After spending the day before in the rugged high-country landscape and mountainous scenery of the…read moreHakatere Conservation Park, we sailed to New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, also known as "the coolest little capital." So, we asked what makes this city "cool?" And we set out on a 15-minute shuttle bus ride from the Port of Wellington (Aotea Quay) into the CBD, where we noticed the architectural mix of Victorian structures and adventurous modern designs, beautiful and colorful murals with British historical and Maori influences, high-end international and local designer stores mixed in between fast-food cafes such as McDonald's and shawarma cafes. Before getting off the shuttle bus, our guide mentioned the historic yet updated Wellington Cable Car as a popular attraction and pointed out its tucked-away lower station off Lambton Quay, a shopping street. He cautioned that many residents and University students use it, so we might have to "squeeze in" during peak hours, but assured us that during the ride up, we'd be treated to a cool light show similar to 70s disco flashes. At the top of the hill or Kelburn Lookout, there would be a panoramic view of Wellington CBD, a cute museum and cafe, public washrooms, and a free shuttle to Zealandia Bird Sanctuary, Victoria University, and the suburb of Kelburn. As it turned out, after hearing from our shuttle bus guide, four other fellow passengers and their spouses decided to follow us by browsing on Lambton Quay, riding the Cable Car, and going to the Wellington Botanic Garden. I suddenly felt "stressed" because these eight others put their faith into our navigational skills, even though we told them this was our first time in Wellington. We each purchased a single or one-way ticket ($6.50 NZD), waited a few minutes for the funicular railway car to pull into the lower station, and boarded. Along the short, under 8-minute (we stopped at 3 stations along the way) journey, the "cool experience" traveled through 3 tunnels of blinking colored lights, made stops at 3 intermediate stations along the railway, where most of us either craned our necks or contorted our bodies to catch the picturesque views along the way. After exiting the cable car, I rushed over to the lookout area by the cafe took a photo while the others looked for the restrooms. I told them to meet in the museum then we'd regroup then look for the botanic garden. Meanwhile, I asked the store cashier for a map of the city, and she obliged with a free one, even pointing out access to the Wellington Botanical Garden across the street. I breathed a sigh of relief as I regrouped with my husband and the rest of the gang to "lead the way" to the Wellington Botanic Gardens and more. Riding this cable car was a short, scenic, and fun experience which I'd love to return to.

The Wellington Cable Car is both public transportation and super fun tourist attraction in the…read moreheart of Wellington CBD. You can get the low end right in downtown; it has a handful of stops up the mountain which crosses highways and allows you to avoid a plethora of stairs. It runs constantly so you're never waiting more than a few minutes. The upper end is at the top; you'll find botanical gardens, a cafe/restaurant, the free Cable Car Museum, and free shuttle to Zealandia Eco Sanctuary; all these things are must-visits if you love birds and flowers. Tickets are reasonable, and they have student and monthly passes if you live in town. You can buy one-ways or round-trips depending; if you plan on the Botanical Gardens you only need a one-way as it's all downhill back into the city. At the top station there's also a small display from Weta Workshop, which is a fun addition. It's also a great photo location with panoramic views of the city and bay below. This is a must-visit spot in Wellington.

When I was in New Zealand a few years ago, we did all of the Tranz Scenic trips. You get to see so…read moremuch of the country in a comfortable train seat. The back of the carriages has an observation part which is good for taking photos. For what you get and how far you go, the ticket prices are really good. The staff are all really friendly too. If I were to go back, and I would like to, I would book all these journeys again.

My son and I stayed for 9 days with hosts Willie and Kathleen in November 2014. It was a perfect…read morestay, with all you would hope for. They welcomed us into their lovely historic home (built in the 1870s) - and were so helpful in figuring out public transport, things to see, and the cultural differences you encounter as a non-resident. (The bus picks up right by the house and goes directly down to CBD. It is less than 10 minutes down to Te Papa.) The rooms were just beautiful - with a considered antique feel. The beds were comfortable, and there was plenty of room to store clothing. In the evenings when it is warm, they have a lovely veranda with table and chairs. And there is also a comfortable common room if that is what you like. The breakfast was always well-prepared and on time - they even happily accommodated some dietary restrictions we had. We will return to see Willie and Kathleen next time we are in Wellington. You should consider this gem of a place if you are visiting Windy Welly!

The Wellington Railway Station is the terminus of the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand…read more Passengers wanting to continue their journey to the South Island, would then take a ferry to cross over to Picton. Opened in 1937, it now houses the Wellington office of the National Railroad (KiwiRail). Inside, it has the grand ceilings of a classic railway station, clad in Marseille tiles. It was beautiful and airy inside, and worth a walk around to admire the architecture.

