Wellington

Wellington was named in honour of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo. In Ma-ori, Wellington goes by three names. Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara refers to Wellington Harbour and means the great harbour of Tara. Po-neke is a transliteration of Port Nick, short for Port Nicholson (the citys central marae, the community supporting it and its kapa haka have the pseudo-tribal name of Nga-ti Po-neke). Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Ma-ui, meaning The Head of the Fish of Ma-ui (often shortened to Te Upoko-o-te-Ika), a traditional name for the southernmost part of the North Island, derives from the legend of the fishing up of the island by the demigod Ma-ui. The city is New Zealands political centre, housing Parliament and the head offices of all government ministries and departments, plus the bulk of the foreign diplomatic missions based in New Zealand.

Wellington's compact city centre supports an arts scene, café culture and nightlife much larger than most cities of a similar size. It is a centre of New Zealand's film and theatre industry. Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival are all sited there.Wellington has the 12th best quality of living in the world, according to a 2007 study by consulting company Mercer. Of cities with English as the primary language, Wellington ranked fourth. Only Auckland of New Zealand cities rated higher. Wellington stands at the south-western tip of the North Island on Cook Strait, the passage that separates the North and South Islands. On a clear day the snowcapped Kaikoura Ranges are visible to the south across the strait. To the north stretch the golden beaches of the Kapiti Coast. On the east the Rimutaka Range divides Wellington from the broad plains of the Wairarapa, a wine region of national acclaim.

Wellington is the southernmost national capital city in the world, with a latitude of about 41°S. It is also the most remote capital in the World (i.e. the furthest from any other capital). It is more densely populated than most other settlements in New Zealand, due to the small amount of building space available between the harbour and the surrounding hills. Wellington has very few suitable areas in which to expand and this has resulted in the development of the surrounding cities in the greater urban area. Because of its location in the roaring forties latitudes and its exposure to omnipresent winds coming through Cook Strait, the city is known to Kiwis as "Windy Wellington". More than most cities, life in Wellington is dominated by its central business district (CBD). Approximately 62,000 people work in the CBD, only 4,000 fewer than work in Auckland's CBD, despite that city having three times Wellington's population. Wellington's cultural and nightlife venues concentrate in Courtenay Place and surroundings located in the southern part of the CBD, making the inner city suburb of Te Aro the largest entertainment destination in New Zealand.

The area has high seismic activity even by New Zealand standards, with a major fault line running through the centre of the city, and several others nearby. Several hundred more minor fault lines have been identified within the urban area. The inhabitants, particularly those in high-rise buildings, typically notice several earthquakes every year. For many years after the 1855 earthquake, the majority of buildings constructed in Wellington were made entirely from wood. The 1996-restored Government Buildings, near Parliament is the largest wooden office building in the Southern Hemisphere. While masonry and structural steel have subsequently been used in building construction, especially for office buildings, timber framing remains the primary structural component of almost all residential construction. Residents also place their hopes of survival in good building regulations, which gradually became more stringent in the course of the twentieth century.

The city will host 4 pool games and 2 quarter-finals in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, featuring teams such as Australia, Fiji, France, South Africa, Tonga and Wales. and these will be in the: Wellington Regional Westpac Stadium, Waterloo Quay, Wellington, New Zealand 6140.

Accomodation

Wellington/Wairarapa has a wide range of accommodation including Hotels, Motels (Self-Contained), Bed & Breakfast, Holiday Parks, Backpackers, Deluxe, Apartments and Baches & Holiday Homes, however as it is the capitol there is a lot of competition for the available space. To find accommodation near the stadium or in the area check out the following listings just click on each name:

Hotels, Motels

Bed and Breakfasts

Holiday Parks or Camping

Car Hire

We are sure that many of you will be looking for car hire whilst you are in New Zealand. So click here to see our Pegasus page.