Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington Has the Only Preserved Colossal Squid in Existence and a Kiwi Sanctuary Within Walking Distance of the City Centre

The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) caught in the Ross Sea in 2007 weighed 495 kilograms and is the largest invertebrate ever recorded. It is displayed at Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum, which is free to enter. The squid is the most dramatic single exhibit in a museum that is significantly better than most international visitors expect before walking in.

Wellington has been rated one of the world’s most liveable cities in multiple annual surveys and most visitors spend one night here en route to Queenstown or Christchurch. This is a mistake. The city of 220,000 people cupped between a deep natural harbour and steep forested hills contains some of the best food per capita in New Zealand, a world-class film effects studio, one of the world’s genuinely impressive urban wildlife sanctuaries, and a coffee culture that other New Zealand cities acknowledge with quiet envy. Give it two nights.

Te Papa Tongarewa

Five floors covering Maori and Pacific culture, New Zealand natural history, the Treaty of Waitangi, and contemporary New Zealand art. The Gallipoli exhibition, with figures built by Weta Workshop at 2.4 times human scale, is among the most affecting museum installations in the southern hemisphere. Free entry. Open daily. Allow a full morning or you will leave having missed most of it.

Zealandia

A 225-hectare urban ecosanctuary 2 kilometres from the city centre, enclosed by an 8.6-kilometre predator-proof fence established in the 1990s. Over 40 native bird species – kaka, saddleback, hihi, tuatara – live here. Night tours reliably produce kiwi sightings, which is one of the stranger and more memorable wildlife experiences available in any world capital. Allow 3 to 4 hours.

Weta Workshop

The Academy Award-winning effects studio responsible for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Avatar, and District 9 runs guided tours in the Miramar suburb. Tours sell out in advance; book online. The Number 2 bus from the CBD reaches Miramar in about 20 minutes. Even visitors with limited interest in film effects tend to find the tour more compelling than expected.

Cuba Street and Food

Cuba Street is partly pedestrianised and has independent cafes, bookshops, vinyl stores, vintage clothing, and good restaurants at prices that remain lower than Auckland. Hiakai, chef Monique Fiso’s native-ingredient tasting menu restaurant, is consistently among the most celebrated in New Zealand. The Mount Victoria Chippery is regularly voted the country’s best fish and chips – the queue forms early for a reason.

Practical Notes

The nickname “Windy Welly” is genuinely earned; pack a layer regardless of the forecast. November through April has the most settled weather. Contactless card payments work everywhere in the city. Tipping is not customary in New Zealand.