2026 WORLD OF WEARABLEART SHOW: GLO! – WELLINGTON

We will collect you from home this morning (from within the Tauranga city boundary, or enroute) and begin our journey to Wellington.  We travel over the Kaimai Ranges and very soon will be arriving at Hamilton railway station where we will hop on board the Northern Explorer train bound for Wellington.

Sit back and enjoy spectacular scenery as you pass through middle earth New Zealand, with short stops in Ōtorohanga and National Park. The Northern Explorer train offers extensive vistas from its large windows as you traverse through the country.  The National Park area is a highlight of extremes and surprises of snow blanketed mountains, ancient lava flows and dense Beech forests. The train passes over 25 major bridges and through 14 tunnels, before traversing the engineering masterpiece that is Raurimu Spiral just north of National Park. Capture amazing views from the open-air viewing deck, or through panoramic sky view windows in the air-conditioned carriages. Sit back and relax with their delicious food and beverages from the licensed-on board cafe and listen to GPS triggered at-seat commentary as you journey through some of NZ’s most stunning scenery.

Once you arrive at Wellington Central station, we will whisk you to your accommodation for the next couple of days. The Novotel Wellington is in the city centre and walking distance to shops, cable car and many other Wellington attractions.  The hotel boasts a full dining restaurant and a casual lobby bar with a wide range of food to choose. This evening we will dine in house.  Afterwards, you can choose an early night or a night out on the town – the choice is yours.

Accommodation:  NOVOTEL WELLINGTON – 2 nights

Breakfast is served in dining room between 6.30 & 10.30am. Full buffet breakfast is inclusive to your package. After breakfast again the choices are yours. There is so much to see & do in Wellington city, you will not fit it all in. First there are the shops. I am no shopper but I have to confess the shops in Wellington are something else. They have an amazing choice of products and apparel which we just don’t see here in Tauranga.

Free things to see and do.

• Te Papa Museum – always new things to see and to add to your knowledge.
• Educational tour of Parliament Buildings and the Beehive – Bookings essential. There is usually a 10am Sunday tour.
• Visit Government House
• Ride the Wellington cable car up to the scenic lookout and check out the Cable Car Museum. The cable car ride is FREE for Gold Card holders on weekends. If you take it just one way, It’s a nice walk back through the Botanical gardens.
• Art Galleries – City Gallery in Civic Square, or Bowen Galleries or Manky Chops on Cuba St if you are into quirky exhibits.
• Visit Old St Paul’s church if you are into 19th century Gothic Revival architecture. It’s beautiful.
• If you enjoy panoramic views then Mt Victoria is the place to go, where you will see all the sights of this beautiful city.
• Maybe you wish to do a walking tour. Wellington is a compact city, and you can easily take a Welly Walk – just ask me for the maps.
• If you are a writer, then you can take a Wellington Writer walk around the waterfront where you will find many talented writers who made Wellington their home at some point in their lives. You can even visit the birthplace of Katherine Mansfield.

Like to spend a little money to see and do something?

• Check out the amazing Wellington shops.  Not everything will be open on a Sunday, but there will still be plenty of places willing to take your money!
• The Space Place at Carter Observatory (Located at the top of the Cable Car)
• If you are a coffee & café connoisseur, then you must go up Cuba Street and sample some of the great Wellington coffee.
• Maybe you prefer high tea:  Check out Martha’s pantry on Cuba Street – ‘serving the best high tea in Wellington since 2007’
• If you like animals, then a visit to the Wellington Zoo is a must.
• If your heart is for conservation than a visit to Zealandia – The Karori Sanctuary Experience is worth the visit.
• For Lord of the Rings or Peter Jackson fans, a visit to the Wētā Workshop Experience is a must. Learn about the making of movie effects and props.
• NB: This must be pre booked. Please advise if you wish to attend this and we will arrange (additional cost) 

I am sure you will fill in your free time without any trouble, but do give it some thought prior so that you do not loose the opportunity and your day is full. Please let me know your choices and I will assist accordingly.

2026 World of WearableArt® (WOW) Show: GLO:

We will meet at the hotel foyer no later than 1pm and head off to the TSB Arena for the 1:30 pm show.  Just a very short walk (5mins) from our hotel to TSB. Collect your programme, settle in and prepare to be taken beyond your wildest imagination. We have some of the best seats in the house, so you wont miss seeing a thing. The show is a two-hour (non-stop) spectacle of world class wearable art, surrounded by music, dance, circus, performance and art. The show has incredibly high production values, with sophisticated lighting and stage technology, culminating in an event that is part theatre, part fashion spectacle, part art extravaganza, and a whole lot of “wow”

After the show, you have a couple of hours free to wander about and soak up the WOW city atmosphere, maybe enjoy a cocktail or two at some waterfront bars who are catering especially for all the WOW supporters, or maybe take the time to catch up with a friend or family before we all join together again at our hotel for our WOW inspired dinner.

