Will be back one day...at the moment concentrating on running an ebay shop! "PosterJedi"
Will be back one day...at the moment concentrating on running an ebay shop! "PosterJedi"
Member since:03.10.2004
Reviews:18
Members who trust:19
******Reason for "average" rating****** I'd like to say that I quite enjoyed my visit to Wellington - but I'm an old(ish) fart. This Review is very much written from the viewpoint of a young person - who would find the place boring!
*****The Arrival****
After a hair raising, but fun, landing at the local airport (the plane has to land in very windy conditions just above the sea and rocks) we found the main terminal building nearly deserted - even though it was the middle of the day. We managed to get a local taxi into the main tourist information centre in the city. The taxi journey only took 10 minutes and wasn't expensive. You may want to think about booking accommodation
in advance. We really struggled to get something for 5 of us and the tourist information centre closes at 5pm - we arrived at 4.50pm. The "3 star" accommodation for 5 saw me sleeping on the sofa - but we were travelling around and needed to watch the pennies.
*****Social issues*****
Wellington has social problems - just like most other cities. The kids get drunk at night and hang around street corners during the day. That's probably because there is nothing for them to do.
The Maori and white populations seem to get on better than the equivalent relationship in Oz. In general people are very laid back and don't even give you a second look - so you don't feel that you are a tourist.
*****The Main Attractions*****
Everything we found to do involved museums (the national Moari museum is in Wellington and is great!) or national parks. Very interesting cable card ride up a steep slope to get to the gardens.
Once up at the botanic gardens (where there is a cable car museum) you get a beautiful view over the bay that stretches over the the South Island of New Zealand (Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island). The time of year I went was nearly winter and the water didn't seem so appealing in the cold. I do think that this would be an exceptionally beautiful scene in the summer - a rich expanse of blue water with the hills of the South Island towering on the horizon.
Once you visit the botanic garden museum - you sort of feel obliged - you can choose one of 3 routes to get back down the hill. The cable car goes back down eveery 5 minutes or so (but we didn't fancy this having seen the ancient machinery in the cable car museum!) or you can opt to walk through the gardens themselves.
The routes down through the gardens are helpfully timed - you can go the quick way that takes 20 minutes or the slow way that takes 40. In reality you can get down in about 10-15 minutes but in the summer you would really want to take 2 hours! A huge variety of plant and tree life is signposted as you descend the hill and you look up with envy at the houses dotted over a similar hill straight across from the gardens.
At the foot of the hill lies the rose garden that has hundreds of different types of rose growing next to each other. I'm sure I saw one called "Benson & Hedges" rose. I'm a non smoker so didn't smell that one! :-)
*****The Food*****
I wasn't impressed by the cuisine in Wellington. I don't really know what I expected, maybe New Zealand lamb? Anyway that wasn't plentiful at all. I actually ate the best Indian meal I have ever had..in the main street in Wellington. I can't even remember the name of the restaurant but it was so much better than anywhere else in the city. The food is quite a shock if you have just flown over from the magnificent cuisine of Sydney.
*****The Shopping*****
Wellington is quite like Edinburgh actually - but has less pronounced shopping areas (no Princes Street equivalent). The prices were not a bargain - lots of music stores and the CD prices were roughly equivalent with here. I didn't notice that many shops for young people and nothing for tourists really (which may be a good thing!). Everything you need if you live there but nothing if you want to buy gifts or unusual things.
*****In Summary*****
A good place to feel safe, inconspicous and plan the rest of your journey into other parts of NZ! just think twice before taking the kids...
Pictures of Wellington (New Zealand)
The view from the botanic gardens
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Advantages: Lots to see and do, brilliant garden to explore outside. Plan for two half day visits to get most out of it. And its FREE. Disadvantages: On 2nd floor have to pay to 'experience' rides. Maori folk tale rather than scientific facts.
Oct 19th, 2004
(Nov 3rd, 2004)
very helpful by (67%):
helpful by (22%):
somewhat helpful by (11%):
