Cable cars, Victorian houses, fresh crabs on the waterfront: Wellington, New Zealand, is a Southern Hemisphere City by the Bay. With a harbor at its doorstep, farms to the north, and one of the world’s most active café scenes, this city is well fed. Photo by Alex Efimoff. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.
Burn a few calories while adding many more during Zest’s Walking Gourmet tour of downtown. A guide will share local secrets (Did you know Wellington has more bars, restaurants, and cafés per capita than New York?) while you sample honey and balsamic dark chocolate at Bohemein chocolate shop. $205. Photo by Lindsay Keats. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.
The Te Papa museum combines New Zealand’s dramatic history with its high-tech present. Don’t miss the traditional greenstone and wood carvings or the 60-foot wall of constantly changing images, videos, and words manipulated by remote-control-wielding visitors. 55 Cable St., 64/(0) 4-381-7000. Photo by Sime/Estock Photo. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.
Long known for wine, New Zealand has a new interest in quality caffeine. Peoples Coffee serves espresso drinks such as “flat whites” (lattes) and drip coffees brewed from locally roasted beans. At Aro Café (90 Aro St.), coffee can accompany an English breakfast of potatoes, cabbage, and eggs. Photo by Dani Vernon. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.
Ginger, kola nut, lime, and other flavors star at the new Six Barrel Soda Co. Sip your soda or float with a beef and cheddar slider, served with chips. Syrups, bottled on-site, are available for purchase so you can mix fizzy drinks at home. Corner of Eva and Dixon Streets, Te Aro, 64/(0) 21-119-6257. Photo by Benjamin & Elise Photography. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.
One of the best places to get a bite to eat outside the center of Wellington is Scorch O Rama in Scorching Bay. Great food, gorgeous views from the outdoor seating and there is even a small beach for swimming. Not a tourist in sight.
Though Wellington seems best traversed on foot (as Hobbits do, right?), the cable car ride is well worth breaking this habit. Leaving from Lambton Quay, for $6 return, the cable car takes you up to the top of the Botanic Gardens, providing a panoramic view of Wellington Harbour and all the wee towns hugging this waterfront city. Meander through the Botanic Gardens to the Rose Garden (follow the pink flowers painted on the ground), which are at their best in Spring. Though there’s a sprite café with outside seating that lets you take in all the floral scents, this spot is best enjoyed on one of the benches with a snack in hand and your partner in crime in the other.
Many of the beautiful countryside scenes in the film “Lord of the Rings” were shot in the green hills of New Zealand. It is home to Hobbiton, Mount Doom, and the jeweler who made the “one ring to rule them all.” Whether you’re a complete freak fan, or just someone who enjoyed the movies, a visit to the ‘Weta Cave’ is a great experience. The Weta Workshop is where they designed and conceptualized many of the characters for LOTR. You can see some of the character models such as this one, in the Weta Cave which sits just in front of the workshop. While you can’t go into the actual workshop, you can watch videos about the making of the films and take an audio-visual tour of the studios. The Cave also has many of the props and other movie memorabilia on display. You can see what projects they’re working on next and learn about the other films and characters they’ve created. It’s a really fun way to spend a couple hours in the afternoon. The Weta Cave is about a 20 minute drive from Wellington in an area known as Miramar. You can get directions from any of the information centers in Wellington.
We went to our first "cupping event" which is a tasting event of various roasts of single origin coffee beans. This one took place at People's Coffee in Newtown, one of 13 local coffee roasters in Wellington. You can easily miss their roastery on Newtown Ave, but if you're a coffee aficionado, it's definitely worth a visit.
What happens when you go for a random wander on the waterfront in Wellington? Apparently you come across heaps of fascinating and sneaky little pieces of art! Starting from where the interisland ferries come and go, there is a well-maintained waterfront walk, taking you alongside classy pubs, restaurants and cafes. Stop for a free visit to the Te Papa Museum, a multilevel facility packed with New Zealand’s history, culture, and wonders. As you stroll alongside the water, be sure to keep a weather eye on the horizon, you might miss one of these cleverly placed pieces of unique Wellington beauty.
I was dead-set on having a lunch at Scorch O Rama on Scorching Bay near Wellington before I left. Back in the late 1990s, Scorch O Rama was known as the Chocolate Fish cafe and it's where Peter Jackson proposed to his team to start filming The Lord of the Rings. I took a bus up to Nevay Road and walked down the hill to Scorch O Rama. The food and ice cream there were delicious, young locals were hanging out on the beach eating, and the restaurant dining area was literally split by the road. Since it was a lovely day and I had no other way of getting back to downtown Wellington via "the scenic route," I walked 7km from Scorch O Rama to Cobham Drive (just in front of the airport) to catch the last bus of the day in that area. I was the only person on the bus for the whole trip, so the driver and I had a good conversation about Wellington and New Zealand. The walk, the frantic run to the bus stop, the vibe of Scorching Bay, and the 40-minute chat with the bus driver made my last day in Wellington even more wonderful than it already was. And I can highly recommend the food at Scorch O Rama - it's definitely worth the walk!
I still owe my best friend millions for introducing me to Wellington's Cafe L'Affare while I was working in New Zealand. Founded in 1990, this quintessential cafe is cozy, delicious and gourmet ground breaking. What are your food choices, you ask? All-day breakfast, a delicious à la carte lunch menu, daily changing soup and pasta options and a comprehensive selection of café style counter food. There's not only the famed espresso and coffee bar, but also a license for beer and wine, as well as freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. This is the perfect place to start the day off right, or recharge at lunch during a big visit to Wellington, New Zealand. If you're not going through Wellington, fear not. Local cafes all throughout the country serve their delicious coffee. L'affare in Italian means 'the deal'.
The weather in Wellington is touch-and-go. So when the air is warm and the sun comes out, you just feel like dancing.
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