It’s only 2 hours from eastern Australia if there’s a strong tailwind…
Before the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings films came to dominate New Zealand’s tourism scene, the two main islands were best known for stunning scenery, adventure tourism, ski resorts and sheep, lots and lots of sheep.
In a country with approximately 4.4 million inhabitants, the sheep population stands at approximately 31.1 million, resulting in a sheep-to-human ratio of seven to one, a significant drop from the peak year, 1982, when 70.3 million sheep outnumbered 3.18 million people by 22 to 1.
Its three big cities: Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington hardly rank highly on most international visitors’ lists of ‘must do’ destinations.
Cable car from Lambton Quay to Kelburn near the Botanic Gardens.
These three metropolises currently claim over half the country’s total population. Like Australians, Kiwis have embraced the cosmopolitan life, choosing city life over country life in overwhelming proportions.
There’s a reason why Kiwis gravitate to their cities, employment being the primary reason. Secondly, if you want city lights and urban excitement in New Zealand, the choices are naturally limited.
Lambton Quay Wellington’s waterfront at night.
Here Wellington takes top line honours and there’s hardly a sheep in sight. Boredom as a kind of travel stasis rarely comes to mind when considering Wellington as a choice destination.
While Wellington has become the film capital of New Zealand, it has also grown into a fun loving small city packed with surprises.
Wellingtonians will happily point out the ‘Tipping Buckets’ fountain in Cuba Street right in the centre of town where Frodo Baggins (aka Elijah Wood) was cautioned by the police to remove himself from its uppermost pail after getting a bit tipsy with the locals during a pub crawl.
Cuba St Tipping Buckets Fountain by Peter Fisher.
Apparently, the hobbits were enjoying just another night out while filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy that put Wellington on the map of notoriety in a way that earthquakes, horrendous storms, freakish winds and famed local author Katherine Mansfield couldn’t.
WETA studios building.
If you’re a keen hobbit fan, then Wellington is definitely the NZ town in which to satisfy your curiosity. Which is a pity really… The capital of NZ is so much more than the back lot for a film, even if Peter Jackson uses it as one.
Gollum figure at Weta Studios.
For instance, Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand has become Wellington’s cultural locus. Opened in 1998, the museum is a rapidly running success story with over 10 million visitors thus far and still counting.
Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand main entrance.
Don’t miss viewing the enlarged copy of the Treaty of Waitangi which went a long way to protect Maori land rights during a time when British colonists were not often intent on even admitting that indigenous peoples actually had rights at all. (The original copy is housed under glass in the National Archives building also in Wellington.) Te Papa should be an obligatory stop on your itinerary and is an amazing insight into the Maori homeland Aotearoa, which translates as The Land of the Long White Cloud. Or The Land of the Long Flat Vowel as some Australian pundits describe the Kiwi’s predilection for flattening vowels so they all sound like ‘eh’.
The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary is another surprise. Within walking distance of the CBD are 252 hectares of pest-free sanctuary devoted to the rehabilitation of many of NZ’s threatened species. Kiwis, wekas, kakas and wetas thrive here under protection from roaming feral cats, dogs, rats and destructive possums.
Karori Wildlife Sanctuary entrance.
Hearing birdsong here is unforgettable, a sound memory of what NZ may have been like before so many of its native bird species were wiped out from deforestation, loss of habitat and the introduction of predators previously unknown to New Zealand.
At Karori, it’s also possible to get close a weta, a cricket-like bug the size of a child’s hand, a memorably spooky experience. Peter Jackson’s Wellington film production business is called Weta Studios. Scary looking insect names major international film production house?
Weta in hand.
Wellington’s nightlife is unusually sophisticated for a city this size. It rocks. I wasn’t expecting much but Wellington really hums with delicious activity. Pubs, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants are packed and friendly. With over 400 dining options, it outranks even Sydney on a per capita basis. It’s certainly not the sleepy government town I anticipated. Clearly, having a collection of embassies, high commissions and their foreign workers has added much to Wellington’s cultural diversity.
Wellington nightlife can be quite busy.
And if you decide to wear furry costume feet in public whilst trying to appear very small, I’m sure no one will notice.
Tom Neal Tacker visited Wellington as a guest of its tourism authority.
Naked Facts:
Note: Wellington is a windy city. On lists of the world’s windiest cities, it ranks first according to most global meteorological websites. Hold on to your umbrellas and hats travellers!
www.WellingtonNZ.com for general information on greater Wellington.
www.wellingtonrover.co.nz for Lord of the Rings Tours.
www.tepapa.govt.nz for upcoming exhibitions at Te Papa.
www.sanctuary.org.nz for more about Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.