Wellington

All ships dock at Aotea Quay, a free shuttle service is provided at Aotea Quay, which is the only way to get into the city.

The downtown area of Wellington is approximately 1.2 miles (about 2 kilometers) from the Aotea Quay cruise terminal. It is a short drive or a 20-25 minute walk along the scenic waterfront.

The shuttles operate on a continuous loop and run frequently throughout the day.

Printable map to take along.

Wellington, known as New Zealand's arts and culture capital, offers an unmatched blend of culture, heritage, fine food, and lively arts and entertainment.

Surrounded by hills and a rugged coastline, the city boasts a stunning harbor. Wellington's charm is that it serves up a vibrant inner city experience with a slice of New Zealand scenery. And because of its compact nature, you can sample it all - boutique shopping, art galleries, trendy cafes and restaurants. Right on its doorstep is a network of walking and biking trails with beautiful wineries and vineyards just a few hours away.

Wellington is a city that brims with energy and vitality, it offers an almost overwhelming array of theatre, music, dance, fine arts and galleries and museums.

Wellington Museum, The museum features a large-scale model of the harbor including model ships and other maritime memorabilia. The cost of entry for international visitors is $19 for adults, $13 for children older than 3 and free for infants.

National Museum and Art Gallery (Te Papa) opened in February 1998 and is a wonderful way to discover the country, its land, its people and its culture. Housed in an imposing building overlooking the harbour, Te Papa is only a 10-minute walking distance from Queens Wharf and a 30-minute walk from Aotea Quay. Using an exciting combination of interactive displays and leading technology, Te Papa is sure to entertain and inform its visitors. The fee is $35 for international visitors and free for locals.

Zealandia Ecosanctuary is the world's first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary, with an extraordinary 500-year vision to restore a Wellington valley's forest and freshwater ecosystems as closely as possible to their pre-human state. The 225 hectare (500+ acre) ecosanctuary is a groundbreaking conservation project that has reintroduced 18 species of native wildlife back into the area, some of which were previously absent from mainland New Zealand for over 100 years.

Wellington Botanic Garden With 25 hectares of beautiful garden and 150 years of history, we have been recognised as a Garden of National Significance by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, as well as an important Heritage Area by Historic Places Trust.

The price of a public bus day tripper has gone up. NZ $11 per person per day covers most bus rides that will stop nearby most inner city & suburban places of interest.

A $11 NZ day-tripper pass gets you on local public transport, not including the cable car.

Most buses are cash or stored value card only (Snapper), and do not allow for credit/debit card payment. Exception being the airport route.

For a spectacular overview of the city and harbor, ride the cable car from Lambton Quay (behind the downtown shops) up to the hilltop district of Kelburn. The cars move along a cable in the ground, not in the air. You can ride down ($6 NZ one way). The free botanical gardens are also located in Lambton Quay.

Hop on/off buses.

Weta Workshop Museum and Cave Our crew have worked on many well-known and much-loved films and TV series, such as The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Avatar, King Kong, District 9 and many more. Our tour experiences, creative workshops and event offerings are our chance to share our creativity with the world, offering visitors up-close personal experiences into the artistry and craftsmanship that happens within our workshop every day.

The Wellington Zoo offers both animals native to New Zealand as well as extoic animals from around the world. Only a 25 minute journey from the port using local bus route 23 to Houghton Bay.

A wide range of shops, boutiques and department stores flank a mile-long thoroughfare, extending from Lambton Quay south to Courtenay Place. From crafts to clothing, hand knits to antiques, you will find plenty to shop for in this cosmopolitan city.

Known as the Craft Beer Capital (CDC), craft beer is one of the staples of the Wellington food and beverage scene. Make sure to download the CBC Passport for discounts and the free map for a list of participating breweries. Cheers!

The New Zealand dollar (NZD) is used in New Zealand. Limited traders do accept foreign currency, particularly in tourist destinations but most businesses only accept NZD when cruises are in port. The conversion from US dollars to NZ dollars is appoximately US$1=NZD1.45.

Automatic teller machines (ATMs), locally known as 'the hole in the wall', are available in just about every town.

Very limited WiFi available in Wellington. If in need, the local library offers free WIFI, as well as public toilets.

The emergency telephone number in New Zealand is 111.