51 Best Sights in Wellington and the Wairarapa, New Zealand

Built in 1858 as a family home by immigrant carpenter William Wallis, this cottage is Wellington's oldest remaining building. With its steep shingled roof and matchboard ceilings, kauri wood paneling, and somber Victorian wallpapers, the house has been kept almost completely in its original state. The spinning wheel, smoke-blackened cooking pot, hand-pegged rugs, and oil lamps re-create the feeling of those pioneer days. Outside, a garden of flowers and herbs blooms in a riot of color during the summer.

The buildings that make up the Parliament complex include Parliament House with its Debating Chamber, a copy of the one in the British House of Commons right down to the Speakers Mace. Here legislation is presented, debated, and voted on. There is fine Māori artwork in the Māori Affairs Select Committee Room. The adjoining building is the Parliamentary Library. The neighboring Executive Wing is known for architectural reasons as The Beehive; it's where the prime minister and cabinet ministers of the elected government have their offices and hold cabinet meetings. Across the road at the corner of Whitmore Street and Lambton Quay, the Old Government Buildings, the largest wooden structure in New Zealand, is now home to Victoria University’s law faculty. Tours start in The Beehive, and a guide explains the parliamentary process in detail.

As the heart of the waterfront, the beat of Odlins drum depends on the season. In summer, the plaza is lined with market stalls and food trucks. Springtime sees many an art installation or pop-up theater battle the waterfront winds. In the colder months, food stalls return with warmer fare to feed ice skaters, sauna-goers, and the odd brave ocean diver. The plaza is also a great central location where the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the City Gallery, and Mount Victoria are all in easy reach.

The largest wooden structure in New Zealand is now home to Victoria University's law faculty. Constructed in 1876, the original plans called for concrete and timber construction. Due to the high price of concrete at the time, plans were modified and it was ultimately fashioned entirely from timber, including a considerable amount of native kauri. Inside are historic exhibits and an information center, but it's the exterior that most captivates visitors.

Consecrated in 1866 in a style dubbed Colonial Gothic, the church is a splendid example of the English Gothic Revival style executed entirely in native timbers. Even the trusses supporting the roof transcend their mundane function with splendid craftsmanship.

For a taste-bud-tickling exercise that doesn't involve grapes, head to Helen and John Meehan's olive grove, 3 km (2 miles) north of Martinborough. You can visit the grove and its 5 acres of gardens to learn how oils are produced. Tastings (and sales) of their extra-virgin and infused olive oils are encouraged.

Devoted to gathering and preserving indigenous plants, Õtari's collection is the largest of its kind. With clearly marked bushwalks and landscape demonstration gardens, it aims to educate the public and ensure the survival of New Zealand's unique plant life. While in the garden, you'll learn to identify forest plants, from the various blechnum ferns underfoot to the tallest trees overhead. An aerial walkway crosses high above the bush, giving an unusual vantage point over the gardens. Look and listen for the native birds that flock to this haven: the bellbird (korimako), New Zealand wood pigeon (kereru), and parson bird (tūī) among others. Take the No. 14 Wilton bus from downtown (20 minutes) and ask the driver to let you off at the gardens.

This 9.1 km (5.7 miles) cliffside trail has breathtaking views of the coast. With its step-climbs and swing bridges, this track is a little different from your typical "long walks on the beach." Most walkers drive to the Pukerua Bay Train station and catch the northbound train to the next stop, Paekākāriki, to walk the trail from north to south.

Don't miss the white wines here—they're some of the best around. Of particular note is the sauvignon blanc, which is renowned for its intense ripe flavors, and the chardonnay, which is organically made in an elegant classic style.

A 15-minute drive north of Wellington on State Highway 2—with magnificent harbor views all the way—leads you to the Hutt Valley and its namesake river. The Petone Esplanade, on the eastern side of the harbor, has good fishing from the wharf and is overlooked by houses clinging to steep bush-clad hills. On the waterfront, visit the small but interesting Petone Settlers Museum; it's open Wednesday through Sunday, 10–4. Housed in the historic Wellington Provincial Centennial Memorial building, the free museum stands near the 1840 landing site of New Zealand's first organized European settlement. Nearby, Jackson Street is home to many boutique shops and eateries.

This appropriately monumental space around the National War Memorial is the base for remembrance of New Zealand's experience in war. At the foot of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior towers the carillon, whose bells ring across this city and echo in the memorial's Hall of Memories. Beyond the steps of the memorial is a wide plaza with reflective artworks and historical information.

