A holiday in Wellington is a getaway in New Zealand’s vibrant cultural core. A small city of only a couple of hundred thousand, Wellington is New Zealand’s heartland; a bijou capital of arts, gourmet culture and award-winning wineries on its doorstep.
You know you’re somewhere special when the population takes equal pride in its coffee and its earthquakes. That’s Wellington; a confident, outgoing city with attitude. Where else could you enjoy breakfast in a Communist inspired cafe before indulging in virtual bungee jumping in a museum? Where else would Parliament House be perched on layers of high-density rubber to soak up vibrations from the earthquake fault line just half a kilometre away? Check it out when you’re there.
The best way to discover Wellington is on foot. You can walk from one end of town to the other in half an hour and you’ll be captivated by the variety of attractions in this compact space. Restaurants and bars present an unrivalled dining experience; from fine-dining flash to cheap and cheerful cafe snacks, the fare is a mish-mash reflecting Wellington's cultural diversity.
If you’re into the arts scene, Wellington’s all the go, with great galleries and arts spaces, and home to the national ballet, opera and symphony orchestra. Every two years, Wellington hosts the energetic and popular NZ International Arts festival, alternating with the crazy Street Carnival in bohemian Cuba Street.
A rich streak of film production, theatre and performance art runs through Wellington, with galleries to suit every taste. Here was the central location for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and you should experience Middle Earth in all its diversity while in town. Head out to Scorching Bay for an arty cafe scene positively dripping with Middle Earth and Narnia memorabilia.
Your visit might also include the Karori Sanctuary, home to some of New Zealand’s rarest and most endangered wildlife, and the Wellington Zoo which offers personal encounters with red pandas, tigers, lions, giraffes and cheetahs.
Wellington fun facts
Wellington is known as “The windy city”
Wellington is the most southerly capital city on the planet
There are more than 300 cafes, bars and restaurants in Wellington
Idyllic Samoa
Thursday 25th December 2008
Travel Counsellor: Laura Gee
When I told my mum I was going to Samoa she thought I said Somalia! She wasn’t the only person who wasn’t readily familiar with Samoa. Samoa is an island nation in the South Pacific just south of the equator and just east of the International date-line. Samoa is the independent part of the Samoan Islands and used to be called Western Samoa to distinguish it from American Samoa. Samoa is made up of two larger islands of Upolu and Savaii and eight smaller islets. My partner and I stayed at Sinalei Reef Resort on the southern coast of the main island of Upolu. We decided on Samoa as our holiday destination because it is within eight hours travel of Melbourne, and has a tropical climate and beaches. We picked Samoa above other destinations that met these criteria because our research revealed it’s not only politically stable it is very interesting culturally. We heard the way of life of Samoans today mirror a modern world version of the way of life of ancient Samoans.
We left Melbourne... view full story
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