and top-quality beer. If you spend any length of time here at all, your days will often start with a shot of the former to help you recover from too much of the latter. I usually kick things off with a double espresso at Fidel's, a Wellington cafe institution, or the quasi-industrial Cafe L'Affare on College St. To get some perspective on the day ahead, I take a bus up to the Mt Victoria lookout, or ride the rattly Cable Car up to the hilltop Botanic Gardens. While I'm at this altitude, I duck into the predator-free Karori Wildlife Sanctuary to catch a glimpse of NZ's iconic lizard, the tuatara. Walking back into the city via historic Thorndon gives me a postcard-worthy snapshot of Wellington's vernacular architecture - elaborate, free-standing Victorian weatherboard townhouses à la San Francisco, built to withstand earthquakes. New Zealand isn't called 'The Shaky Isles' for nothing! After lunch at a cool Cuba St eatery (Ernesto is one of the best, or Logan-Brown if you're flush with cash), I immerse myself in all things Kiwi at the fabulous Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum. Afterwards it's the Museum of Wellington City & Sea, which explores the undeniable connection between Wellington and the ocean. It's almost time for a beer! I trundle back to Cuba St to flirt with the staff at Matterhorn, before an authentic Maori feast at Kai in the City, a low-key city-fringe eatery that specialises in indigenous food. The Wellington night stretches ahead - it's not windy or raining for once, so I think an evening bar-hopping along Courtenay Pl awaits. Perhaps some live music, a midnight snack at a late-closing cafe, a movie at the restored Embassy Theatre... maybe all three!
Author: Charles Rawlings-Way
Advertisement
Book Your Trip
Hotels & Hostels
Booking hotels is simple with Lonely Planet. See our reviewed and recommended hotels in one place and book online. Browse hotels ›
Lonely Planet Newsletters
Updates, offers and inspiration - straight to your inbox.
Subscribe now ›
Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