Just before Lake Ferry, turn left (coming from Martinborough) at the sign for Cape Palliser and drive another 15 km (9 miles) around Palliser Bay to Te Kopi, where the Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve is protected from the hordes by its relative isolation. The spectacular rocks have been formed over the last 120,000 years as rains have washed away an ancient gravel deposit, and pinnacles and towers now soar hundreds of feet into the air on both sides of a stony riverbank. An hour-long loop walk from the parking area takes you along the riverbank to the base of the pinnacles. If you're feeling adventurous, a three- to four-hour bushwalk involves some steep climbs and magnificent vistas of the coast—as far off as the South Island on a clear day. Sturdy footwear and warm clothing are essential. The Pinnacles are an hour's drive from Martinborough.

Paekākāriki's draw is the shore, but it's also the main entry point for Queen Elizabeth Park. Covering more than 1,600 acres, the park is edged by sand dunes and swimmable beaches. Walking, horseback riding, and cycling are popular activities here. Of special interest is the WWII U.S. Marines memorial and display.

The Reid brothers curate craft gins and vermouth from the unique flavors of New Zealand botanicals. Taste their range at their G&T garden bar, or contact them by email to take a tour through the distillery, which must be pre-booked through the company's web site.

Lie back and watch an almost limitless range of virtual space journeys in the planetarium, or, on a clear night, view the heavens through the observatory telescope. Such experiences—plus state-of-the-art displays and a remarkable collection of artifacts that includes the oldest working telescope of its kind in the country—make this a popular stop. The observatory is only a two-minute walk from the top of the Kelburn Cable Car, and you can also wander up from the botanical gardens.

For enjoyable bushwalks in gorgeous forests laced with streams, come to Tararua Forest Park. The Mount Holdsworth area at the east end of the park is popular for tramping. If you're in the mood for an alfresco lunch, the park also has picnic facilities. To get here turn off State Highway 2 onto Norfolk Road 2 km (1.2 miles) south of Masterton. Follow Norfolk Road for 16 km (10 miles) to the Mount Holdsworth Campsite.

Near Petone, this museum stages a changing array of exhibitions—including ones focused on extraordinary jewelry, fashion, photography, and ceramics—that showcase the creativity of New Zealand's artisans.

The lack of suitable local stone, combined with the collapse of most of Wellington's brick buildings in the earthquake of 1848, ensured the almost-exclusive use of timber for building here in the second half of the 19th century. Most carpenters of the period had learned their skills as cabinetmakers and shipwrights in Europe, and the sturdy houses on this street are a tribute to their craftsmanship. A few notables are the tall and narrow No. 304, Premier House, and the little doll-like cottages along the adjoining Ascot Street.

In the hills overlooking downtown is a concentration of splendidly varied terrain and forest. Native woodlands fill the garden's valleys, water-loving plants line its mountain streams, and the lawns brightly flourish with seasonal and annual blooms.

The lovely Lady Norwood Rose Garden is in the northeast part of the garden. On a fine summer day, you couldn't find a better place to enjoy the fragrance of magnificent flowers. This rose garden is the most popular part of the Wellington Botanic Garden. Situated on a plateau, the formal circular layout consists of 110 beds, each planted with a single variety of modern and traditional shrubs. Climbing roses cover a brick-and-timber colonnade on the perimeter. Adjacent to the rose beds, the Begonia House conservatory is filled with delicate plants.

If you don't want to walk up the hill, the Kelburn Cable Car can take you. Or catch the No. 2 bus (direction: Karori) from Lambton Quay to the main (Glenmore Street) entrance.

The Swiss-built funicular railway makes a short-but-sharp climb from among the shops on Lambton Quay to the highest point in the Wellington Botanic Gardens, the Kelburn Terminal. Once up there, you get great views across parks and city buildings to Port Nicholson. Sit on the left side during the six-minute journey for the best scenery. At the top, a small Cable Car Museum in the old winding house has a free display of restored cable cars and a splendid gift shop.

Smell the burlap sacks, hear the gulls, and see the (mechanical) rats scuttling around in this refurbished 1892 bond store, now a museum that portrays the history of the original Māori tribes and the European settlers who arrived around 1840. The displays cover work, leisure, crime, and education in Wellington. A steampunk-themed fourth-floor attic is not to be missed with its weird and wonderful exhibits.