Wellington City, NZ

[sunsetstripped]

Here are some pictures of New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. It is a city which I describe as "San Francisco meeting the South of France, and having a child which has never grown up."

Yes, this sounds crazy - I aren't too good with word's! But I'm sure you will be able to see where I'm coming from. Maybe.

The City, with a view of the stunning harbour which it is shaped around. As you can see, the suburban sprawl weaves into the hills (San Franciscoish...)

Lambton Quay, or locally known as "Little Wall Street" (It is the financal hub of New Zealand...)

A typical Wellington suburb... built on hills. Wellington, like San Francisco, sits on a major fault line, and has been COMPLETLY flattened once before. We're just hoping it doesnt happen again!

Harbour once again... The Downtown area (Or "CBD" as we refer to it as) is very dense... it takes a mere 15 minutes to walk from East to West.

Waterfront. This is an excellent place to hang out - littered with cafe's, restaurants, bars and trendy shops, it is a popular place to start a "night on the town"

Ah.. here's where the "South of France" comes into action! Doesn't it just look like Cannes, Nice, or even Monaco? (Without the superyachts!)

Pure Gold. I think this photo was shot on Christmas eve...if it wasn't, it should have been.

Wellington has some incredibly specific street signs... No, just joking - this is simply the "Red Light District." Sex shops, clubs and bars - this is where the other side of Wellington comes out! Notice the colonial architecture in the background... Wellington has some of New Zealand's oldest houses.

Again with the harbour!!!

Oriental Bay. This little slice of paradise is some five minutes from downtown, and a great summer escape for the locals seeking sun and sand without travelling too far

An aireal view of the city and the Waterfront area - The Waterfront is an excellent place for city dwellers to do their morning run along the foreshore, stroll casually, or read a book on a park bench. Or whatever they please, I guess!

Forget The Whitehouse - this is "The Beehive" aka New Zealand's Parliament Building. Sure it's tacky, and the interior is still reminiscent of the 1970's (You have to see it to believe it!) But talk about unique...

Well, there we have it. A brief intro to one of the South Pacific's little gem cities. Not too bad for a city with a METRO population of less than 380 000! (The City itself is a pitiful 160 000..)

Travellers find it vibrant, refreshing and unique after the uber-enormous cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland etc. as it still has this weird, cosmopolitan, meeting of the world feel to it.

Oh, by the way - NZer's are also starting to call it "Wellywood" do to the fact it is home of all Lord of The Rings movies, and currently film location of "King Kong."

What do you all think!

[Neo]

I believe that's the first time I've seen pictures of Wellington, though I've heard of it. It's a good looking city for sure! Thanks for sharing!

[BigCityAttitude]

I've seen snipets of Wellington here and there, but this tour is great! Thanks for sharing. I have never been to New Zealand, but I want to! I may have to make a trip to Wellington.

Edit: Fixed a typo.

[Urban_Legend]

You know, I was never too familiar with the colonial South Pacific, but now I want to check it out! Great pics, I love that beehive!

[Allan]

Nice photos! Wellington looks like an awesome city! I wasn't quite sure what to expect the city to look like, but I like what I've seen. If only I could afford to take a vacation....

[Cotuit]

I'm lovin' these Kiwi threads, keep 'em coming please.