Wellington: New Zealand's windy capital

"Windy Welly": that's Wellington's nickname, and it's no exaggeration. On my very first day the wind blew so hard I nearly lost my cap. But behind the wind is New Zealand's most pleasant city: compact, creative, full of cafés and museums, with mountains and the sea within reach. What to see in Wellington? Here are my tips.

Te Papa: a museum that swallows you up

The national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, is free, and you could spend a whole day in it. Māori culture, New Zealand's nature, earthquakes, and the Gallipoli exhibition with giant figures by Weta Workshop. For me, the best introduction to how New Zealand works.

The cable car and the botanic garden

The red Wellington Cable Car takes you from Lambton Quay up above the city to the botanic garden. At the top there's a lookout, and you can walk back down through a garden full of plants from all over the world.

Mount Victoria

A hill above the centre with a view of the whole harbour, the city and the airport. Ideal at sunset. The forest below the summit is where the Lord of the Rings scene was filmed in which the hobbits hide under the roots from a Black Rider. More film locations are in in the footsteps of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Cuba Street and coffee

Wellington is considered New Zealand's coffee capital. On Cuba Street you'll find independent cafés, second-hand shops, street performers and the cult Bucket Fountain. They make a really excellent flat white here.

Weta Workshop

In the suburb of Miramar is the studio that made the costumes, weapons and effects for The Lord of the Rings, Avatar and dozens of other films. A behind-the-scenes tour is a must for film fans.

Red Rocks: fur seals on the coast

On the south coast a path follows the sea to the red rocks of Red Rocks. In winter (roughly May–October) New Zealand fur seals laze about here. The walk is about 4 km one way, and it blows hard. More about the seals in the sea lion colonies of New Zealand.

Trips from Wellington

• Wairarapa: the wine region around Martinborough, an hour over the hills.
• Cape Palliser: the North Island's southernmost point, with a lighthouse and a fur seal colony. A comparison with the northernmost tip is in Cape Reinga vs. Cape Palliser.
• Putangirua Pinnacles: the rock towers where the Paths of the Dead were filmed.
• Kapiti Island: a bird sanctuary with kiwi.

The ferry to the South Island leaves from Wellington: how I made the move, I write about in time to move to the South Island.

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