Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Paraparaumu (New Zealand). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Southward Car Museum, Wellington Tramway Museum, and Raumati Marine Gardens. Also, be sure to include Kapiti Island Nature Tours in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Paraparaumu (Wellington).
Table of Contents
Southward Car Museum
Museum in Paraparaumu, New Zealand. The Southward Car Museum is an automobile museum and event centre established by Len Southward in the 1970s to house his collection. The museum has a collection of over 400 vehicles, as well as three aircraft. It is in Otaihanga, just north of Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. The museum is run by a charitable trust.
The museum is about one hour's drive from Wellington and is situated between the North Island Main Trunk railway to the west and State Highway 1 to the east. It is a purpose-built building, featuring a 6000 square metre exhibition hall, engineering workshop, gift shop, and small cafe, all set in park-like grounds.
The building includes a 474-seat theatre the Southward Theatre which features a 1929 Wurtlitzer theatre organ, which was originally installed in the Civic Theatre in Auckland.[1]
Address: Otaihanga Rd, 5036 Paraparaumu
Wellington Tramway Museum
Museum in Paekakariki, New Zealand. The Wellington Tramway Museum is located at Queen Elizabeth Park in New Zealand, near the overbridge at McKay's Crossing between Paekakariki and Paraparaumu. Trams have been in operation on a line through the park since 1965. The museum is 45 km from Wellington.[2]
Address: Whareroa Rd, 5034 Paraparaumu
Raumati Marine Gardens
Park in Paraparaumu, New Zealand. Raumati Marine Gardens is a public park in Raumati Beach on New Zealand's Kapiti Coast. It is near the Tasman Sea just behind the beach, hence its name, and on the northern side of the park, the Wharemauku Stream reaches the ocean.
The Gardens are a popular recreation location for locals and visitors from nearby towns. The park includes an outdoor ridable miniature railway operated by Kapiti Miniature Railway and Associates. It features a dual gauge (5 inch and 7¼ inch) circuit that has been progressively upgraded and expanded over the years and features bridges and tunnels. Trains operate Sunday afternoons and motive power includes live steam, internal combustion, and battery electric. An indoor HO scale model railway was built beside the outdoor railway's main station in the early 1990s but was closed early in the 21st century.
The Gardens also contains a children's playground with splash pad. The heated indoor swimming pool complex that is the main public pools for Paraparaumu, Paraparaumu Beach, Raumati Beach, and Raumati South has moved to the Paraparaumu Aquatic Centre near the Coastlands Complex.[3]
Kapiti Island Nature Tours
Address: Ferry check-in is in the 180 Degrees Cafe, Marine Parade, Paraparaumu
Kapiti Coast
The Kāpiti Coast is the name of the section of the coast of the south-western North Island of New Zealand that is north of Wellington and opposite Kāpiti Island. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Kāpiti Coast District Council and the Greater Wellington Regional Council.[4]