Masterton i-SITE Visitor Information Centre
Great War Exhibition
The Great War Exhibition was created by Weta Workshops’ Sir Peter Jackson to portray the horror of war. The exhibition focuses on the Western Front during the First World War through displays of artefacts and photographs. Exhibits include detailed life-size dioramas and even a full size tank and all the photographs have been painstakingly restored and hand-coloured.
The exhibition is housed in the old Dominion Museum building near the National War Memorial south of Wellington city centre.
Weta Cave & Weta Workshops studio tour
The Weta Cave is the main hub for visitors to the Weta Workshops complex. This is where studio tours depart from, but it is also worth coming here if you don’t plan on taking a tour.
Weta Workshops is the film production, special effects and prop company based in suburban Miramar. Weta have worked on a number of films and television series including Avatar, Blade Runner 2049, The Last Samurai, King Kong, Tin Tin, Thunderbirds are Go, Van Helsing, Xena: Warrior Princess and of course, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
The Weta Cave has a small museum that showcases props from films that Weta Workshops have worked on including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and there is also a small cinema that shows a behind-the-scenes documentary. There are plenty of photo opportunities here and it is a great day out for fans.
Of course, the Weta Cave is just there to whet your appetite for Weta Workshops’ studio tour combo, which includes two 45-minute tours: the Weta Cave Workshop tour and the Miniatures Stage Tour.
The main Weta Cave Workshop tour lets you see thousands of artefacts, costumes and props and you are also able to see people at work in the workshop. On the tour you are able to handle props and costumes for some unique photo opportunities.
There is also a second tour in the combo that focuses on Weta Workshops’ recent work on Thunderbirds are Go television series. The Miniatures Stage Tour lets you see the miniatures created by Weta Workshops along with concept art and original storyboards and go on the Thunderbirds are Go set.
There is also a premium There And Back Again tour, but that is really just the same as the regular tour combo, but with return bus transfers from the city centre. It’s really not worth paying the extra $40 for the bus transfer when you can take a regular city bus for less than a quarter the price.
Mount Victoria lookout
There’s a fantastic view over Wellington and the airport from the Mount Victoria lookout at the summit of Mount Victoria (Matairangi) in the Town Belt to the southwest of the city centre.
You can drive to the top or catch bus 20, but the best option is to hike up the Lookout Walkway, which is around a 30-minute walk from Courtney Place.
Space Place at Carter Observatory
Space Place at Carter Observatory is an observatory, science museum and planetarium that is located in the Wellington Botanic Garden near the Kelburn terminus of the Wellington cable car.
The observatory was opened in 1941 primarily as a base for astronomical research, although nowadays it is considerably more accessible to the public and includes a planetarium and science museum.
The planetarium features a varied programme of shows including some designed specifically for children, although the live presentation of the southern sky over New Zealand can be interesting if you’re from the northern hemisphere and not familiar with the southern night sky.
Like any science museum, Space Place has interactive galleries including displays about black holes and the Apollo missions of the 1960s. It is also fascinating to visit the Matariki theatre where you can learn about Māori astronomy and how Māori navigated the Pacific Ocean using the stars.
If you visit the Carter Observatory on a clear night you are able to look through the giant Thomas Cooke telescope.
Cable Car Museum
The Wellington Cable Car Museum is housed in the original winding house that was used from 1902 to 1978. The museum is set on two levels and features the original winding mechanism and two of the original cable cars that operated in the early 1900s as well as one of the red cable cars that were used on the line from the 1950s to the 1970s.
The museum also has displays about the history of Wellington’s cable car system as well as exhibits explaining how cable cars work.
A fun activity at the museum is dressing in period costume to have your photo taken with one of the original cable cars.
The Cable Car Museum is located at the Kelburn terminus of the Wellington cable car.
Beehive & Parliament House
The eye-catching Beehive (the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings) and the adjoining Parliament House and Parliamentary Library lie at the heart of Wellington’s parliamentary district, a short walk from the train station.
Although parts of these buildings are usually closed to the public the New Zealand Parliament’s visitor centre on the ground floor of the Beehive conducts one-hour free guided tours where you can discover where New Zealand’s politicians work. The visitor centre also has a small exhibition space where you can watch a short video presentation about New Zealand’s Parliament. It is advisable to book your tour at least 24 hours in advance either by emailing tour.desk@parliament.govt.nz or by calling (04) 817 9503.
Wellington Interislander ferry terminal
The Interislander ferry sails from the Wellington Interislander ferry terminal at Aotea Quay, which is just north of the Westpac Trust Stadium.
There are usually five daily ferry sailings with journey across the Cook Strait taking 3–3½ hours.
A free shuttle bus departs from outside platform nine at the train station 50 minutes before each departure.
Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry terminal
Bluebridge provides an alternative to the more popular Interislander ferry service and it is usually the cheapest option if you are taking a car across.
The Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry terminal is on Waterloo Quay, which is just a short walk from Wellington railway station (which has a small New World supermarket). The ferry terminal has free Wi-Fi internet access.
Wellington ManaBus coach stop
ManaBus runs coach services linking Wellington and Auckland with stops en route at Palmerston North, Taupo, Rotorua and Hamilton (or Tauranga).
The Wellington ManaBus coach stop is on Bunny Street outside the McDonalds. It is across the road from Wellington railway station and is very handy if you’re staying at the Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers.