|
WLG-3 | Weta Workshops There and Back Again Full Experience | 3.00 hrs
Enjoy the incredible creativity on offer at Weta Studio Tours. The Full Experience is guided from start to finish, you will not only enjoy the Weta Workshop Tour (home to the creators of props and costumes for many blockbuster movies) but will also see more of Wellington.
WLG21 | Full Day Wairarapa Tour | -3.00 hrs
WLG-12 | Wellington LOTR Half Day Tour | 4.25 hrs
This half day program lets you explore many of the LOTR movie locations with our specialist guides. See the Weta Cave, the behind the scenes Exhibition Tour and video that tells the story of WETA. See how parts of Wellington were turned into Middle Earth.
WLG-18 | Wellington LOTR Full Day Tour | 7.00 hrs
This full day program lets you explore many of the LOTR movie locations with our specialist guides. See the Weta Cave, the behind the scenes Exhibition Tour and video that tells the story of WETA. See how parts of Wellington were turned into Middle Earth.
WLG-19 | Wellington Full Day Tour | 7.00 hrs
This full day program lets you explore many of the Wellington locations with our specialist guides.
WLG-20 | Wellington Half Day Tour | 4.25 hrs
This half day program lets you explore many of the Wellington locations with our specialist guides.
WLG-13 | Electric Bays Guided Bike Tour - Half Day | 4.00 hrs
Take a fully guided adventure exploring Wellington by electric powered cycles. Explore the wonderful waterfront before visiting scenic bays and panoramic lookouts.
WLG22 | Martinbourough Wine Tour | 8.00 hrs
This full day program explores the Martinborough regions in our comfortable minibus. We deliver five star customer focused experience while visiting the best highlights of the region.
WLG-S11 | 3 passenger SUV WLG | from 4.00 hrs - 3 persons
Book one of our comfortable 3 passenger SUVs driven by our experienced guide. Pre-plan your itinerary with our team, or discuss the options on the day with your driver and make sure you see and do what you want - getting you back to the ship in good time!
WLG-S8 | Small group Private Tour - Mobility Vehicle | from 4.00 hrs - 4 persons
Our specially adapted tour minibus can take one wheelchair user and up to 4 additional passengers. Although the driver is not a qualified tour guide, they will do their best to ensure you have an enjoyable time.
Capital city of New Zealand, one of the first major settlements in the country, is now a bustling commercial centre, seat of the Government and many other institutions. Its dramatic location, clinging to steep hillsides along the harbours edge, gives it a unique character, often referred to as the Windy City. The Cruise Ships berth a short distance from the city centre, Te Papa, the countries leading Museum is a popular choice to visit.
Wellington is the second most populous urban area of New Zealand, located at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range, with a population of 395,600.
Wellington also holds the distinction of being the world's southernmost capital city. In 2011 Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011 named Wellington as fourth in its Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2011, referring to the New Zealand capital as the "coolest little capital in the world".
Wellington takes its name after Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo. In Maori, Wellington goes by three names, Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara refers to Wellington Harbour and means "the great harbour of Tara". Poneke is a transliteration of Port Nick, short for Port Nicholson and Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Maui, meaning The Head of the Fish of Maui (often shortened to Te Upoko-o-te-Ika), a traditional name for the southernmost part of the North Island, derives from the legend of the fishing up of the island by the demi-god Maui.
European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the New Zealand Company on the ship Tory, on 20 September 1839, followed by 150 settlers on the Aurora on 22 January 1840. The settlers constructed their first homes at Petone (which they called Britannia for a time) on the flat area at the mouth of the Hutt River. When that proved swampy and flood-prone they transplanted the plans, which had been drawn without regard for the hilly terrain.
In 1865, Wellington became the capital city of New Zealand, replacing Auckland, where William Hobson had placed the capital in 1841. The Parliament of New Zealand had first met in Wellington on 7 July 1862, on a temporary basis, but Wellington did not become the official capital city for three more years. Parliament officially met in Wellington for the first time on 26 July 1865. At that time, the population of Wellington was just 4,900.
The city averages 2025 hours (or about 169 days) of sunshine per year. The climate is a temperate marine one, is generally moderate all year round, and rarely sees temperatures rise above 25C (77F), or fall below 4C (39F). The city is notorious however for its southerly blasts in winter, which may make the temperature feel much colder. The city is generally very windy all year round with high rainfall, average annual rainfall is 1249 mm.
Can I get a taxi at the cruise ship terminal?
Yes, there is a taxi stand just outside the cruise terminal building.
Are there shuttle buses to get into the city centre?
The ship usually arranges shuttle buses, these take you into the city centre. However if you have a pre-booked tour then do NOT take the shuttle to the city if your meeting instructions say you will be picked up at the wharf.
I was told that the Te Papa National Museum is free entry, is this true?
Yes, our National Museum, Te Papa on the Wellington waterfront is free entry and you can easily spend the whole day there as theres' lots to see.
Can I see the Lord of the Rings Movie locations?
Yes, there are a number of movie locations close to Wellington, though its best to take one of the LOTR specialist tours who can show you just where they are, you can also visit the Weta Cave, the retail outlet and small museum of the WETA Workshop.
