Wellington Harbor is one of the main seaports in New Zealand and serves both domestic and international shipping. The port handles approximately 10.5 million tons of cargo annually, importing petroleum products, automobiles, minerals, and exporting meat, timber, dairy products, wool, and fruit. Many cruise ships also call at the port.

The government sector has long been a mainstay of the economy. Traditionally, Wellington’s central location meant that it was the location of many headquarters for companies in various sectors – particularly in finance, technology and heavy industry, with many headquarters moving to Auckland following economic deregulation and privatization.

Tourism, arts and culture, film and ICT are playing an increasingly important role in the city’s economy. Wellington’s average income is well above the New Zealand average and the highest of any New Zealand city. It has a much higher proportion of people with higher qualifications than the national average. The main companies headquartered in Wellington are:

• Centerport;
• Chorus Limited;
• Contact Energy;
• The Cooperative Bank;
• Datacom Group;
• Infratil;
• Kiwibank;
• Meridian Energy;
• New Zealand Post;
• New Zealand Exchange;
• Todd Corporation;
• Trade Me;
• Weta Digital;
• Wellington International Airport;
• Xero;
• Z Energy.

According to the 2013 census, the largest employment sectors for Wellington residents were professional, scientific and technical services (25,836 people), public administration and security (24,366 people), health and social assistance (17,466 people), education and training (16,550 people) and retail trade (16,203 people). In addition, Wellington is an important center of the New Zealand film and theater industry and is second only to Auckland in terms of the number of screen production facilities.

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From the central Civic Square, the sights diverge in both directions along the waterfront. Among them are the magnificent innovative Te Papa National Museum and the renovated Wellington Museum of the City and Sea, which tells about the development of the city, the history of the Maori tribes (indigenous people of New Zealand) and the traditions of navigation.

Politicians and civil servants fill the streets of the Parliamentary District, where all government offices are located, including the quaint round Parliament building, which locals nicknamed the “beehive”. Nearby is another popular attraction – the childhood home of Katherine Mansfield, a famous New Zealand novelist.

Almost every tourist in Wellington climbs to the top of Mount Victoria in one way or another to admire the incredible view of the city. The slopes of the mountain are covered with dense forests, where locals like to go for morning jogs and take a break from the city noise, and tourists like to admire the beautiful capital of New Zealand from different angles, discovering natural viewpoints that appear out of nowhere. In addition, many scenes of the Shire, the land of the hobbits, were filmed in the forests on Mount Victoria for the movie “The Lord of the Rings”. Fans of this famous trilogy will be especially pleased to find commemorative plaques scattered around the filming locations.

In Kelburne, which is just a 10-minute drive from the center of Wellington, there is a must-see eco-park “Zealandia” – a local sanctuary and a real paradise for wildlife lovers. Unusual animals and endangered birds roam freely here, and the exhibition presents guests with 80 million years of New Zealand’s natural history. In addition to classic guided tours with interactive elements and a full-screen cinema, the park offers fascinating night tours where you can observe the life of rare night birds of the kiwi. Nearby Zealandia is another important conservation site – the Otari-Wilton’s Bush Botanical Garden, dedicated exclusively to New Zealand plants.

To the east of the city are the quiet suburbs and beaches of the Miramar Peninsula, currently best known as Wellywood, the heart of the city’s film industry. You will not miss this place, as it is marked by huge white letters on the hills (in the manner of Hollywood), which, symbolically for Wellington, are blown away by the wind.

If your vacation in Wellington is not limited to a few days, be sure to visit the Wellington Zoo, Red Rock, the wildlife sanctuary on the charming Soms Island, the beautiful Capiti Island and the Wairarapa wine region.

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New Zealand winter falls in June-August. At this time, the average daily temperature in Wellington is +8 °C. Frost and snow is not a typical phenomenon for the city, minus temperatures occur only in the Hutt River Valley and in the suburbs located on the hills. However, winter rains are not uncommon here, nor are gusty southerly winds. They make the local climate seem somewhat cooler than it really is.

From January to February, the capital hosts a series of fun and colorful festivals under the common name “Summer City Progrem”. And in June, music lovers come here for the Wellington Jazz Festival.

