Wellington is much more than just New Zealand’s capital city. It’s a vibrant eclectic mix of architecture styles, unusual street art, culture, and history. I have written a lot about the city in other articles, but this page is about enjoying Wellington photos.
The city has been one of my favourite weekend getaway destinations since my first visit over 15 years ago. Living in Auckland, it is an easy flight. And thankful, the city is walkable.
Or, we make a longer adventure and drive from Auckland to Wellington, making it a much longer adventure.
A picture is worth 1000 words, so I will show you why I love Wellington in the photos below. First, let me tempt you with our country.
Be inspired . . .
Wellington photos: beautiful waterfront
- Wellington looks after its history. The boatshed in the first photo is one of the city’s oldest buildings. The tower was built in 1885 to protect the country from invasion by Russia.
- There’s a beach right in the heart of town at Oriental Bay.
- The views from the top of the cable car line are incredible. Up here you will also find the Botanic Gardens, Cable Car Museum, and Carter Observatory.
- My personal favourite is the 360º views from the top of Mount Victoria. We can even see the airport in the image just below.
Wellington photos: artwork and creativity
- Colourful fountains are among the interesting artwork found throughout the city. The famous water and bucket sculpture is on Cuba Street.
- Te Papa, the national museum holds our history, including this Maori gate.
- There is plenty of street art to enjoy. In fact, colourful graffiti art is so prevalent that we even found it on this retail signage.
- Awesome artwork is easy to spot on the streets. I love this sculpture of the broken lamppost on Lambton Quay in the main shopping district.
- Civic Square: Prior to the big 1855 earthquake, this area was underwater. The quake caused a 1.5-metre uplift (plus there is some reclaimed land). The sculpted metal ball appears to float in the sky. It was an icon for years but is no longer there. Neither is the green patch that had been installed in 2015 as the city was a Cricket World Cup host.
The people make the city special
Like every city, it’s the people that make it special. Talented, interesting, and friendly. Here are a few random people we have encountered:
- Creative street performers are found in a variety of locations. The photo below was part of a captivating capoeira group performing on Cuba Street.
- The 100 Strangers Project found me shooting interesting people donning a rainbow of hair colours.
- We have seen the piano along the waterfront in the past. It is free for anyone to play, asking only for donations to keep it in tune. I wish I had shot a video rather than an image, as this little boy is enormously talented.
Photo Credit: Sarah Albom
Wellington photos: animation
In a city well known for Lord of the Rings and the Weta studios, animation can be seen in a variety of spots.
- Weta Cave and Weta Workshop is a special effects company that is home to Lord of the Rings and other great movies and TV programmes.
- Gallipoli The Scale of our War is a special ten-year exhibit at Te Papa the National Museum. At one point there were three dramatic war exhibits in the city.
Wellington photos: nature
- This particular little blue penguin lives at the Wellington Zoo. Little blues are the world’s smallest penguins. They are frequently spotted in the waters around New Zealand.
- Beautiful and exotic flowers and native plant life fill the botanic gardens.
- Takahe is one of the many critically endangered species we saw at Zealandia.
Read next: Wellington Activities: 37 Things to Do in Wellington, the Capital of NZ
Save on your NZ trip with these resources
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- Flights: we use Expedia for the best and cheapest flight options.
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- Cars (gas or electric): we use RentalCars to search for deals and dealer ratings.
- Motorcycles: we have heard good things about BikesBooking.
- Campervans: Our readers prefer Jucy, and we get consistently great feedback.
- Activity discounts: we check Bookme.com for discounts of up to 70% on activities.
- Private guides: we do have a go-to when we hire a private guide from Viator.
- Travel Insurance: while not required, we always opt for travel insurance and start at InsureMyTrip to compare coverage plans.
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Which is your favourite of these Wellington photos?
For more on New Zealand, start here: New Zealand Road Trips: Itineraries for North or South Island Adventures, or you might like …
David
Never seen Wellington this close, seems like a cool place to send time and relax.
Rhonda Albom
New Zealand is amazing and our capital city is so often over looked by tourists.
Dani
New Zealand is so close thats it always been a maybe in the future country but the more I hear about it the more I want to go now!
Rhonda Albom
Come for a while, there is a lot to see in this small country.
Anda
Very convincing, Rhonda. You have something of everything in Wellington and your pictures caught the beauty of the city very well.
Joyce
These are wonderful photos. Great post!
Ruth - Tanama Tales
To be honest, I will be more than happy if I visit New Zealand and visit Wellington and the surrounding areas. The country is famous for all its breathtaking natural areas but I am sure I will enjoy the cities a lot.