Accommodation:  NOVOTEL WELLINGTON 

After breakfast, it will be time to depart on our next journey.   Departing Wellington, we will head north  traversing along Transmission Gully roadway and other parts of the newly developed northern corridor until we via off to Palmerston North at Levin after we have made a stop at RJ’s liquorice factory for supplies.

On reaching Palmerston North we will visit the New Zealand Rugby Museum – right in the heart of city. The world’s first museum dedicated to the oval ball.

You’ll be rewarded with a trip back in time exploring the rich history and folklore of New Zealand’s national game, discovering the stories, legends and myths.  Along the way you will get a feel for the real New Zealand by learning how its rich rugby heritage has shaped and been shaped by our country.

It’s not every day you can see the nation’s treasures in their reality, the first All Blacks match programme, a 1905 ‘Originals’ jersey and the whistle from the final Test of the ‘Invincibles’ tour, to today’s playing kit.

You even get the opportunity to test out your rugby skills – kicking, tackling, leaping, sprinting and pushing – in the ‘Have a Go’ area.

From here we will head back to Sanson – to visit the famous Viv’s Kitchen for your lunch opportunity. If you are not aware of Viv’s Kitchen – it is famous for her delicious Cream horns – and it is a real quirky café / diner. You will love the experience.

From here it is on through Bulls –the southern gateway to the Rangitikei.  Home to unspoilt land steeped in history with panoramic views leading out to Mount Ruapehu & Taranaki, the Kaimanawa & Ruahine Range and of course the mighty Awa Rangitikei. One of NZ’s longest rivers running for 253 kilometres and the stunning landscape of massive papa clay cliffs.

We will make a brief bathroom stop at Waiouru before transcending the dessert road to Taihape and ending in Taupō for the evening. This drive is stunning – the landscape is forever changing, with contrasting colours or rivers, pastures and mountains. There will possibly still be snow on the tops of Mount Ruapehu or Tongariro. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful country, so sit back and enjoy the journey and don’t focus too much on the destination.

Arrive in Taupō at the Hilton hotel.

The Hilton hotel is – a resort style hotel which combines heritage with modernity, to give us a little bit more wow.  A 19th-century building which combines Victorian charm with modern styling. There is an outdoor Jacuzzi heated to 40- 45 degrees for your use, along with heated swimming pool (30 – 35degrees) tennis courts, a fitness centre, and stunning views of the lake from the dining room balcony.

This evening is time to relax a bit more – enjoy the beautiful surroundings, and fabulous lake views. Reflect on your journey over the past couple of days and enjoy the company of others.

We will dine in-house together again this evening.

Accommodation: Taupō – overnight at The Hilton

This morning enjoy breakfast at leisure, before departing our beautiful hotel. Our first stop today is along the lakefront – you are going to try your hand/ or more appropriately your swing – to see if you can hit the golf ball for a hole in one to win $10’000.  If you can’t swing a golf club (like me) we will set you up with the Ball Blaster.   A bit of fun to start the day.

Next stop is Huka honey – for some honey & mead tasting, then Huka falls before continuing along through the beautiful farmlands of Reporoa to Rotorua.

We must arrive by 12.45, to board the beautifully restored Lakeland Queen Paddleboat.  As you cruise around Lake Rotorua you will be treated to a short narration and enjoy some lunch.

This boat was parked up during Covid  and left to deteriorate after 30 years of operating – the owner went into liquidation  and Lakeland Queen sat unloved – until

• New Ownership In 2024, Damon and Arna Hagaman purchased the Lakeland Queen out of liquidation with the goal of saving it from being scrapped.
• Major Refit:The Hagaman’s spent over $2.5 million on restoration, with significant mechanical work carried out by local firm Sitewide Engineering.
• Community Effort:The project relied heavily on the Rotorua community, with locals volunteering thousands of hours for painting and cleaning, along with singer Howie Morrison Jnr, who helped with final work before becoming the entertainment manager.
• Relaunch:On 28 August 2025, the Lakeland Queen returned to Lake Rotorua after four years on land.

Today you are supporting this iconic Rotorua tourism attraction.

As we deliver you home – your GLO journey comes to an end, and the curtain gently falls on our time together, I hope you leave feeling inspired, refreshed, and glowing from all we’ve experienced.