What a tourist should do in Wellington

• Admire the views of Wellington from different points. The first is the Kelburne Heights observation deck on Tinakori Hill. It’s also home to the Botanical Gardens – 25 hectares of New Zealand subtropical and coniferous forest, gorgeous rose and begonia gardens, a pond, playground, observatory and museum. The next point is the peak of Mount Victoria with a great variety of natural lookouts. At the same time here you can look for commemorative plaques, which marked the locations of the filming of the movie “Lord of the Rings”. A ride on the famous Cable-car to Kelburne Hill is a great way to see the capital from a height of 400 meters;
• See that Wellington really is a city of museums and galleries. The Te Papa National Museum is known for its interactive exhibits. The Pataka Museum is dedicated to Maori art. The Wellington Museum tells the story of the capital and seafaring. And its counterpart, dedicated to automobiles, is considered the best themed in the country. Samples of contemporary art are on display at the Dowse. City Gallery Wellington, Kiwi Art House, Adam Art Gallery, Toi Poneke, and The Walrus Gallery exhibit works by New Zealand artists and their international counterparts;
• Find architectural treasures of the capital city by walking its streets. For example, the glass and concrete Parliament building, which has been compared to a beehive. Or in contrast to it – a completely wooden structure of the Old Cathedral of St. Paul. The St. James Theatre fascinates with its luxurious interior decoration. The Parliamentary Library is a fine example of neo-Gothic Victorian architecture. The Government House is a typical representative of the colonial era of the early 20th century. And it is also important not to miss the most unusual bridge City in the Sea. This very atypical structure tells the story of the Maori people. It is decorated with fragments of their traditional architecture, tribal symbols, statues of sea animals and mythical creatures;
• Dedicate time to a beach vacation. Families with children prefer Oriental Bay near the center of Wellington or the small cozy bay Scorching Bay, ideal for picnics and beach cricket. Adepts of extreme pastimes will appreciate Lyall Bay, with its huge waves for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Fishermen love Island Bay beach, while the gathering point for divers, surfers and kayakers is Taputeranga Marine Reserve;
• Take a tour of the city’s significant movie locations. First, it’s worth finding the house where Peter Jackson was born. Then visit the Miramar suburb of Wellywood. It’s home to Oscar-winning special effects companies Weta Workshop and Weta Digital. And Wellington is also home to the New Zealand divisions of Roxy Cinema and Paramount. And it’s important not to forget the memorable Lord of the Rings filming locations;
• Get away for a night out at the many clubs and drinking establishments on Cuba Street, Willis Street and Courtenay Place;
• See unspoiled nature at Zealandia eco-park and watch the nightlife of funny kiwi birds. Or drive to the ocean to see the Red Rocks. From May to October, seals and harbor seals occupy the brick-colored rocks at the water’s edge.

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The population of the Wellington agglomeration is 420 thousand. In the capital itself lives about 191 thousand people. 70% of the citizens are Anglo-New Zealanders, 9% – representatives of the Maori people. There are quite a lot of Irish, Anglo-Australians, Dutch, Scots, natives of Asian countries and Polynesians. The state languages are English and Maori. The majority of Wellington residents (44%) are not religious, 40% are Christians (adherents of the Anglican Church, Presbyterians, Catholics and Methodists). There are also followers of Islam, Buddhism and Judaism in the capital.

The first settlements on the territory of modern Wellington appeared in the X century, when the natives of Polynesia and Maori lived here. But the Europeans appeared on these territories only in 1839. The British, led by Colonel William Wakefield, landed in Port Nicholson Bay. They bought land from local tribes and founded a town there. A year later, however, it had to be moved a little further south to protect it from the floods of the Hutt River. Field Marshal and commander of the combined forces of England and Holland Duke Arthur Wellesley Wellington actively helped the first settlers. The new settlement was named in his honor.
Before becoming the capital of New Zealand in 1865, the city survived two devastating earthquakes, but was completely rebuilt. By the mid-70s of the XIX century, the country was finally colonized. During the same period, gold deposits were discovered here, which caused an influx of settlers and an increase in the number of residents.

In 1907, New Zealand received the status of a dominion. Wellington, in parallel with performing the functions of the capital, became an important industrial center. In the twenties and thirties of the last century, as well as in the post-war decade there was a strong economic growth. The crisis came in the 50s and lasted for 20 years. But gradually the situation leveled out.

Wellington of the XXI century is a highly developed industrial city and a popular tourist center with modern infrastructure.

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