Interislander Ferry
This is one of the most beautiful cruises in the world. The Interislander is the New Zealand ferry service, which crosses the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The 92km, three hour journey between Wellington and Picton is one of New Zealand's most iconic tourist experiences.
Interislander operates three ships to carry both passengers and their vehicles- we were a bit worried about the van being a hazard on the boat but her old hand break seemed to keep her in place. The comfortable journey across to Picton offers some spectacular views of the Marlborough Sounds. From the observation decks.
Each ship provides a complete range of onboard services, including:
- State-of-the-art cinema showcasing current release movies. Movie tickets are sold onboard at the shop/reception, at a cost of $12 for adults and $7 for children.
- Souvenir shops
- Games arcade
- Children's play area
- A cafe, food court and bar
Interisland also supports New Zealand bands and musicians by allowing them to pay for their passage on Interislander by performing for the passengers. The performance schedule is varied from jazz to rock.
The modern fleet of ferries provide a range of seating options to cater for every passenger's comfort from comfortable reclining lounges to outside chairs on the observation deck. This will be sure to be an unforgettable ferry ride through the Marlborough Sounds and Cook Strait.
Base Backpackers Wellington
With an inviting atmosphere, superb location and fantastic facilities, Base Wellington is one of the best places to hang out. With the city right on the door step, this hostel is the place to stay.
Funky Base Wellington is located in Courtenay Place, the centre of Wellington's night life and is within walking distance to all you could need- cafés, transport, gig venues and local attractions including the famous Te Papa Museum.
We stayed in one of their private rooms with an ensuite, tea/coffee making facilities, and Sky TV. The hostel offers Global Gossip and wireless internet facilities as well as a luxury sanctuary floor with high quality facilities and its own chill out lounge.
The Basement Bar has some of the best priced drinks in town, not to mention one of the best international party atmospheres changing from day to day. Basement is Wellington's only true Backpacker Bar.
Te Papa Museum
Te Papa is New Zealand's innovative and interactive national museum located on Wellington's spectacular waterfront. Our host Bill took us on a tour of the museum allowing us to explore the great treasures and stories of this country- its unique natural environment, the vitality of Maori culture, its dynamic art heritage, and fascinating history.
With a combination of the latest technology and classic story-telling, Te Papa educates, entertains, and inspires. We were able to experience an exquisitely carved marae (Maori meeting place), walk through living native bush, and be shaken in the Earthquake House as it simulates a real aftershock.
We came face-to-face with a colossal squid specimen like the one out of 'Pirates of The Caribbean' and learnt about its life through computer interactive media and 3-D animation!
After our tour we visited OurSpace and experienced the simulator ride, which immersed us into the 3-D world of The Wall. This is a free running, extreme sports, hold-your-breath kind of experience where you actually feel as though your body is performing what your eyes are watching. Then we had a play on the 14 metre long satellite map of New Zealand and triggered all sorts of images about New Zealand culture, identity, and geography.
At the end of our simulation ride we visited the Golden Days and walked through an amazing junk shop that came alive. If you have ever seen Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium, that is what this is like. It is the most fun that I have ever had in a museum before- who knew an historical museum could be so interactive.
The museum is open every day 10am to 6pm and is free of charge. Charges apply to tours, special exhibitions and OurSpace simulation rides. For more information on guided tours and prices visit their website www.tepapa.govt.nz
Flat Earth New Zealand Experiences
Flat Earth provides unforgettable experiences around the Wellington region including sight seeing tours and Lord of the Rings tours. Our guide Todd took us on the Wellington Rings Tour, which visits the sites where filming began for the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Our guide Todd took us on a tour to the centre of movie making geniuses that is the Weta Cave. The Weta Cave is Wellington's newest Lord of the Rings venue and is a place for everyone to explore. Here we watched a DVD in a specially built theatre getting a first-ever behind the scenes look at Weta and the makings of Lord of the Rings. We were given exclusive insight into the creativity and imgaination that goes into crafting the art of Weta.
We were also very lucky as John Howe a renowned fantasy artist and part of the design team for Lord of the Rings was signing books at the Weta Cave. There were a few Lord of the Rings fanatics on my tour who were in awe when they saw who was doing the book signing- I felt kind of bad that I had never heard of John Howe before.
After the Weta Cave we visited Mt Victoria and the site where filming first began on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. From the summit of Mt Victoria you can see a panoramic, aerial view of Wellington City. We were then able to roam the locations of the outskirts of the Shire and the eerie darkness of Buckland Forest. We ran along the same path that the Hobbits ran to the ferry and on to the famous 'Get off the road' scene. Well I walked but the three boys who were Lord of the Rings enthusiasts, they ran.
Tours depart daily at 10:00am and 2:00pm from these Wellington City locations:
- Te Papa Museum
- Wellington Railway Station
- Wellington i-Site Visitor Centre
Prices are $65 per adult and $40 per child. For more information on this tour as well as the other tours that Flat Earth provide, please visit their website at: www.flatearth.co.nz
Ibis Hotel
Ibis Wellington is ideally located in the heart of the city on Featherston Street and is easily accessible by bus, train and taxi, with Wellington's café lifestyle at the door step.
The hotel offers 200 guest rooms, which offer comfort and quality in a great location to cater for both the corporate and leisure guest alike. All guest rooms have recently undergone a multi million dollar refurbishment, which includes increased space, modern décor, and new beds.
Our room featured two double beds, a new 26" flat screen LCD television, a fridge, coffee and tea making facilities, and a large desk and chair. Despite all of these physical amenities there was still plenty of room for our copious amounts of luggage, which has now become a joke. I think between the two of us there is about 100kg of luggage.
The staff were very friendly and welcoming- we were able to check into our room at 9.30am!Now that is a first. Andrew the duty manager at the Ibis was extremely helpful in directing us to an internet café, carparking space and providing information on the activities and tours we were interested in. All in all I had a wonderful stay.
For further information about the Ibis hotel accommodation in Wellington City, please visit their Website at: www.ibishotel.com
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