The best trips to Pōneke are for NZ Fringe Festival! Here are some hot tips and tricks about navigating the city and local insight on what should be at the top of your list.
Scan a Scooter!
Embrace the E-Scooter. Ride an electric scooter to your Fringe Show! Get the best parking possible, zoom on up and park right out front.
Fly in Style!
There are daily flights into Wellington International Airport (one of our wonderful sponsors) from domestic and regional airports across Aotearoa. Wellington International Airport is a short drive, Uber or bus from the city center.
Take the train!
The Greater Wellington Region and Wairarapa have the luxury of commuter trains that go right up to Kāpiti and Masterton, which will give you a regular service to get to and from NZ Fringe.
To plan your journey, visit the Metlink journey planner or download the Metlink app on the Google Play or App store today.
Bus, Toot Toot!
Metlink has a variety of bus services across all of Pōneke.
The greater Wellington Region and Wairarapa have the luxury of commuter trains that go right up to Kāpiti and Masterton, which will give you a regular service to get to and from NZ Fringe Shows. If you want to venture on the train from further afield, the Northern Explorer by Great Journeys of NZ is a great option.
To plan your journey, visit the journey planner or download the Metlink app on the Google Play or App store today.
Cycle around!
There are many places to rent bikes in Pōneke and it’s easy to get around the city on them – especially with e-bikes. In NZ you must legally wear a helmet at all times whilst on a cycle.
Cruise over on the Ferry!
Wellington is home to the Interislander and Bluebridge ferry services that connect the North and South Island. Both have separate terminals located within easy distance of the CBD on the Wellington waterfront. For more information visit: www.interislander.co.nz or www.bluebridge.co.nz.
Food and Drink:
If you’re self-catering there are two supermarkets central to the city:
- New World Chaffers (this is the biggest inner-city supermarket)
- New World Metro (a little pricier due to its location but full of all the essentials)
Otherwise, there is an array of dairies surrounding the city alongside multiple Night ‘n Day’s plotted around the city center to fill your late-night cravings!
Wellington is also home to coffee, coffee, COFFEE! Everywhere you turn you’ll find a coffee shop. Enjoy a tour de caffeine at your leisure.
We also have lots of restaurants and takeaway places in downtown Wellington. Courtenay Place and Cuba St are a mecca of various types of tasty cuisines.
FAQ
IS IT SAFE TO SWIM IN THE WELLINGTON HARBOUR?
Sure! Although we don’t recommend it when it’s windy as it’s a bit cold. You also won’t want to swim there a day or two after heavy rainfall. There are diving platforms along the Wellington Waterfront for your (safe) use, these can sometimes be cordoned off after storms for safety reasons. It is, however, fine to swim at Oriental Parade, Worser Bay, Breaker Bay, Princess Bay (the best sunsets!), Lyall Bay, Island Bay, and further up the Kāpiti coast at Titahi and beyond (the water is a little warmer up there).
There is also a public swimming pool in Oriental Bay called Freyberg which has a great view of the ocean and hot spas and saunas.
What’s the area code for phoning?
The New Zealand area code is 0064.
The Wellington area code is 04 (you’ll need to dial this if you’re calling from beyond Plimmerton or the Hutt).
NZ landline phone numbers are 7 digits long.
Mobile phone numbers start with 021, 022, 020 or 027.
You can buy prepaid sim cards for your phone from just $2 at places like Warehouse Stationery or dairies and supermarkets as well as phone stores around town. The cellular networks are: 2 Degrees, OneNZ, Spark and Skinny Mobile.
What’s a good thing to do if we have a day off?
Sleeping is good but if you’re looking for a little more adventure and experience check out our national museum Te Papa or Wellington Museum, both are located on the waterfront. There’s also City Gallery on the waterfront, Toi Pōneke in upper Cuba and the Dowse up in Lower Hutt.
Mount Victoria makes for a spectacular view and it’s a nice walk to the top.
We also have a great zoo in Newtown (the number 10 bus from town will take you right to its door).
There’s surfing in Lyall Bay and a surf shop to rent boards from (and lots of great cafes too!).
There are also some cosy cinemas for a rainy day activity – Penthouse, Lighthouse Cuba, and the Embassy.
