Full Day Guided Wellington Tour including entry to Te Papa

COLLECT Our journey starts by safely collecting all of our guests & getting onboard our vehicle. If you are coming in by cruise ship, we will collect you directly from the port. You do not need to get on a shuttle bus or head to the city as we are accredited to collect you as you walk off the ship. If you are being collected from your hotel then please wait in reception or just outside where you can been seen by your friendly guide. Sit tight, sometimes traffic (or people) can delay our arrival. If you are being collected from the iSite then pop out to the tour bus stop just outside/beside the iSite. Keep an eye out for Ka Rawe signage on the vehicle & we'll see you soon!

What about this for a first stop! Check out the best vantage point in our beautiful city. Breathtaking 360 degree views of the central business district, the harbour & the ocean to the south. Stunnnnning! Legend has it that Wellington harbour, originally a land-locked lake, was home to two large and very active taniwha (sea monsters). One taniwha forged a passage to the open sea creating the entrance to the harbour. The second, named Whataitai, tried a different route, became stranded and died. It is believed that Tangi-te keo (Mt Victoria) was named after the soul of Whataitai. Probably the best photo opportunity on the tour, our guide/host would be delighted to be your personal photographer for the day. What a beautiful city!

We head due south to our stunning coastline, passing through Lyall Bay as we go. Did you know that no matter where you are in Wellington, you are 3km (1.8 miles) from a beach? How lucky are we!? Lyall Bay is Wellingtons most popular surf beach & even has 2 surf live saving clubs. For those of you that might be fans of the royals, we'll even pass the cafe that Harry & Megan frequented when they were here in 2018. If we're lucky, we might even see one of the Ferries that travel from North Island to South Island, out in the strait. What a ripper of a place!

We continue around our stunning coastline where you can breath the fresh, salt air & marvel in the picturesque views. As we turn the corner & in a more sombre moment on the tour, we reflect on Wellingtons worst ever maritime disaster. The Wahine was battling unprecedented winds & many perished on this day the 10th April 1968. Our guides expertly point out what happened & where then bring this to life with some imagery of this event. A sad yet memorable event in New Zealand history.

WETA CAVE Don't be fooled into thinking we're here to see some New Zealand native insects up close...... Whilst the Weta is a native new zealand cricket like insect, its also the name of a World famous Film & Special Effects company right here in little old Wellington! Arguably Weta is most famous for the incredible work of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, however their impact on the greater industry is much broader than that. Here at the Weta cave, you'll get to purchase some memorabilia, check out some of the items on show in the mini museum & you'll even have a photo opportunity with the Cave Trolls! At Ka Rawe, our guides make great photographers too. Once we leave the Weta Cave, we check out the Wellington sign on our travels, this is the one our friends from Hollywood copied!!

WELLYWOOD - we drive by some of our world class film & movie facilities, Stone Street Studios & Park Road Post Production

We make our way back into the city around the bay & your guide will keep you informed as we go. We make it around to Oriental Bay known for being both a popular beach and an opulent centre of affluence in the city. Its a little bit pricey around here!. You'll get to see some amazing architecture & perhaps this will be the only "man made" beach you'll ever see in your lives!!? Check out Carter Fountain too. Originally named Duppa Bay after its original sole resident George Duppa, it was renamed to Oriental Bay after one of the first to bring settlers here to Wellington. Spectacular!

LUNCH BREAK - we'll find a suitable location for lunch as & when time permits

Enjoy a guided tour & see the treasures housed at our National Museum Te Papa

One of the most iconic attractions in Wellington is our Cable car. Some of you might refer to it as a funicular. Take a short ride up to the suburb of Kelburn at a leisurely pace where you'll get to enjoy more spectacular views of Wellington on arrival. At the top of ride you'll be met by your guide (who will have dropped you off at t the bottom) & you'll also get to check out the Cable car museum whilst there. Souvenirs are available for purchase at the museum too. Your ride on the Cable Car is included in your tour price.

Pretty! Part of the sweeping Wellington Botanical Gardens is the Lady Norwood Rose Garden. Did you know that in 2015, the Lady Norwood Rose Garden received the Garden of Excellence award from the World Federation of Rose Societies? Well you do now! Over 110 unique varieties of flowers reside here & when they are in full bloom (November - April), she's bloody pretty! We take a short stop, grab some fresh air & enjoy the visual delights that the Rose Garden offers. Beautiful.

Welcome to the Parliament’s grounds, which are used regularly for many kinds of public gatherings. From the grounds you can admire Parliament’s buildings, the flags on the many flagpoles, the rose and camellia gardens, fine ironwork on the gates and lamp standards, and commemorative statues and plaques. Two New Zealand flags are flown every day on the forecourt, in front of Parliament House. Other flags may be flown between the New Zealand flags to mark special visits or occasions. The design of Parliament’s iron gates incorporates the initials of King George V, who was the monarch when the gates were made. There are several statues and plaques in Parliament’s grounds. The most prominent is a bronze statue of Richard John Seddon at the front of the main forecourt. Richard John Seddon was New Zealand’s longest serving Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister from 1893 to 1906. We also check out the Beehive, the name for the Executive Wing of New Zealand Parliament Buildings

Well this place is pretty serene...... Old St Paul's (formerly St Paul's Pro-Cathedral) is a historic site, a city landmark (tourist attraction), and a wedding and event venue in the heart of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is constructed in New Zealand native timbers & features stunning stained glass windows. The interior has been likened to the upturned hull of an Elizabethan galleon. A nice calming peaceful way to end a day out in Wellington that has been packed with goodness.