Explore Wellington like a Local, part one
- ipres20254
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
We’re so excited to be hosting this year's iPRES conference in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. We've put together some Wellington tips and recommendations of places to visit around our capital city.
Getting Around
Wellington is fairly easy to get around – it's very walkable, and there are plenty of buses in the central city. All the info you need for getting around is here.
We drive on the left, but we also walk on the left too! So when you’re out and about on the footpaths (sidewalks), try to keep left as well.
Weather
As the saying goes, ‘You can’t beat Wellington on a good day!’ November is springtime here, but the weather can be quite changeable. It’s wise to bring layers that you can take on and off as needed, as well as a jacket and sunglasses. Be warned that Wellington is known as the ‘Windy City’, so it’s good to be prepared for anything! Pro tip - don’t bother bringing a travel umbrella - they don’t hold up against Wellington’s famed winds! A quality rain jacket is your best defense against the elements. Many streets have covered overhangs so when you walk on the sidewalk you can avoid getting wet.
Wellington has some of the cleanest air in the world, and the sun is strong here, so definitely bring sun protection if you burn easily (and maybe even if you don’t). And be prepared for Wellington to cool off quickly once the sun sets (or if the Southerly wind is blowing up from Antarctica...)
Walks and outdoor activities
Wellington has a contained central city, and it’s great for exploring. To get yourself acquainted with our central city and see some art along the way you could do the Wellington Sculpture Trust Walks. If you’d like to explore a little further, then the Top 20 Welly Walks - Outdoors - Wellington City Council is an excellent list, with some great tracks – some are more adventurous than others so you should easily be able to find a walk to suit your needs.
The Wellington Botanic Garden is a lovely place to wander around, and easy to get to from Lambton Quay in central Wellington via a quick jaunt up the Cable Car. We love our bird life in Wellington, and you’ll be able to see a bunch here. If you’re particularly interested in birds Zealandia, Wellington's Urban Wildlife Sanctuary, is a must-do. Zealandia has plenty of walks to explore and amazing wildlife to spot, including ancient tuatara, the closest living animal to dinosaurs, and the beautifully plumed flightless tākahe. You can wander around by yourself or sign up for an official tour to get all the behind-the-scenes intel! If you're interested in a Night Tour where you can hear or potentially even spot a kiwi, do sign up early as these can fill up quickly. Twighlight tours are also popular. Admission proceeds go towards conservation efforts and supporting the work of the sanctuary.
Oriental Parade, relatively nearby to the conference venue, is lovely for a walk, run, or bike ride, and Fryberg Pool is quite close to the conference venue if swimming is your style (plus they have a spa pool and sauna!)
Matairangi Mount Victoria, right in the central city, is lovely to wander around too – there are plenty of walking tracks. And it is also a prominent Lord of the Rings filming site!
Shopping
The WellingtonNZ website has a good guide to shopping in the city. Lambton Quay and Willis Streets are the more mainstream retail areas, whereas Cuba St, Aro Street, and Newtown offer more eclectic offerings. Here are just a few areas of possible interest, starting with a few of Wellington’s wonderful bookshops:
Unity Books Wellington (57 Willis Street, CBD) - not to be missed!
Arty Bees (106 Manners Street, Te Aro)
Pegasus Books (204 Left Bank, Te Aro)
Book Hound (132 Riddiford Street, Newtown)
The Undercurrent (118 Tory Street, Te Aro)
If you’re on the hunt for music—including New Zealand music—here are some record shops to get your vinyl fix (or CD or even cassettes!):
Slow Boat Records (183 Cuba Street, Te Aro)
Flying Nun Records (173 Cuba Street, Te Aro)
Creeps Record Parlour (154a Riddiford Street, Newtown)
Recommendations for finding those perfect gifts and souvenirs:
Te Papa Store (55 Cable Street, Te Aro)
Te Āmiki [the National Library's gift shop] (70 Molesworth St, Thorndon)
Welly Collective (100 Courtenay Place, Te Aro; 102 Cuba Street, Te Aro; 140 Lambton Quay, Wellington Central)
The Vault (2 Plimmer Steps, Wellington Central)
Māori Arts Gallery (Boat shed 1, Frank Kitts Park, Wellington Central)
Kura Gallery (19 Allen Street, Te Aro)
Wellington Apothecary (110 a Cuba Street, Te Aro)
Iko Iko (118 Cuba Street, Te Aro)
Ahu Boutique (115 Victoria Street, Te Aro)
Stay tuned for more local Wellington recommendations, including some of our favourite places to eat and drink!