What to See in Wellington - Top Sights and Attractions

Lush council-run gardens and native forest. The Wellington Botanic Garden in Wellington, New Zealand covers 25 hectares of land on the side of the hill between Thorndon and Kelburn, near central Wellington.

The garden features 25 hectares of protected native forest, conifers, plant collections and seasonal displays. It also features a variety of non-native species, including an extensive Rose Garden. It is classified as a Garden of National Significance by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture. In 2004 it was listed as an historic area with Heritage New Zealand.

The Wellington Cable Car runs between Lambton Quay and the top of the Botanic Garden, and it is the most direct way to get from the top part of the garden to Wellington's Central Business District. The winding hill paths of the Garden are a popular spot for Wellington residents. It is used for walking, jogging and taking children to the playground, and tourists enjoy meandering through the Garden's many collections via the downhill path to the city.

The Gardens feature a large Victorian-style glasshouse, the Begonia House, the Lady Norwood Rose Garden and the Treehouse Visitor Centre. There is a large children's play area, a duck pond, and glowworms visible some nights along paths in the Main Garden – there are monthly tours during autumn–spring (the Garden is otherwise closed at night). Large sculptures and carvings are located throughout the garden. These are by artists such as Henry Moore, Andrew Drummond, Mary-Louise Browne, Regan Gentry, Denis O'Connor and Chris Booth.

The Wellington City Council organises events during spring and summer months, such as free concerts in the Sound Shell.

The Wellington Botanic Garden is home to several organisations, including:

• Carter Observatory, the National Observatory of New Zealand
• Wellington Cable Car Museum
• Meteorological Service of New Zealand

Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum, located in Wellington. Usually known as Te Papa, it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand and the National Art Gallery. The 17th-most-visited art gallery in the world, an average of more than 1.5 million people visit every year.

Te Papa Tongarewa translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring from mother Earth here in New Zealand". Te Papa's philosophy emphasises the living face behind its cultural treasures, many of which retain deep ancestral links to the indigenous Māori people. The Museum recognises the partnership that was created by the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, te Tiriti o Waitangi, in 1840.

WELT is the Index Herbariorum code for Te Papa.^[2]

Street in Wellington, New Zealand. Willis Street is a prominent street in the central business district of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Along with Courtenay Place, Manners Street and Lambton Quay, the lower reaches of Willis Street form part of the "Golden Mile", Wellington's primary entertainment and retail district.

Willis Street is one of the four 'quarters' of downtown Wellington, the others being centred on the Cuba Quarter, Courtenay Place and Lambton Quay.

The two tallest buildings in Wellington, the Aon Centre (Wellington) (formerly known as BNZ Tower) and the Majestic Centre, are both located on Willis Street. There are a large number of heritage buildings registered by Heritage New Zealand in Willis Street, including St John's Church and Henry Pollen House.^[5]

Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. Wellington Museum is a museum on Queens Wharf in Wellington, New Zealand. It occupies the 1892 Bond Store, a historic building on Jervois Quay on the waterfront of Wellington Harbour. In 2013, it was voted by The Times as one of the world's 50 best museums.

The museum has four floors covering the history of Wellington. Celebrating the city's maritime history, early Māori and European settlement, and the growth of the region, the museum seeks to tell Wellington's stories and how the city has evolved over its 150 years as capital of New Zealand. A giant cinema screen stretching between the ground, first and second floors shows a series of films about Wellington. There are three theatre areas: one tells Māori legends using a pepper's ghost, the other is a memorial to the sinking of the Wahine ferry in Wellington harbour and located on the top floor a Wellington Time Machine. A new exhibition space, The Attic, opened in late 2015 after extensive refurbishment and restoration to the top floor.^[7]

Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. Space Place at Carter Observatory is housed in a historic astronomical observatory located at the top of the Wellington Botanic Garden in Wellington, New Zealand.

The site was originally home to the Wellington City Observatory (nicknamed "The Tin Shed"), established in 1924. This was demolished and replaced by the Carter Observatory, which officially opened on 20 December 1941. Space Place is now managed by Museums Wellington, which is part of Experience Wellington, and is a public museum and planetarium with a focus on space and New Zealand astronomy. The Observatory houses a digital planetarium as well as an historic 93⁄4-inch Cooke refractor telescope, through which evening visitors can observe a variety of Solar System and deep-sky objects.^[9]

The Statue of Katherine Mansfield is located in Midland Park on Lambton Quay, Wellington, New Zealand, and honours the life of New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield.

The statue project was a joint commission between the Wellington Sculpture Trust, the Katherine Mansfield Society and the Wellington City Council. Part of the funding was provided by the Nikau Foundation, on behalf of the Richard and Doreen Evans Charitable Trust; other funding was provided by Apex Properties, Todd Corporation, Wellington Community Trust, Mark McGuiness and Jon Craig. It was unveiled in May 2013 by Wellington's Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown.

