Wellington & Southern Coast

Tucked between rolling green hills and a sparkling harbour, Wellington punches far above its weight. Compact and creative, it’s a city where you can start your morning with world-class coffee, spend your afternoon wandering galleries or wild bird sanctuaries, and finish the day with cutting-edge dining and a local craft beer—without ever straying far from the waterfront. Whether you’re a foodie, film buff, nature lover, or night owl, Wellington rewards curiosity with character and substance.

Just a short boat ride from the Kāpiti Coast, north of Wellington, Kāpiti Island feels like stepping into an older, quieter New Zealand. Predator-free and tightly protected, it’s one of the country’s most important wildlife sanctuaries: rare birds in the canopy, ancient forest underfoot, and a soundtrack of birdsong that starts at dawn and barely lets up. If you’re looking for a day—or a night—that resets your sense of what nature can be, this is it.

Just minutes from central Wellington lies a place unlike anywhere else on Earth. Cross the predator-proof threshold of Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne and the city noise fades behind you; in its place rises a layered chorus of birdsong, the rustle of ancient forest, and the quiet thrill of encountering species found nowhere else. Zealandia isn’t only a sanctuary—it’s a time machine, an invitation to experience a version of Aotearoa as it once was and, with care, can be again.