Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WELLINGTON
POP 190,950 (CITY), 488,160 (REGION)
A small city with a big reputation, Wellington is most famous for being NZ's constitutional
and cultural capital. It is infamous for its weather, particularly the gale-force winds wont to
barrel through, wrecking umbrellas and obliterating hairdos. It also lies on a major fault
line. And negotiating the inner-city one-way system is like the Krypton Factor on acid.
But don't be deterred, for these are mere trifles on Welly's multilayered, jam-packed
stand of sweet treats. For starters it's lovely to look at, draped around bushy hillsides en-
circling a freshly whipped harbour. There are super lookouts on hilltops, golden sand on the
promenade, and spectacular craggy shores along the south coast. Downtown, the city is
compact and vibrant, buoyed by a decent smattering of museums, theatres, galleries and
boutiques. A cocktail-, caffeine- and craft-beer-fuelled hospitality scene fizzes and pops
among the throng.
MAORI NZ: WELLINGTON
In legend the mouth of Maui's Fish, and traditionally known as Te Whanganui-a-Tara, the Wellington area became
known to Maori in the mid-19th century as 'Poneke' (a transliteration of Port Nicholas, its European name at the
time).
The major iwi (tribes) of the region were Te Ati Awa and Ngati Toa. Ngati Toa was the iwi of Te Rauparaha, who
composed the now famous 'Ka Mate' haka . Like most urban areas the city is now home to Maori from many iwi,
sometimes collectively known as Ngati Poneke.
NZ's national museum, Te Papa ( Click here ), presents excellent displays on Maori culture, traditional and mod-
ern, as well as a colourful marae (meeting house). In its gift store you can see excellent carving and other crafts, as
you can in both Kura ( Click here ) and Ora ( Click here ) galleries nearby.
Kapiti Island Nature Tours ( Click here ) offers an intimate insight into the Maori culture of the Wellington area,
as does Kiwi Coastal Tours ( Click here ).
History
Maori legend has it that the explorer Kupe was first to discover Wellington harbour. Wel-
lington's original Maori name was Te Whanganui-a-Tara (great harbour of Tara), named
after the son of a chief named Whatonga who had settled on the Hawke's Bay coast. What-
onga sent Tara and his half-brother to explore the southern part of the North Island. When
they returned over a year later, their reports were so favourable that Whatonga's followers
moved there, founding the Ngati Tara tribe.
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