The statue is the work of New Zealand sculptor Virginia King. At night the statue is lit up from inside, showing that the stainless steel figure is covered in passages of Katherine Mansfield's writing.^[10]

Cathedral in Wellington, New Zealand. The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and of Saint Mary His Mother, better known as Sacred Heart Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral on Hill Street, Wellington, New Zealand. It is the parish church of the Thorndon Catholic parish and the Cathedral of the Archbishop of Wellington. The New Zealand Parliament is a close neighbour of the cathedral. However, the Thorndon Catholic parish predates that institution. The cathedral is part of a Catholic precinct which includes St Mary's College; Sacred Heart Cathedral School; St Mary's Convent, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Mercy in Wellington; the Catholic Centre, in which Catholic administration is located; and Viard House, which is both the Cathedral parish presbytery and the residence of the Archbishop.

The church was popularly known as "the Basilica", because of its palladian architectural style. It was designated as the Cathedral of Wellington in 1984 after earthquake strengthening and the addition of the Blessed Sacrament chapel, foyer, sacristy, courtyard, hall (called Connolly Hall) and piazza. The parish of Thorndon was administered by the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) for eighty-five years until 1935, although secular or diocesan clergy were also stationed there. The founder of the see, Bishop Viard, and the first two Archbishops, Redwood and O'Shea, were also members of the Society of Mary. Since 1954 all the archbishops and the resident clergy of the Cathedral have been secular clergy.

Thorndon has always been the residence of the archbishops of Wellington except for the period 1935–1954 when Archbishop O'Shea continued to live at Paterson St, Mt Victoria which was his address as coadjutor.

On 13 July 2018, the main Cathedral building was closed for seismic strengthening, with services continuing in the cathedral chapel or at St Thomas Moore Church, Wilton. The strengthening of the cathedral is expected to be completed in 2023 to a high standard with base isolation.^[11]

War memorial in Wellington, New Zealand. The Wellington Cenotaph, also known as the Wellington Citizens' War Memorial, is a war memorial located on the intersection of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street in Wellington, New Zealand. It was unveiled on Anzac Day 1931 to commemorate the New Zealand dead of World War I. It features two wings decorated with relief sculptures, and the central cenotaph is topped with a bronze figure on horseback, all carried out by Richard Gross. Two bronze lions and a series of bronze friezes were later added in commemoration of World War II. On 18 March 1982, it was registered as a Category I historic place with registration number 215. It is a focus of Anzac Day commemorations in the city.

The souvenir programme for the dedication says the mounted figure was entitled 'The Will to Peace', and is described thus:

Pegasus spurning underfoot the victor's spoils of war and rising into the heavens, enabl his rider to emerge from the deluge of blood and tears, and to receive the great spiritual assurance of peace.

On 2 September 2013, new plans for the cenotaph were presented including a new staircase and water feature up to the Parliament Buildings. The works also include repairs to the cenotaph surface materials and creation of a square to create a ceremonial space.

In 2015 the Wellington Anzac Day citizen's wreath-laying ceremony was held at the upgraded National War Memorial.^[14]

Sculpture by Phil Price. The Zephyrometer is a public sculpture by Phil Price in Evans Bay, Wellington. The work was installed in 2003. It is a kinetic sculpture consisting of a concrete cylinder holding a 26m tall needle which sways to show wind direction and speed. The Zephyrometer was damaged by lightning on August 14, 2014.

Zephyrometer was the second of five major wind sculptures commissioned by the Wellington Sculpture Trust over the period 2000 – 2010, which now make up the Meridian Wind Sculpture Walk. Zephyrometer is the largest and most successful sculpture commissioned, achieving iconic status in the city. The work has become a destination sculpture for International tourists, and is a beloved local landmark.^[15]

War memorial in Wellington, New Zealand. The National War Memorial of New Zealand is located next to the Dominion Museum building on Buckle Street, in Wellington, the nation's capital. The war memorial was dedicated in 1932 on Anzac Day in commemoration of the First World War. It also officially remembers the New Zealanders who gave their lives in the South African War, World War II and the wars in Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The War Memorial consists of the War Memorial Carillon, the Hall of Memories, and an unknown New Zealand warrior interred in a tomb constructed in 2004 in front of the Hall of Memories. Four Rolls of Honour bear the names and ranks of 28,654 New Zealanders. Lyndon Smith's bronze statue of a family group is the focal point for the complex, which is visited by approximately 20,000 people a year.^[16]

Historical landmark in Wellington, New Zealand. The Bucket Fountain is an iconic kinetic sculpture in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is located in Cuba Mall, which is part of Cuba Street. It consists of a series of "buckets" that fill with water until they tip, spilling their load into the buckets and pool below. The fountain was designed by Burren and Keen and erected in 1969.

Much of the water does not reach the buckets below, but instead splashes onto pedestrians and onlookers. On windy days (common in Wellington) water is carried several metres from the fountain.

People often add dishwashing detergent to the water, which spreads bubbles all over the mall. This is common on Friday and Saturday nights.

