Wellington
New Zealand’s centre of government and the world’s southernmost capital city. It is also the country’s cultural and the third most populous urban area in New Zealand.
Home to many museums, galleries, theatres, festivals and events, Wellington is also a leading centre for creative industries and is the home of the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX). The city is situated alongside Wellington Harbour and surrounded by natural beauty including Zealandia, an award-winning eco-attraction just minutes from the central business district. Wellingtonians
It’s been said that over one-third (33%) of Wellington residents have a bachelor degree or higher qualification – the highest in the country. Wellingtonians are also known as some of the fittest New Zealanders, with over 18,000 of its residents choosing to walk or jog to work. Runners are a regular sight around the picturesque waterfront.
Climate
Wellington’s weather gets a fair bit of slack and, yes, it can get a bit windy from time-to-time. But the capital actually enjoys a temperate and often sunny climate, enjoying around 2,000 sunshine hours a year. The warmest month is February, the coolest is July, and average annual rainfall is 1,270mm.
Population
Wellington city has a population of 200,100 people. The Wellington region (a series of closely linked cities and districts) is home to almost 500,000 people. The city accounts for 41% of the region’s population and 5% of New Zealand’s overall population. The capital’s population is young, with 55.9% aged 18-49 years compared with 45.1% in NZ generally.
Tourism
Tourism is a vital contributor to Wellington’s economy, resulting in some $1.6 billion in expenditure per year – that’s over $3,166 per minute!
Icons Key: Light Pollution Degree of Acessiblity Wind Conditions
Locations: Trig Point Space Place Red Rocks
SPORTS and RECREATION All in a day’s work. All in a lunchtime’s play. We live in a city where work-life balance is reality, not fantasy. Where it’s more than culture; it’s landscape. Green belt or blue belt, we have hundreds of kilometres of trails and an ocean on our doorstep. Just up the road you can tramp the ranges, visit the vineyards, and watch the sunset from a long sandy beach. Down at the waterfront, office workers eat lunch on the edge of the water while kids of all ages dive in; parents and toddlers play on the grass. Our homes are threaded through bush-clad hillsides.
You name it we play it. Wellingtonians are keen to pull out the sports gear and play hard. At last count, we participated in sports of every kind imaginable. While most of us are out playing rugby, netball, football and hockey, others are pulling out the moves in leser-known sports like speed golf, bike polo and floorball. On a walk through Wellington streets you’ll see any number of freestyle sports happening; slack lining in Frank Kitts Park, hoop shooting in Vivian Street, and footie booting around Waitangi Park. You’re never far from places to play in our city. Put the stadium, the sportsgrounds, sports centres, rec centres, skateparks, bikeparks, indoor and outdoor courts, velodrome, golf courses, greens and neighbourhood playgrounds together and you’ve got just over 4,200 hectares to let loose in. That’s not to mention our biggest sporting arena – the wide blue harbour, where our toughest competitors battle it out on the water. It’s enough to make you want to pick up a ball, stick, bat, rig, deck, racquet, club, foil, or just a pair of shoes and join in.
“We turned a warship into an underwater garden. We created a sanctuary of birdsong in the middle of a capital city. “
Facts 98.9 Kilometres of coastline 36,000 Volunteer hours nurturing our natural heritage 363 Kilometres of mountain bike and walking tracks around the city 66 Kayaks and 12 paddle boards for hire at Fergs 84,000 Kilometres run by AMI Round the Bays competitors every year 1.25 Hour commute time by kayak from Petone 102 Metres of town belt per Wellingtonian 67,000 Workers playing lunchtime and post-work sport 103 Parks and playgrounds 200+ Scuba divers visiting F69 wreck 56 Bird species at Zealandia 389 Berths at inner-city marinas 4 Out door swim events 1,130 Swimmers in total at the State Capital Swim Series
352,000 Wellingtonians play sport 105,000 Runners 11,000 Rugby players 32,000 Footballers 14,000 Dart players 19,000 Badminton players 15,000 Cricketers 12,000 Martial artists 24,000 Mountain bikers 25,000 Netballers 31,000 Golfers 22,000 Tennis players 46,000 Ten-pin bowlers 19,000 Basketballers 13,000 Touch Rugby players 11,000 Lawn bowlers 11,000 Body surfers 6,000 Surfers 8,000 Volleyballers 9,000 Squash players 5,000 Hockey players 5,000 Triathletes 6,000 Softballers
Club stats 9 Handball clubs 29 Lawn bowls clubs 14 Softball clubs 47 Tennis clubs 17 Hockey clubs 13 Swimming clubs 29 Golf clubs 28 Athletics clubs 12 Petanque clubs 100 Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club races per year
Great place to live. Good place to work. Yeah, you could say that.
Trig Point An Urban Stargazer’s Paradise Trig Point at the Te Ahumairangi Hill Lookout is a significant Wellington landmark and part of the Town Belt. It is also important historically to Maori and European settlement. From the lookout, you can get amazing views across Wellington Harbour to Pencarrow and down to the south coast. There are a number of walking tracks from the lookout and picnic areas.
“A breathtaking enviroment to look out over the city, the harbour and the stars above.”. Before European settlement, the entire ridgeline was known as Te Ahumairangi. When Europeans settled, one of the first roads constructed ran along the foot of the range. Te Ahumairangi Hill also had an important part to play in Wellington’s communication history. At its peak, Wellington Radio’s 45 transmitting aerials sprawled across the 38-hectare length of the hill. The receiving station, demolished in 1975, stood on the site of the lookout.
Red Rocks Cool Waters and Clear skies On the rugged south coast of Wellington, a 30 to 40 minute coastal walk leads from Owhiro Bay to the Red Rocks (Pari-whero) - an area of national significance with fascinating geology and Maori history. On a clear day you’ll see the regular inter island ferries travelling across the Cook Strait, framed by the mountains towering behind Blenheim and Kaikoura on the South Island.
“Rich with fascinating geology and Maori history. Red Rocks was formed 200 million years ago during below-sea volcanic eruptions.” Maori folklore tells two stories relating to the colour of the rocks. In one, Kupe - the famous Polynesian explorer, was gathering paua (shellfish) here when one clamped his hand. He bled and stained the rocks red. In the other story, the red is the blood of Kupe’s daughters. Fearing for their father’s safety on a long voyage, they gashed themselves in grief over his absence.
Space Place Travel the Southern stars in the state-of-the-art planetarium. Explore the exhibition to find out how space technology is influencing life here on earth. and then, with the help of our friendly staff, take a look at the night sky through our Thomas Cooke telescope. Our stunning full-dome planetarium shows bring the magic of our southern skies to life and includes a live presentation of the night sky over New Zealand. Available late nights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
“You may never be able to own a star, but don’t worry – now you can adopt one with Space Place!” Choose to dedicate a Single Star, a Binary Star for couples, or a Super Bright Star such as Sirius, Rigel or Betelgeuse. Your adopted star is unique to you through the Space Place programme, and is visible from New Zealand. It’s another way to catch the stars at Space Place!