If it is a beautiful day in Wellington, you know, one of those “You can’t beat Wellington on a good day” types of day they always talk about, then we recommend doing this 1-hour stroll along the Wellington waterfront.
In the 4K Walking Tour in the video, listen to sounds of daily life in Wellington. Use headphones for the best experience.
We started near the Old Ferry Terminal which is a couple of blocks away from Wellington’s central business district and walked all the way along the waterfront, past Oriental Bay to Point Jerningham (where if you continue around the corner, you will lose sight of the city)
This Wellington waterfront walkway has been designed so you can stroll near the water’s edge with wonderful views of the harbour.
Note: you might have to watch out for the occasional electric scooter flying by or someone whizzing past on their bike. It is a shared pathway but there is plenty of space for everyone.
Wellington Walking Tour
Here are some of the highlights of this walking tour that you will see in the video. You can find the timestamps to each of these attractions in the description of the video on YouTube.
Eastbourne Ferry Ticket Office
A small weatherboard building that is over 100 years old (impressive for a wooden building). Between 1913 and 1948, a ferry service was run from here to Eastbourne. This is also known as the Old Ferry Terminal.
Ngā Kina Sculpture
Kina is the Māori word for sea urchin. This sculpture comprises of 9 kina shells of two sizes sitting in the water. At night they are normally lit up.
Queens Wharf
This is where it is all happening. There are many restaurants and bars, you can hire kayaks, bikes, go rock climbing or even take a helicopter ride from here. It is also close to the Wellington Museum which is well worth a visit.
Frank Kitts Park
This park is named after the city’s longest serving Mayor (1956-74). There are numerous plaques and artworks in the area. Here you will also see the mast of the Wahine, the inter-island ferry that foundered in a storm in 1968 with the loss of 51 lives. There is a playground here that has a famous slide coming out of a lighthouse.
Whairepo Lagoon
A small man-made lagoon connected to Wellington Harbour through a narrow channel. On one side of the lagoon you will find the historic building of the Star Boating Club (the oldest rowing club in Wellington – since 1866).
Wellington Waterfront Diving Platform
There is a special raised platform with stairs leading up to the top of it. From here you can dive down (or just jump like most people do) 8 metres into the harbour water below. There are benches where you can sit and watch people do these jumps. There is a “biggest splash” competition here every January.
Te Papa Museum
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa was built in 1997.
Solace in the Wind Sculpture
A 2m iron statue of a man with his arms flung behind him as he leans against a gust of wind coming in from the harbour. It was created by artist Max Patte in 2008.
Boat Sheds
These iconic blue boat sheds were constructed in 1905 and are part of the Clyde Quay boat harbour heritage area.
Carter Fountain
When it is not windy in Wellington (yes, it is sometimes possible), you will see a fountain in the centre of the bay just off Oriental Bay Beach shooting water up to 16m into the air. The pump will shut down and the fountain not work when it is a bit windy (over 18.5 km/h).
Band Rotunda
This was originally built in 1936 and was also used as a changing facility for swimmers. In 1981 the rotunda was turned into a restaurant (currently closed due to its need of earthquake reinforcement). On the flat roof of the restaurant is a public viewing platform with excellent views of the city.
(You can see our version of this article in Spanish here)
Puedes ver nuestra versión de este artículo en español aquí: Paseo Marítimo y Oriental Bay – Wellington, Nueva Zelanda
