Day trips from Wellington
 

We will have 4 full days in Wellington in Nov and want to take at least one day trip. Would you recommend: 1. Kapiti Coast including the car museum; 2. Paliser Bay; or, 3. Dominion Post Ferry to Days Bay? Thanks in advance.

Of your three destinations, Wellington to Palliser Bay would involve the most driving, part of it over Rimutaka Hill Road, which is curvy, steep and narrow, and occasionally subject to high winds.
Do you have this link to NZ's AA Drive Distance Calculator?
https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/time-and...ce-calculator/

Thank you for link Diamantina - was not aware of it. I should have been more clear - for either Paliser or Kapiti we will go on a guided tour, not drive ourselves. Which of the 3 options best represents NZ beauty?
Thanks.

If you don't have to worry about driving, I'm sure you'd find a tour of Palliser Bay interesting and enjoyable.

Would that be this tour?
https://www.viator.com/tours/Welling...d399-2472HT003

If so, this looks like a good value tour offering a variety of experiences, a mixture of natural beauty and historic sites (and a wine tasting).

I think of Days Bay (and Eastbourne) as a pretty, green, relatively small suburb of Wellington, with shops, cafes, little beaches, galleries. I've taken a bush walk in the hills above Days Bay and enjoyed it. If I had to live in Wellington, I'd choose this area. I'm not familiar with the Dominion Post ferry schedule, but this doesn't seem like an all day trip, maybe you can visit it on a portion of one of your other days in Wellington.

Would the Kapiti Coast tour be this one?
https://www.viator.com/tours/Welling...d399-2472HT002

I'm not personally familiar with the above places visited on this tour, so not qualified to comment. I've flirted with visiting or staying on Kapiti Island, as it's a major destination for birders, just never gotten around to it.

I like Wellington city a lot.

Let the weather decide?
Wellington on a nice day is truly stunning and then go for the ferry across the harbour. You might see the inter island ferry go past or a cruise ship.
If the weather is not good then the car museum.
If you are thinking of the tour you could probably get the suburban train out there and walk along the beach yourselves for a lot less than $175! Even if you get a taxi to the car museum it would still be cheaper.

Thanks again Diamantina. Yes, both Viator but without the LOTR bit.

And thank you also Tasmangirl - I didn't know about the train. A great idea - flexible, efficient, great value for money.

You want the Kapiti line from Wellington Central Station.
Get off at Paraparaumu Station and it would be about an hour walk.
Some people like tours and I'm not trying to undercut any Kiwi tour operators but some are expensive for what you get.

The Cape Palliser tour offered on Viator seems convenient for people without their own transport who'd like to visit this area not served by public transportation. The drive takes about 4 hours return, parts of it along steep and curvy Rimutaka Hill Road (SH2) and along the narrow gravel road (to the lighthouse). The Viator page indicates the tour last about nine hours from start to finish.

Cape Palliser Lighthouse was built in 1897 and marks the southernmost point of the North Island. There's a fur seal colony nearby.
http://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/cape-palliser/

I looked at your other post and it seems you'll also be going to Kaikoura, which also has a large fur seal colony and a dramatic coastline.

November weather will likely be a mixed bag. Could be wet and windy, or gorgeously dry and windy, or maybe not so windy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post...lington-really

Thanks to you both for helpful info.