February 20, 2026: We rolled into Wellington on a beautiful Friday afternoon – harbor glittering, hills green, blue skies – for a weekend visit with a dear friend from Charlotte. Hello Jennifer!
“You can’t beat Wellington on a good day”
local saying
Wellington always surprises visitors who expect a sleepy government town. It is compact, walkable, culturally vibrant, and home to some of the best cafés and restaurants in the country. Wellington is also famously windy – locals will tell you this with a mixture of pride and resignation. “Can’t beat Welly on a good day” is true, but the truth it implies is that those good days are not typical. We got lucky. Three days of sunshine and calm.
And we had a local guide who knew exactly how to use every hour of it.
Welly Weekend
Friday night began with Wankernomics, a sharp, irreverent two-man comedy that skewers consultant-speak and office absurdity. The appropriately off-color workplace tips had us laughing until our sides ached. Not a bad way to start a weekend.
Saturday morning I slipped out early for a harborside run while the city was still quiet. Then we all piled into the car for the winding drive up (and up) to Zealandia, a wildlife refuge perched high above the city. What makes Zealandia remarkable is its double perimeter fence, designed to keep out every introduced predator – rats, stoats, australian possums – creating a genuine sanctuary for species that have no defenses against them. Inside, we encountered kākā parrots feasting on handouts, a tuatara doing what tuatara do best (absolutely nothing, very slowly), and a tree weta the size of my big toe. These prehistoric insects have been on earth for 190 million years (and look like it).
Then we went in search of a different kind of wildlife: colorful Cuba Street. This is the bohemian heart of Wellington, with historic buildings housing cafés, record stores, and vintage shops. The sidewalks were full of pierced and tattooed youth in clothes in mismatched (but very hip) clothes. I felt quietly un-hip in my khaki travel pants and Skechers. As we meandered through, I learned that “vintage shop” means pricey secondhand clothing; an “op shop” means cheap secondhand clothing. Cuba Street shops are decidedly vintage.
We eventually found our way to the Lunar New Year festival – with a drum circle, traditional Thai dancing, dragons on parade, and fireworks over the harbor as the evening wrapped up. A perfect Wellington Saturday!
Sunday, Jean and Jennifer enjoyed brunch on Cuba Street while I did a quick workout on the roof of Jennifer’s apartment building – cool breezes, wide views over the city, zero complaints. We reconnected for an afternoon at the parliament buildings, where a guide walked us through New Zealand’s remarkable history of women in politics. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote, more than 25 years before the United States.
We paused over a traditional English Sunday roast at a local pub, then grabbed a short nap before the weekend’s finale: a theater fundraiser with Sir Sam Neill (of Jurassic Park, Peaky Blinders, and The Piano fame). He sat next to us over drinks after, and we found him as warm and self-deprecating in person as you’d hope. We slept like stones afterward.
Up Next
Two trips to Wellington and we’ve barely scratched its surface. Thanks for everything Jennifer – the local knowledge, the packed itinerary, the guest room. We can’t wait to see you and Jorge in Haumoana over Easter.
Monday we board the ferry for the South Island: a week of hiking, green-lipped mussels, Marlborough wine, and whales. Not necessarily in that order.