Positively fabulous in Wellington
A dozen Aussie travel agents visit the Capital and get a whirlwind taste of what to see in the windy city.
Australian travel agents visited New Zealand’s Capital last week as part of the largest mega-famil hosted by partners Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia.
First stop was the quirky Weta workshop on the outskirts of the city – home to cool props seen in flicks such as Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Unsurprisingly, it’s also co-founded by Peter Jackson, director of the films.
The two-hour behind-the-scenes guided tour is well worth it for any movie buff, as they get a close-up look at some of the props and models created by Weta for the films, as well as coming face-to-face with some of the well-known characters including faves Gandalf and Gollum.
While Wellington offers a range of outdoor and indoor activities suitable for visitors of any age, one must-see stop in the city is NZ’s national museum, Te Papa. The museum is free to visit and open every day, and visitors can also expect to spend at least two+ hours here checking out local history exhibitions and a range of natural artefacts. The Gallipoli exhibition, running until 2018, is remarkable – spinning tales and historical facts with interactive features and giant-sized sculptures created by the geniuses at Weta.
The compact city is walk-friendly and from Te Papa’s waterfront to the shopping district is just a few minutes walk. Cafes, pop-up food trucks, restaurants and bars line the city’s streets giving the impression Wellingtonians regularly dine out and have quite the nightlife on offer. In fact, we learn Wellington has more restaurants, bars and cafes per head than New York!
Wellington is the last stop on the three-day regional tour of New Zealand for the group, and with direct flights to Sydney operated by Air New Zealand and Brisbane by Virgin Australia; it’s an easy three-or so hours back home.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
air new zealand hobbit lord of the rings Peter Jackson tourism new zealand virgin australia wellington Weta Weta WorkshopLatest News
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