More about Wellington
Why go to Wellington?
Lots to do, vibrant port area, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The weather is haphazard and it's a different town when it's windy and raining
The nation's capital has lots to explore and you need Plan A and Plan B depending on the forecast
Wellington Cruise Port Facilities?
The big ships dock at Aotea Quay, an industrial area, where disembarking passengers are met by coaches to transport them into the city -- a short, five-minute journey. Small ships dock at Queens Wharf, just a few steps from Wellington Museum (formerly the Museum of City and Sea) and a couple of blocks from all the downtown shops and restaurants.
Good to Know?
New Zealand's capital Wellington is the home to many of the country's cultural institutions, which are well worth seeking out. From the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to the National Library of New Zealand and, of course, New Zealand Parliament's Executive Wing, universally known as The Beehive (that it resembles) you can select an interest and pursue it here.
Getting Around?
Wellington is relatively small. You can walk to most of the major sights in town.
By Taxi: Wellington Combined Taxis accept debit and credit cards. You can also call them on 04 384 4444 (within NZ). Uber and Ola operate in Wellington, too.
By Bus: Metlink is Greater Wellington's Public Transport for buses, trains and ferries. Go to the railway station for buses traveling beyond the city centre and harbour area. If you are going to be travelling quite a lot on public transport, it may be worthwhile buying a Snapper card for $10 as the fares can be almost half that for cash.
By Rental Car: For out-of-town exploration, rental cars are available from the usual outlets -- Avis, Budget, Hertz and more. For more information, visit the Wellington i-SITE Visitor Information Centre at 111 Wakefield St.
Currency & Best Way to Get Money?
The New Zealand dollar is about 1.50 to the US dollar, which is good news for cruisers. The easiest way to get local currency is from an ATM, found throughout the city and attached to just about every bank. Shoppers using debit cards can ask for 'cash out' the Antipodean term for money back.
Language?
English is the national language though there is a vowel-shift going on, so that 'ham' becomes 'hem' and 'best' sounds more like 'bist'. Australians have been known to unkindly say that the Land of the Long White Cloud would be better named the Land of the Long Flat Vowel.
New Zealanders are extremely proud of the nation's Maori heritage so you will hear Maori words being used in everyday speech. A few handy, commonly used Maori phrases are kia ora for 'hello' and ka kite ano for 'see you again'.