Beautiful old railway station from 1937. There are many tracks, ticket windows, an information…read morebooth, clean restrooms, coffee shops a bar... It connects underground to the parliament & government buildings and the bus station. Here we were able get his maps & tourist information from friendly and helpful staff.

This is what I expected from a rail station, lots of people going about their business, not just…read morethose on the tourist trains, including myself. The station felt and looked quite old for NZ standards. There is the usual few shops and coffee bars to get your last minute chocolate essentials or a morning cuppa coffee to wake you before starting the day.

We took the KiwiRail Northern Explorer route from Auckland to Wellington. I definitely recommend…read morethis mode of transportation if you're a nature lover or train enthusiast, and you are making this route! While it's a long ride (about 11 hours), it was actually one of my favorite things we did while on New Zealand's North Island. The open air viewing car offers wonderful views of mountains, canyons, rivers, coastlines, and forests that you might not see if you are just flying over. As I said, this is basically a full day's train ride so you will see a lot, but you will also eat and drink a lot! The food in the dining car was actually not bad for being train food, and the coffee was delicious from the cafe. There are also a few alcoholic beverages available for purchase in the dining car too. The seats were comfortable and the windows at each seat were VERY large, offering great views along the way. It is definitely a long ride, so if you can handle being on the train that long (with beautiful scenery passing you by!) then I would highly recommend this journey!

We used Kiwi Rail to travel from Christchurch to Picton. Paid over 600 New Zealand dollars for a…read moreride for 2 adults and 2 kids (standard tickets, not even Business class). There is only 1 train going to Picton and one train to go back to Christchurch. The departure time is at 7am from Christchurch, but you have to check in 40 minutes prior. Not the best option when you travel with kids. Bus is much less expensive, but I chose train because we had to connect to a ferry... My travel did not go as planed. The train was supposed to arrive 1 hour prior to the ferry check in deadline. It arrived almost 1 hour after the deadline... About 2 hours after the schedule. The worst is the attitude of the train employees. They were simply laughing to my face when I expressed my concerns regarding missing the ferry. Supposedly the train was late due to signal problems. But there is only 1 train going, it could not collide with another train! As they say, you get what you pay for. It was quite the opposite in my case. In the USA, I do not pay that much for a few hours of traveling on a train. This train is called Scenic, but I was not really impressed with the views. If you ever been to Arizona, the views are similar and prices are less. The main point here is Kiwi Rail sells train and ferry combo, but they do not take any responsibility when the train is late due to their own issues.

Stayed for 3 days and 2 nights. It was pretty cheap compared to the accommodations in the area…read more We got a room with two twin beds and our private shower. There's a shared kitchen and a common area to relax in. What we didn't like was being a hostel, you see all kinds of things. We saw throw up on the elevator floor at night. Despite that, the noise was minimal. Parking: bad, you have to pay a hefty price and it is a 5 minute walk

It's not nearly as nice as the places outside of big cities we stayed in, but this made sense for a…read morecity hotel/hostel. The outside is impressive, but the inside is pretty dingy and run-down. The room contained 2 bunked beds and a desk. There were 3 inner doors off a shared little atrium area with a door from the main hall. The doors went to 2 guest rooms and a shared bathroom with an impressive freestanding bathtub. You need a key to get into the building at night. It's nice there's security, although it didn't seem hard to tailgate in. The "free wifi" only means an hour, but it was per device, so it was sufficient. There's an elevator, although it's ancient. There are lockers for storing bags, and it was maybe $4-6 NZD to store bags for several hours. The place is completely unimpressive, but it gets 3 stars because of the location, which is very convenient: it's right across the street from the Bluebridge Ferry terminal, and right down the street from all of the government buildings. It's maybe a 20-30-minute walk to Te Papa. It's very walkable to places to eat. There was a decent amount of metered street parking around and available.

Bought the Train monthly pass for MAY from FIX grand arcade , the month stamp on the pass is so…read morelight , Today I went to FIX grand arcade and spoke directly to the manager . He advised the pass can't be stamped again and I should go back to the train station and get it replaced. Before leaving the FIX grand arcade , I advised the manager to make sure there stamp pad is refilled for next time to avoid this type of inconvenience to their customers . Unfortunately the manager was unhappy with my advise and rudely told me " NEXT TIME YOU GO AND BUY THE MONTHLY PASS AT TRAIN STATION , NOT HERE" :-(