kiwijo

Either option is possible. From Port of Tauranga, Hobbiton would be under 90 minutes drive, over the Kaimai Hills and through some rural flat rural areas. The coach option wouldn't be significantly longer. There isn't a lot of other stops or attractions on the route, although if you want to make a day of it with the car hire, you could come back along the valley road from Waihi or to one of the beaches en-route. However you do it, you'll love it. It's a little piece of magic ..

Declaration of interest - I live very close to the Zealandia valley and am benefitting from the amazing conservation programme. Last night I sat and watched five kaka parrots bounce on our nikau palm (and tv aerial!) We had none of that birdlife around the city even three years ago. Zealandia is probably the most ambitious conservation project underway in the world right now - a 500 year plan to restore the valley back to the way it was before humans lived in NZ!

If you're interested in New Zealand's nature and natural history (why don't our birds fly, why do NZers hate possums?) then Zealandia is a great visit. There's an indoor exhibition area and lots of easy walks. You're completely immersed in nature, and only 10 minutes away from port. Is it worth it? Depends on your interests and there's plenty of other things to do in the city, but I'm grateful every day we have this amazing place in Wellington.

In Wellington there are cabs at the cruise terminal which can offer tours. However, there's no touring bookable at the port, so you should try and book these in advance, especially if you're coming on a large ship or if there's two ships in port. Have a look at the list on WellingtonNZ.com as a starting point. You've got lots of options!

Hi there,

There's a number of small van-style tour operators in Wellington. While the major sites are easily reachable on foot in the downtown area, if you do want to get further afield have a look at your options here:

http://www.wellingtonnz.com/discover/things-to-do/sights-activities/search?c=All&l=all&p=all&q=tours&locale=en_NZ&action_search=Find

It's wise to book in advance and confirm the pick up location with the operator too - will they pick you up from port or from the Wellington I-SITE Information Centre?

The Celebrity Solstice does operate a shuttle - last year it was NZ$10 cash (NZ, US or AUD) and you pay for it portside. The ticket can be used all day. However, if you do book a tour in advance, your provider should be able to pick you up and drop you back port-side. No tours are sold at port, however pick-ups for pre-booked excursions are allowed as long as the operator applies for security access a couple of days in advance. Most of the operators will be well aware of this system.

Re shuttles - Co-Op is the main provider in Wellington - http://www.co-opshuttles.co.nz and Super Shuttle is http://www.supershuttle.co.nz. South Coast Shuttles is another good small operator of both tours and shuttles - scshuttles@gmail.com. You might also find that Tranzit is able to accommodate your itinerary with a small coach - http://www.tranzit.co.nz

Have fun!

Thanks so much for the confirmation, we so look forward to it. We are bird lovers and wonder should we take the guided tour or just go off on our own in Zealandia?

Well, I always take the tour! I think having a guide offers so much more to just ambling around on my own. The guides at Zealandia are usually volunteers and share the 500-year vision for the restoration of the valley; plus New Zealand's wildlife evolved (or not) in splendid isolation to the rest of the world. Having someone explain how different our environment and animals are to the rest of the world adds real value, I think. If you want to linger after the tour, there's plenty of Valley to explore on your own afterwards. This amazing place is less than a 15 minute cab ride from the cruise terminal, so it's not hard to stay and play.

As a footnote, I live very near Zealandia, and every morning get the benefit of their conservation work in my garden as well. The kaka parrots are noisy tree-shredding ratbags while the tuis are one of the NZ songbirds and great mimics - there's one that sounds like someone's cellphone and that's always an entertaining start to the day!

It's a good plan and absolutely do-able. From port to Cable Car would take an average walker around 20-25 minutes. Cable Car is $4.50 one way, or $7 return. The shuttle to Zealandia leaves at 10 to and 10 past the hour (i.e. 1050, 1110) and I think you're better to take the shuttle and expend your legs walking within Zealandia.

