Wellington suggestions appreciated

[RoupMom]

Our cruise will be stopping in Wellington from 9 AM until 5 AM the next morning. We have been planning to be "on our own" as all the guidebooks say it's quite walkable and easy to get around. I knew the Te Papa is something I would like to see (open 10-6 when we're there). Now, after reading in the paper about the Karori Sanctuary and looking at their web site, that looks fabulous and not to be missed. It's open until 5, I believe, unless one signs up for one of the tours. Anyone have any experience at those venues? Any suggestions regarding timing -- how long each typically takes?

Thanks in advance. I can hardly wait for Dec. 17 to get here when we take off!

[Napi's Mom]

We haven't yet been but we signed up for the Wellington Rover Tour ($40NZpp~appx $30US right now) Can use as a 2 1/2 hr tour of all the highlights, including some of the Lord Of the Rings filmsites, the Zoo....The Kaori Sanctuary and the Te Papa plus seneral other stops, OR you can use it as a HOP ON HOP OFF tour (2 1/2 hrs between pickups) and get off at any one or more of the stops. (See their very informative website at http://www.wellingtonrover.co.nz)

They also do more in depth tours ...check website

[kiwijo]

I'm sitting at my desk watching the Millennium ship leave port as I type! We've put on a gorgeous, if blustery, day for her visit.

 

You've picked on two fabulous things to do in Wellington. I'm not sure what ship you're booked on, but most of the larger ones dock at Aotea Quay, which is about a 20 minute walk to the centre of town, or a short cab ride. If it's a nice day, it would be great to walk along the waterfront to Te Papa - you can't miss it!

 

You can spend absolutely ages in Te Papa - I always recommend starting with a guided tour to get your bearings and then heading back to areas that take your fancy. There's free guided tours as well as more indepth paid tours - have a look at www.tepapa.govt.nz Allow at least 2-3 hours anyway. From there, I'd have lunch on the waterfront if it's nice or on the 4th floor cafe at Te Papa if it's not.

 

If you enjoy walking, head back to the centre of Wellington and take the Cable Car up to the top of the Botanic Gardens. From there, it's about a 20-30 minute walk to the Sanctuary entrance. Or leap in a cab (less than NZ$20) - or you can take a public bus - to Karori Sanctuary. It's less than 10 minutes drive from downtown Wellington. I really recommend a guided tour here too, so you don't miss spotting the tuatara and birdlife in the Sanctuary. Because your ship doesn't leave until the next morning, you could take the night tourand spend more time in Wellington during the day and then head up to the Sanctuary at dusk for the Sanctuary by Night tour, see the kaka parrots feeding, see the glowworms dotted throughout and try and spot a kiwi bird - there's a number of them. www.sanctuary.org.nz Allow at least a couple of hours, depending on your option.

 

If you're a real Museum buff, don't miss Museum of Wellington also on the waterfront (you'll walk past it on the way to Te Papa). If you're into food and wine, there's a couple of great foodie tours of Wellington. Have a look at www.WellingtonNZ.com under Sights and Activities for things to see and do. And if it's a gorgeous summer's day, continue on from Te Papa towards Oriental Bay, sit on the beach and enjoy a Kaffee Eis gelati - magic!

 

Downtown Wellington is really walkable - it's 30 minutes to get from Parliament Buildings (The Beehive) to Courtenay Place which is the entertainment/restaurant end of town.

 

Hope you have a great trip ..

[aussiedisneyfan]

Kiwijo, you have pretty much described my plan for the day. I want to spend a lot more time in Te Papa as last time I just did the quick overview tour. I also visited the Museum of Wellington which was really interesting. So I can give that a miss this time.

 

Roupmom, thanks for mentioning the Karori Sanctuary as I hadn't heard of it and now that is on my list of possibilities, hopefully the night tour.

[RoupMom]

Thanks, Napi's Mom and Kiwijo --- just the info I was looking for. We're thinking at this time to just do Wellington on our own, Napi's Mom, but will check out your referral in case we change our mind. Kiwijo, thanks for taking the time to respond. It's so great to have locals assist us in our planning. I think we will do just what you suggest. If we sign up for the night tour at Karori we might take their transport. My artificial knees only take so much walking, and we might have done my limit by then!

 

Aussiedisneyfan, although Karori Sanctuary is listed in my tour books, I hadn't paid it much attention. Then there was a piece in our local paper in Seattle about the finding of some tuatara eggs buried in the Sanctuary, which would be the first time they were found on NZ land for quite some time, if I understand it correctly. They were thought to be very endangered prior to the Sanctuary's efforts. That led me to check them out online (isn't the Internet fabulous?) and decide it's something we would enjoy very much.