Rhonda Albom
It’s true, there are so many amazing places to visit in New Zealand, the cities tend to get lost.
eileen g
New Zealand has held an allure for me since well before LOTR came out. The would never build a diving platform like that here in the US; too much fear of lawsuits. Have to admire your more laid back attitudes about some things.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – lawsuits and the fear of them are one of the things I really don’t miss about living in the USA. The liabilty laws are different here.
Eli
Oh, you have captured some great moments in those pictures- amazing:-) Love the colours!
Rhonda Albom
It’s a colorful city.
budget jan
I love that Wellington Council was proactive in providing a free-to-use Taranaki Street Jump Platform.
Rhonda Albom
New Zealand is very cool that way.
Lexa Cain
It’s really lovely,and I’m struck by how clean everything is. It looks like a great place to live. It’s hard to believe no one breaks or messes with the piano. Most of the places I’ve lived in (including NYC), that piano would be gone within a week. I’m glad the tahake have a sanctuary – and glad it’s away from me as they remind me of the scary bird-lizard things in the Tremors movie. :O
Rhonda Albom
New Zealand is a country which prides itself on honesty. People play the piano everyday, they just wheel it in and out at night (I am guessing that’s what they do).
Lyndall
Love your colourful photos of Wellington Rhonda. That bright red cablecar looks like it would be a fun trip 🙂
Rhonda Albom
The cable car is one of the things I do every time I visit Wellington.
Marcia
Thanks for the reminder, Rhonda!
Your photographs pop. You really bring Wellington to life. Seeing it through your eyes makes me want to see it with mine. A very vibrant city.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
What a beautiful city with wonderful things to see. Your photography brings the picture to life. Wow!. I can’t wait until each morning just to check on your blog Rhonda. Thank you for your great work. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
Wow, thank you Paul. I am glad you enjoy my photography.
Hilary
Hi Rhonda and Sarah – great photos! Love the tour of Wellington – I’m sure it’s very vibrant with Parliament there, the University … and then life. I’d love to see all those places and to spend a weekend there. Here I love just visiting new places … seeing some of the history – so much to see! I did enjoy Durham when I went north … Cheers Hilary
Rhonda Albom
It’s fun to share photo shoots with Sarah. 🙂
Barbara Radisavljevic
These photos have really made me want to see Wellington. It’s beautiful with a lot of color. I, too, liked that piano. I trust they have a way to protect it in bad weather.
Rhonda Albom
The piano is on wheels, so I am sure they wheel it away every night, or in the rain.
Amila @ Leisure and Me
Very beautiful and vibrant photos of Wellington.The parliament house is wonderful.I love the idea of having a piano at the waterfront.
Rhonda Albom
The beehive is one of my favorite architectural buildings in the country.
Brooke
Wonderful photos of Wellington! It looks like it’s a city with a great mix of nature, culture, and art! A friend and I are planning a visit there and I’m thrilled to go now that I’ve seen your photos!
Rhonda Albom
Are you visiting much of the country, or just heading to Wellington?
Brooke
My friend and I are also planning on visiting Auckland, Rotorua, and Taupo. If we can make it to the South Island, I’d LOVE to, but not certain on that one.
Rhonda Albom
What time of year are you visiting? Whenever it is, New Zealand is always wonderful.
Lydia C. Lee
Great photos – you really captured a funky city feel
Rhonda Albom
It is a funky, and fun city.
Comedy Plus
Well, that was a great look at Wellington. I’ve never been there but you never know. I may just show up one day.
Great shots.
Have a fabulous day. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I hope you do show up some day. Would love to meet you in person one day.
Tanja (the Red phone box travels)
Great photos as always! I hope to see NZ one day:)
Vicki Green
Wellington looks like a beautiful and interesting city. Your photos really capture a wonderful assortment of things to see.
Rhonda Albom
Yes, it is both beautiful and interesting.
Paula McInerney
You have me convinced, Wellington looks amazing. I love all of the diversity that the city seems to offer.
Rhonda Albom
It really is my favorite weekend destination.
Trekking with Becky
This is my first look at Wellington. 😀 It looks like a very interesting, multi-cultural place. I’m sure that I’ll love it when I make it there one of these days. 😀
Rhonda Albom
Wellington is one of so many amazing cities in New Zealand. I hope you get to visit one of my favorite cities.
Robyn Engel
I gawked at every photo and then said “Oh my gosh” upon seeing the man doing a one-handed hand-stand. Amazing. He makes it looks so easy. Thanks for the tour of Wellington, Rhonda.
Rhonda Albom
Pretty incredible and talented.
Jen
Wellington certainly seems like quite a wonderful place to spend some time! I love that piano at the waterfront – what a beautiful idea! I love that instead of fighting against what people are doing, the city just went with it. Awesome idea.
thank you for sharing with us at Photo Friday!
Rhonda Albom
The little boy at the piano was incredibly talented. It’s too bad I couldn’t share the music here as well. Wellington is an amazing city.