My favourite place to spend summer in New Zealand is Wellington. Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and is located at the bottom of North Island, it is famous for its windy weather, so if you do not like wind, like myself, pack some windproof clothing.
Wellington has so much to offer, I believe every traveler can find something they will like in Wellington.
Wellington has so much to offer, I believe every traveler can find something they will like in Wellington.
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My favourite things to do in Wellington:
1. Walk or bike to the Pencarrow Head lighthouses
There are two lighthouses at Pencarrow Head that can be reached from Burdan's Gate at the southern end of Eastbourne. Follow the gravel track along the harbour approximately seven kilometres. I like watching the ferries traffic along the way. You can go fishing, snorkel for paua also called abalone, or pick up some mussels on the way back from the lighthouses. Please check the local limits before taking fish or shellfish, on the ministry of fisheries website. The old lighthouse is on top of the hill, to go there follow the track provided.
There are two lighthouses at Pencarrow Head that can be reached from Burdan's Gate at the southern end of Eastbourne. Follow the gravel track along the harbour approximately seven kilometres. I like watching the ferries traffic along the way. You can go fishing, snorkel for paua also called abalone, or pick up some mussels on the way back from the lighthouses. Please check the local limits before taking fish or shellfish, on the ministry of fisheries website. The old lighthouse is on top of the hill, to go there follow the track provided.
Pencarrow Lighthouse, Cook strait ferry on the distance
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Tract heads to the old lighthouse
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2. Snorkling for Paua (Maori name for abalone) at Makara beach
Have you tried Paua, also known as abalone? You can find paua easily at Makara beach, what you need to do is snorkel to locate the paua then dive down to pick them up from the sea floor. After you pick up enough paua for the day, you can cook them on the beach. Check here for my paua recipe. Makara beach is also suitable for swimming, relaxing on the beach, and enjoying the views. For travellers who like tramping, they can try the famous six kilometre-loop track where you can see magnificent views, and go back along the beach. Makara walkway begins and ends at Makara Beach. The beach is at the end of Makara Road which runs from the south end of Karori Road.
Have you tried Paua, also known as abalone? You can find paua easily at Makara beach, what you need to do is snorkel to locate the paua then dive down to pick them up from the sea floor. After you pick up enough paua for the day, you can cook them on the beach. Check here for my paua recipe. Makara beach is also suitable for swimming, relaxing on the beach, and enjoying the views. For travellers who like tramping, they can try the famous six kilometre-loop track where you can see magnificent views, and go back along the beach. Makara walkway begins and ends at Makara Beach. The beach is at the end of Makara Road which runs from the south end of Karori Road.
Makara beach
Me, holding a paua
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David with some paua
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3. Visit the botanical gardens
Wellington botanical gardens is a nice place to go for a walk during the day and if you come in summer you might be able to see the light festival at night time. The main entrance to the garden is on Glenmore Street. There are several ways to get to the garden:
Wellington botanical gardens is a nice place to go for a walk during the day and if you come in summer you might be able to see the light festival at night time. The main entrance to the garden is on Glenmore Street. There are several ways to get to the garden:
- Cable Car - Cable Car Lane, off Lambton Quay. You can then take the downhill walk back to the city.
Wellington Cable Car - No 3 Karori Bus or No 13 Mairangi- catch the bus at Lambton Quay and get off at the Centennial and Founders' entrances on Glenmore Street. Metlink
- Walking - a popular route is from The Terrace through Bolton Street Memorial Park, through the Lady Norwood Rose Garden to the Main Garden. This takes about 20 minutes.
- Car - the only public car park in the garden is next to the Lady Norwood Rose Garden. Parking is limited to 2 hours. Access is through Centennial entrance on Glenmore Street. Parking is also available along Glenmore Street.
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4. Walk along the water front
Wellington waterfront is an interesting place to visit. There are so many activities you can try, such as: visiting cafes for lunch or dinner, kayaking on the harbour, jumping from the diving platforms into the sea, playing at Frank Kitts Park, visiting Te Papa museum, or walking around taking photos.
Wellington waterfront is an interesting place to visit. There are so many activities you can try, such as: visiting cafes for lunch or dinner, kayaking on the harbour, jumping from the diving platforms into the sea, playing at Frank Kitts Park, visiting Te Papa museum, or walking around taking photos.
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5. Kaitoke Regional Park
Just 45 minutes drive north of Wellington city. You can camp, ride a horse, swim in the river, go rafting and kayaking, go hunting or tramping. It has everything for the nature lover. Check out the video below. You can also find more information here: www.gw.govt.nz/Kaitoke/
Just 45 minutes drive north of Wellington city. You can camp, ride a horse, swim in the river, go rafting and kayaking, go hunting or tramping. It has everything for the nature lover. Check out the video below. You can also find more information here: www.gw.govt.nz/Kaitoke/
I really enjoyed our afternoon trip to Kaitoke Regional Park, my favourite part was crossing the hanging swing-bridge over the river, which is really beautiful. I would love to visit this place again.
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