Wellington City Council upgraded the fountain in 2003, and some buckets were turned around so they intentionally tip their water onto the pavement.^[18]

Anglican church in Wellington, New Zealand. The Wellington Cathedral of St Paul is an Anglican church in the city of Wellington, New Zealand. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Wellington and the cathedral of the Bishop of Wellington. Situated in Thorndon, the main entrance to the cathedral is on Hill Street, at its junction with Molesworth Street; it is located close to the parliament precinct.

The building was designed in the 1930s by New Zealand architect Cecil Wood. Construction began in 1954, and was completed in 1998. It was constructed in reinforced concrete due to the effects of the 1931 Napier earthquake making other choices impractical. The church was initially envisioned as a war memorial cathedral, and it was designed on a monumental scale. Archbishop of New Zealand Reginald Herbert Owen declared in 1958: "Every nation needs in its capital city a great church to express its belief in the things of the spirit". The building began to be used as an Anglican cathedral in 1964 (replacing Old St Paul's), and was consecrated in 2001.^[19]

Pedestrian bridge in Wellington, New Zealand. The City to Sea Bridge is a pedestrian bridge and public artwork located in Wellington City, New Zealand. Opened on 31 October 1993, the wedge-shaped bridge crosses arterial road Jervois Quay, connecting the public spaces of Civic Square to the Wellington waterfront precinct at Whairepo Lagoon. Around the square are the Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Town Hall, Wellington City Art Gallery and Wellington Central Library.

The bridge has become a tourist attraction in its own right.

Architects Rewi Thompson and John Gray were commissioned by Wellington City Council to design the bridge, and they brought in artist Paratene Matchitt to contribute to the design. The Council's brief was that the bridge should address the significance of the waterfront and public space. The bridge is adorned with non-traditional wooden sculptures carved by Matchitt, some of which form the sides of the bridge. On one side are two large birds representing welcome and festivity. On the other are two whales which can also be seen as the taniwha Ngake and Whātaitai, who according to Māori legend created Wellington Harbour. Poles on the bridge have metal shapes on them. Some represent the moon and stars, signifying celestial navigation. Other symbols on the poles are inspired by those on Te Kooti's flag Te Wepu. Matchitt's work was influenced by Te Kooti's philosophies and he used these symbols in other sculptures as well as the bridge. The whole layered bridge structure represents the uplifted and eroded landforms of Wellington and a point of arrival and change. At the Civic Square base of the bridge are two Oamaru stone sculptures by Matt Pine, titled Prow and Capital. A plaque here states:

Capital and Prow The sculptures by Matt Pine on either side of the stairs are part of a series of 10 works called Reflections on an Ancient Past. Capital (above) is based on European classical architectural elements with koru form on the edges. Prow (on the other side) depicts a Maori canoe prow with Taniko weave motif on the edges - a mix of European and Maori cultural elements.

Problems with the bridge's design and construction have been ongoing. Remedial work was undertaken shortly after the bridge opened when it was found that small children could fall through gaps. Rot was discovered in 2009 and strengthening undertaken in 2010 and 2011,and then a 2019 report considered its resistance to earthquakes.

Between 15 October 2011 and 31 January 2012 protesters set up a camp on the raised grassed area on the Civic Square side of the bridge. The protest, 'Occupy Wellington', began in support of the international Occupy movement but during the occupation the focus changed to an emphasis on homelessness. The protest cost ratepayers more than $65000 in legal fees, security and repairing damage to the lawn.^[20]

Observatory in Wellington, New Zealand. The Dominion Observatory is a historic observatory in the Botanic Gardens in Wellington, New Zealand. It was the second observatory in Wellington. It was built in 1907 and originally named the Hector Observatory after James Hector until 1925. It was built to replace the Colonial Observatory which was located in the Bolton Street Cemetery.

The observatory was primarily used to maintain New Zealand Mean Time for the Time Service based on astronomical observations.

It was designed by architect John Campbell in the Edwardian Baroque style.

The observatory was vacant in 1993, and in 2003 it was refurbished by the Department of Conservation to be used by private businesses.^[27]

Underground tunnels dating back to WWII. Wrights Hill Fortress is a counter bombardment coastal artillery battery in the Karori suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. It was built between 1942 and 1944 and is predominantly underground, with numerous tunnels linking the war shelters, gun emplacements, magazines, plotting rooms and engine room - which are, at some points, over 50 feet underground. The fort was intended to house three 9.2" Mk. XV guns, but only two guns were installed and the fort never saw action. After World War II was over, fort commanders fired both of the guns. The fall of the shot was observed in Cook Strait and these test firings were deemed a success. In 1960, somewhat ironically, both of the guns were sold to the Japanese as scrap metal, the very nation Wrights Hill Fortress was constructed to defend Wellington against. The design of the fort is similar to the Stony Batter and Whangaparaoa 9.2" Mk. XV batteries, near Auckland.

Wrights Hill Fortress is currently in the hands of a preservation society and can be visited, by the public, on Waitangi Day, ANZAC Day, the Queen's birthday, and Labour Day. Tours may be booked, at other dates and times, by prior arrangement. The Fortress is listed as a Category I Historic Place.^[29]