10 Things to do in Wellington, NZ for Free
If you’re like Patrick, and you only have three dollars, that’s okay, because these are ten things you can do for free when you come to Wellington, NZ!
10. HIKE MT. VICTORIA
For people who love to hike and nature lovers alike, this is an awesome thing to go do. What makes this experience so cool is how after a while, you don’t even feel like you’re near the city anymore. It’s also a very easy hike, and a good place to go mountain biking as well. At the top of the mountain, be sure to experience the lookout where you can see the city of Wellington surround you.
9. GO TO TE PAPA
Easily one of (if not the) biggest tourist attraction in Wellington, this is definitely a place to go checkout. Not all of it is free, but that’s fine, because the parts that are, are pretty cool anyways. It’s also a great way to learn about the history of New Zealand, but you may want to make this a day trip just because it is so big. Currently, they are doing a Dreamworks Animation thing, which explains why there is that one Panda whom I honestly don’t know the name of, but I know he’s from Dreamworks ‘Kung Fu Panda’. But I can’t say if that is free or not. However, they are also currently doing an exhibit called: ‘Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War’ that is free. I did go in and see that, and I know I’m not the first to say this, but it is incredible! Artists sculpted people that were in the war, and the sculptures are probably between 3–4 meters tall, and you can see their hair standing up, you can see the sweat glistening on their foreheads, it is amazing! If you’re in Wellington or coming to Wellington soon, you need to be sure to check it out.
8. RELAX AT THE BEACH
Wellington has a lot of things to do, but sometimes the best thing to do is to just sit back and relax as you listen to the sound of the waves. Nothing is more relaxing to me personally.
7. WALK DOWN CUBA STREET
Cuba Street stands out from all the other streets by far in Wellington, and here’s why: this street is made for pedestrians! Basically, it is not a street cars can drive down which allows for so many awe-inspiring things to see and do on this street. Gaze upon cool and interesting sculptures. Go window shopping, because window shopping is free (until you see something you need). Listen to live music as you stroll down the street, or maybe even watch a dancer do a routine. You never really know what all you might see when you walk down Cuba Street.
6. VISIT THE WELLINGTON MUSEUM
This is another great museum that is also free to enter, and it gives a bit more history on New Zealand as well. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to gain more knowledge on the nation of New Zealand. This even includes Maori folklore!
5. FIND ARTWORK AROUND TOWN
While Cuba Street does have some great artwork, you can actually find oeuvre all over the city. These creations can range from anything like murals painted on buildings (such as the one above), to really neat sculptures (some that can even move in the wind). Either way, they’re all really neat, and definitely a great way to get lost as you explore the city.
4. VISIT ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
Even if you think you’ll burst into flames upon entering, this is definitely a church to go see. You can take in the architecture, and learn interesting things from plaques and displays, and it’s really just an amazing site to go see.
3. SEE THE NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL
This beautiful memorial gives a reminder to the people of New Zealand of the war that devastated this country. Inside, you can look at intricate dresses made from unusual materials, and read up a little on what each material and color represents. Not too far from the memorial is the war museum that I also encourage you to checkout.
2. SLIDE!
I love doing things that remind me of my childhood, which is why you can often find me crying into a bowl of cold mac ’n’ cheese with Spongebob on in the background, but that’s a different story. Right near the ocean there is a playground in Wellington that has a giant slide that was built for both kids and adults (kind of). I’ve been told it’s for just kids, I’ve been told it’s for both adults and kids, all I know is that I’ve watched adults slide down it, and I know I definitely have.
- JUMP OFF THE HIGH DIVE INTO THE OCEAN
So like every good photographer, I went out and took this on a bad day, which is why there is nobody there, but on a good day people are jumping off of this like crazy. It is located near Te Papa, and it is a popular spot to swim where nothing gets in (usually) due to a net surrounding the area (the little blue and green tarp looking thing you see underneath the walkway in the picture above). At one point a shark did get trapped in there, but that’s been a one time occurrence so you’re probably good.
All photos were taken by me (Ian Brannan) with the exception of the one of Patrick. That’s thanks to Google Images.
