SEE & DO
WELLINGTON CABLE CAR: It’s hard not to
fall for Wellington’s elderly yet distinguished
114-year-old cable car. Having trundled
gracefully up its tracks, it delivers passengers
to the city’s hillside Botanic Gardens, where
alongside fitting views, they’ll also find Carter
Observatory, home to the Space Place
planetarium. wellingtoncablecar.co.nz
ROXY CINEMA: A 1920s theatre that was
turned into a shopping mall in the 1960s, the
Roxy was restored to its former glory and
given a new purpose in 2011, having been
bought by Weta Digital founder Sir Richard
Taylor. Located in Miramar — Wellington’s
movie-making district — it hosts film and
documentary festivals, and even has its own
restaurant and cocktail bar. roxycinema.co.nz
WETA CAVE: The starting point for the Weta
Studio Tours, where enthusiasts can marvel
at fake guns, custom-made vehicles, latex
heads and remote-controlled battle helmets
— in short, many of the eye-catching props
Weta crafted for The Lord of the Rings and
The Hobbit trilogies, plus other films such as
King Kong and District 9. The Cave is also a
retail store and an exclusive documentary is
shown at regular intervals. wetaworkshop.com
TE PAPA TONGAREWA (MUSEUM OF NEW
ZEALAND): With its eye-catching, six-storey
waterfront building, earthquake simulator,
Maori treasures and the body of a colossal
squid, Te Papa already had quite a bit going
for it. But throw in the outstanding Gallipoli
exhibition (running until 2019), featuring
Weta Workshop’s large-scale sculptures of
the WWI campaign’s doomed protagonists,
and you’ve got yourself a genuinely hot ticket.
tepapa.govt.nz
CUBA STREET: Wellington’s ‘spunkiest’
thoroughfare is worth more than a cursory
glance, filled as it is with many of the city’s
best and most bohemian restaurants, bars
and cafes, not to mention the obligatory
vintage clothes shops, street art and laudable
busking. A great spot to meander if you’re
feeling lazy or a little weather-beaten.
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GARAGE PROJECT’S CELLAR DOOR:
Jovial brewers with beards flogging beers by
the flagon from a converted garage — it all
makes for a wonderfully Wellingtonian retail
experience. The Cellar Door is the brewery’s
on-premises off-licence (its bar, the Taproom,
is across the road), and features an ever-
changing line-up of wondrous, unorthodox
grog. Plus, there’s fancy glassware for those
looking for a more lasting souvenir.
garageproject.nz
WELLINGTON CHOCOLATE FACTORY: Does
chocolate taste better when you’ve just
watched it being made? Hard to say, but this
is the place to find out. Here, at this bijou
little dream factory on Eva Street, they ‘roast,
crack, winnow, conch and temper’ on the
premises, before the agonising, purchasing
and devouring can commence. wcf.co.nz
UNDERGROUND MARKETS: You won’t find any
Kiwi Del Boys here, as this covered
waterfront market is more a vehicle for the
city’s artists, bakers, crafters and designers
to showcase their finely wrought creations
to a discerning weekend crowd. Regular live
music makes for a pleasant atmosphere.
undergroundmarket.co.nzIMAGE: MARK EDWARD HARRIS; AWL IMAGES; POSITIVELY WELLINGTON TOURISM; WETA WORKSHOP LTDWELLINGTON150 natgeotraveller.co.uk