If the weather isn't so great, leap on a shuttle and head up to the information centre. The Zealandia shuttle leaves from there also and the exhibition area does a great job of explaining why NZ's environment is so unique and there's a café with lovely lake views. It's usually quite sheltered in the valley, so you should be able to enjoy walking in there in most conditions. Then you could get the shuttle back to the Cable Car top terminus, and just take a one way trip down. It only takes 5 minutes to get back down to Lambton Quay, the main shopping street.

Tip for those taking the Cable Car - it's always busier in the morning. The later you can leave it, the better!

Your parents may find something like the HoHo service a good way of getting around all the main highlights. When you get here, you'll see that operating a double decker bus service would be particularly challenging in Wellington's tight downtown area! As it's a popular option on cruise days, booking in advance is a good idea. 17& 18 Nov are double dcruise ship days in Wellington so pre-booking is a very good idea for any particular tour.

If you have full mobility, the easiest thing to do is walk. From the Embassy Theatre in Courtenay Place at the south end of the downtown to the Parliament Buildings at the other end through the downtown shopping and business district will take less than 30 minutes if you're of average fitness - and don't stop! Take a shuttle to downtown Lambton Quay or the i-SITE, about 20 minutes walk from the cruise terminal, and then Te Papa, the Cable Car, the Botanic Gardens, Carter Observatory and then the Parliament precinct and Old St Paul's all lie north in the direction back to the cruise terminal.

Things to do will depend on your interests, but film tours, food tours, Te Papa, and Zealandia nature area are all popular excursions. You can get a lot more ideas at WellingtonNZ.com.

I'm a big hist-fic fan too. You could start with this year's Booker Prize Winner, The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, set at the time of the New Zealand gold rush. Try and finish it before you leave because it's too darn big to travel with at 800+ pages!

Jenny Pattrick's 'Denniston Rose' series is also set around the same time and West Coast of the South Island area and is a whole lot shorter!

Although not exactly on brief, Lloyd Jones 'The Book of Fame' covers New Zealands passion for rugby and follows the Invincibles rugby team on their unbeaten tour of Britain at the start of the 20th century. I think it's absolutely fab and so very readable.

Fiona Kidman is another great NZ historical fiction writer - start with 'A Book of Secrets'. You'll also find a wealth of WW1 and WWII fiction available especially as we head into the 100th anniversary of the battle at Gallipoli.

Christchurch Library has posted a good starting list at - http://christchurch.bibliocommons.com/list/show/79555600__christchurchlib/85432359_if_you_like_new_zealand_historical_fiction

If you're coming into Wellington, visit Unity Books on Willis St - everything that's great about good old fashioned bookselling in one fantastic store! Te Papa's store also has a superb book section.

And complete not relevant to New Zealand, but if you ever do any European cruising, Dorothy Dunnett is the pinnacle of hist-fic in my view and inspired me to visit Malta (which is a darn long way from NZ!)

Marlborough (Picton is the port) is the home of New Zealand's sauvignon blanc white, so definitely a high point. Wine touring should also be very easy in Napier which is well known for the blended reds (Cabernet/Merlot/Sauvignon & Franc) coming off the Gimblett Gravels in particular, but often cruise ships are there for just half a day which might cut into your enjoyment. In Wellington, Flat Earth Tours or Zest Food Tours can arrange a personalised tour across to Martinborough in the Wairarapa. This is a boutique wine region specialising in Pinot Noir (that's Burgundy to Northern Hemisphere types). Focus here is on small volumes and very high quality and the vineyards are often family owned. If you're a wine fan, this will offer a unique selection of premium wines you probably won't get outside of New Zealand and usually the person pouring your tasting glass is the winemaker. Enjoy!

Wellington will give you some shopping options too, with the port within easy distance of the downtown. Icebreaker is New Zealand's premium outdoor merino brand - Gordon's Outdoor at the bottom of Cuba St has a dedicated store. For the more fashion/leisure I'd suggest Te Papa's store, Kirkcaldie & Stain department store, Sommerfields near the Cable Car on Lambton Quay and Simply New Zealand opposite the InterContinental Hotel.

Great souvenirs - nice and light and with the possum, you're doing our environment a favour as well! If you want to find out why possums are such a problem for New Zealand, take a 10 minute trip up to Zealandia - they explain it really well!