A VERY WARM WELCOME TO WELLINGTON FROM HEALTHSTAFF RECRUITMENT

Perched on the edge of a spectacular harbour, encircled by green, towering hills, Wellington is a stunning and compact city. Vibrant, exciting and cultured, the nation's capital combines the stimulation and sophistication of a big city with the quirkiness of a charming village

Extending just two kilometres in diameter, Wellington is a truly 'walking city'. Here you'll find a unique blend of national treasures, arts and culture, gastronomic delights, shopping sensations and scenic beauty, making Wellington the ultimate urban destination in New Zealand.

Some Facts

Area
Wellington City 29,000 hectares

Climate
Average summer max temp 20.3 degrees Celsius
Average winter min temp 5.9 degrees Celsius
Average annual sunshine 2048 hours
Average annual rainfall 1270 mm

Population
Wellington City residents 165,000
Maori population 7.3% (NZ: 14.1%)
Median age 32.8 years (NZ: 34.8 years)

Activities and Attractions

Wellington has a feast of cultural attractions and its crowning glory is Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand. Situated on Wellington's magnificent waterfront, this internationally acclaimed museum combines leading edge technology with traditional exhibits to tell the stories of New Zealand's land and people.

With over 50 other museums and galleries, including the stunning and contemporary City Gallery, three professional theatres and headquarters for the Royal New Zealand Ballet and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Wellington can truly lay claim to the title Arts and Cultural Capital. Every two years, the city plays host to the New Zealand Festival. Bigger than the Edinburgh Festival in box-office takings, this month-long Arts Festival is a smorgasbord of theatre, music, dance, comedy and opera and fringe, attracting thousands of visitors to the city.

The best way to discover Wellington is on foot. You can walk the length of Downtown Wellington in 30 minutes, exploring the contrasts of each of the four quarters that make up Downtown Wellington. From shopping arcades to elegant department stores, designer boutiques and local arts and craft, to funky cafes and markets, to elegant civic architecture, and a 24-hour neon playground of bars, cafes and restaurants, Downtown Wellington celebrates its compact diversity at every turn.

Wellington's stunning scenery makes exploring outdoors a real highlight. From visiting seal colonies in the wild, to soaring through the air on the world's first Fly by Wire ride, the Capital offers many unique and exciting adventure activities. And they often mean fun for the whole family. In fact the capital is packed with family friendly activities like Te Papa, Wellington Zoo and the famous flaming red Cable Car.

Wellington's central location at the bottom of the North Island makes it a perfect jumping off point to see the rest of the country. But you don't have to go far to enjoy a more native and rural New Zealand. Within one hour of the capital is the wildlife sanctuary of Kapiti Island, the wine village of Martinborough, and the scenic beauty of the Marlborough Sounds. The capital city enjoys a temperate coastal climate with notably mild and sunny winters. Home to just 160,000 in central Wellington, with 337,000 making up the wider Wellington region, it's a small city with a huge heart.

Events

With more than 300 sporting and cultural events throughout the year, every visit to Wellington offers a different experience. The Icon Events Calendar (www.wellingtonnz.com/events/icon.asp) will give you a snapshot of regular favourites throughout the year. From events as diverse as the New Zealand Festival and the Lion Wellington Cup, the range is vast and the action is guaranteed.

Besides the regular fixtures, Wellington enjoys some fantastic one-off events of international significance. You can also simply use the events search (www.wellingtonnz.com/events/search) to discover a range of options for every day of the week. This detailed search is updated daily. For what's on at the movies, check out the Wellington Film Guide, Hoyts and Rialto cinemas' listings. For more community based events check out www.feelinggreat.co.nz.