World of WearableArt Show – 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 Otorohanga 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 & 9.30am. 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 Weta Workshop Experience is a must. Learn about the making of movie effects and props.
  • NB: This must be pre booked asap. Please advise if you wish to attend this

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

Remember to grab some lunch before we depart for the matinee show.

WORLD OF WEARABLEART SHOW:  We will meet at the hotel at 12:45pm and head off to the TSB Arena for the 1:30 pm show. Collect your programme, settle in and prepare to be taken BEYOND what you thought was possible.

After the show, we will take you on a small city tour, or you are free to wander off and explore more of what Wellington has to offer before we all meet back at the hotel for dinner.

ACCOMMODATION:  NOVOTEL WELLINGTON 

After our included breakfast, it will be time to depart on our homeward journey.   We head over the Rimutaka Hill and into the Wairarapa.  Our first stop for the day is Greytown, with its Victorian wooden buildings housing cafes and boutique shops.  Grab a quick coffee or have a browse around the quaint shops.

Continue through the farming towns of Carterton and Masterton and on to the Pukaha National Wildlife Centre, a restored forest and captive breeding site and home to endangered wildlife such as brown kiwi, pāteke (brown duck), whio (blue duck).  We will take a guided tour here and have lunch (own expense) at the onsite café.

Back on board and pass through the farming communities of Eketahuna, Pahiatua, Woodville and Dannevirke – communities carved out of the 40 Mile Bush and 70 Mile Bush in the 1870’s by hardy early settlers. Dannevirke (Danes Work) was settled by Danish and Norwegian families in 1872.  The railway arrived in 1884 and growth took off, with dairy and sheep farms quickly established.

Heading north, we enter the rich wine-growing areas of the Napier-Hastings district.  Our overnight accommodation is conveniently located in the vibrant seaside village of Ahuriri, Napier, with plenty of restaurants nearby and across the road from one of Napier’s few swim-able beaches.

ACCOMMODATION:  NAVIGATE SEASIDE HOTEL