Wellington Region, New Zealand

New Zealand's capital city, Wellington  is New Zealand's political centre, housing Parliament, the head offices of all Government Ministries and many  foreign diplomatic missions that are based in New Zealand.

Wellington plays an important role in New Zealand's film and theatre industry, and Wellington City is famous for it's nightlife, cafes and art scene. Recent films by Peter Jackson shot in Wellington include the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, King Kong and Avatar.

The national museum of New Zealand 'Te Papa Tongarewa' is sited on Wellington's beautiful waterfront. The museum houses many of New Zealand's national treasure and is signifigant for New Zealand Maori culture and taonga (treasures), its dynamic art heritage, and the country's fascinating history.

The Wellington Cable Car is a functional railway in Wellington. It runs between Lambton Quay, the main shopping street, and  Kelburn, a suburb in the hills overlooking the central city, rising 120 m over a length of 612 m. It is widely recognised as a symbol of Wellington.

Wellington is a departure point for the Interislander ferry to Picton in the South Island. Wellington lies at the southern end of the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) and the Wairarapa Line converging on Wellington Railway Station. Two long-distance train services leave from the Wellington Railway Station: the Capital Connection for commuters from Palmerston North and The Overlander to Auckland.

 The greater Wellington region incorporates Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt in the Hutt Valley, and the seaside holiday resort  the Kapiti Coast. Kapiti Island lies opposite the Kapiti Coast which is the site of Kapiti Island Nature Reserve and adjoins the Kapiti Marine Reserve.

This region offers a variety of activities, from white water rafting to scenic tours. It boasts a wide choice of accommodation including quality backpacker hostels, self contained motels, city hotels, bed & breakfast and luxury lodges.

Kapiti Island is around 5km off the west coast of the southern North Island, just one hours drive north of Wellington. It is 10km long and around 2km wide and it covers 1,965 hectares.

The Island is a nature reserve – an area set aside for the protection of native plants and native birds, and where human influence is monitored and kept to a bare minimum. For some, witnessing this kind of environment can be an experience that can affect the way they see themselves in the world. As a nature reserve it remains the most protected of public lands, and today the sheer abundance and diversity of birdlife gives testimony to the decades of careful management, good planning and much hard work. CLICK HERE for Kapiti Island Nature Tours

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