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Wellington

New Zealand Travellers

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Wellington

Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and the southernmost capital in the world. It is sometimes called 'Windy Wellington' because of its constant strong winds which are due to its latitude and position next to the Cook Strait.

Wellington is the home of New Zealand’s film industry, as well as having some of the Nation’s best museums and cultural attractions.

Wellington really feels like a vibrant city with lots going on. Wellington is New Zealand’s third largest city (with a population of about 380,000) and so caters to most needs by offering a diverse range of activities. Most travellers will enjoy spending a few days here.

 

Things to do

 

Accommodation

The YHA Wellington has been voted as the best hostel in Oceania in 2006 amd 2007 but we didn’t stay there because of the very high prices they charge. If you can afford it though it is worth a look.

We visited Wellington twice and stayed at two different hostels.

Our first hostel was Nomads Capital. This is a typical, big hostel with no real communal area, just a space with a few seats and a fuzzy TV. The area has to be crossed to reach the kitchen so there are constant interruptions. Our room was above the adjoining bar and it was Friday night, needless to say we didn’t get much sleep that night. The room was ok, a little dusty but we were very happy to only be staying there one night.

Our second hostel was the Cambridge Hotel. This place feels more like a hotel than a hostel. It is decorated in a very mature/formal way and has lots of character (especially the lift). The hotel has its own bar and bistro as well as a laundrette and kitchen. The kitchen was a little messy and the TV/lounge area was far too small for the number of guests. The rooms were clean and a good size, some parts of the room were a little dated and it was a bit dark (even with the lights on) but it all adds to the old buildings charm. The bathrooms were kept clean and continued the mature décor of the hotel. This was definitely the better of the two hostels we visited in Wellington.