Wellington may be small in size, but its spirit – like its wind – is uncontainable. Whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, Aotearoa’s capital continues to deliver: a city that fuses a deep love of the arts with an adventurous food scene, a proudly queer-friendly culture (the census declared it NZ’s gayest city), and easy access to wild coastlines and native bush. It may be winter, but that doesn’t mean hibernation. Oliver Hall dives headfirst into the city’s warmest offerings.
A taxi ride from Wellington Airport takes us along the city’s famously curving coastline. We crack the window, and the salted sea air reminds us we’re somewhere close to the edge of the world. Oriental Bay glints to our right, and beyond it lies a compact capital that punches above its weight in art, dining, nature, and charm.
Stay Boutique at The Intrepid Hotel
Nestled just off Cuba Street, The Intrepid Hotel (theintrepidhotel.com) offers the kind of boutique experience that feels effortlessly cool. Once home to Cadbury’s 1909 chocolate offices, this heritage building has been lovingly transformed into 18 high-ceilinged rooms with exposed brick, moody bathrooms, and an ‘Eastern European meets global explorer’ vibe. It’s the kind of place that feels curated, not themed – and being in the heart of Wellington’s queer district doesn’t hurt either.
Drinks at Puffin Bar
Tucked inside the hotel, Puffin (@puffin_wellington) is the Intrepid’s crown jewel – a softly lit bar where the post-work crowd sip biodynamic wines and premium sake. Music floats gently under the clink of glasses, while industrial-chic interiors and cushioned booths invite lingering chats. It’s one of those places where an hour feels like ten minutes.
Dinner at Hummingbird
For dinner that night, we head to Hummingbird (hummingbirdwellington.co.nz), where every plate we try deserves applause. From melt-in-the-mouth glazed lamb shoulder to rich parmesan gnocchi, it’s culinary theatre. Post-mains, we disappear behind a faux wall into their hidden bar, where live jazz and perfectly balanced cocktails finish the evening in spectacular fashion.
Friday Night Queer Crawl: Ivy & S&M’s
No Wellington trip is complete without embracing its queer nightlife. S&M’s (@sandmsbar) is where cocktail lovers meet – on weekends, its downstairs is opened with a pumping dancefloor; midweek, that same space hosts kink-friendly crowds at Grunt events. Ivy (@ivybarandcabaret), meanwhile, caters to a younger, drag-loving audience and brims with studenty joy. Two bars, one big-hearted community, and plenty of sparkle.
Breakfast at Sixes & Sevens
On Saturday morning, we queue early at Sixes & Sevens (sixes.co.nz) to secure a square croissant – the elusive, custard-filled Instagram-famous pastry that vanishes by 9am. Their cabinet is a kaleidoscope of baking glory, and their in-house roasted coffee hits like a warm hug.
Feel Rugged on a Seal Coast Safari
After breakfast, it’s time to see a wilder side of Wellington with Seal Coast Safari (sealcoastsafari.co.nz). When you’ve been to Wellington numerous times, it’s refreshing to discover a side of town you’ve never seen. Our 4WD tour starts in Otari-Wilton’s Bush, New Zealand’s only native plant botanical garden, before winding into Terawhiti Station’s vast private farmland. We rumble past wind turbines taller than skyscrapers and arrive at a desolate, beautiful beach where fur seals lounge undisturbed. It’s rugged, remote and magical.
Lunch at Karaka Café
Back in the city, Karaka Café (karakacafe.com) brings soulful kai Māori to the waterfront. We order in te reo and feast on hāngi, palusami, and chop suey under the midday sun. Their cocktails – infused with local botanicals – taste like a collaboration between Mother Nature and your favourite mixologist. Sit outside in the sun; soak in this atmosphere like no other.
Create Your Scent at Wellington Apothecary
A perfect winter afternoon activity, the scent-blending workshop at Wellington Apothecary (wellingtonapothecary.co.nz) is part cooking course, art class, and therapy session. Soul singer Deva Mahal leads us through a wide range of essential oils and the memories they conjure up, until we each create a signature scent – mine: fresh and herbaceous, my partner’s: warm and woody, a combination that felt fittingly complementary. With an abundance of candles, teas, and bath soaks lining every shelf, the store itself is a sensory haven. A must-visit in the heart of Cuba Street.
Dinner at Hei
Hei (hei.co.nz) is just steps from our hotel and offers Chinese fusion in a space inspired by brutalist architecture. The Peking duck is crisped to perfection in a specialist oven; the pomelo-prawn salad bursts with zing. And the ‘small plates’? Generous enough to feed both of us. We finish with desserts as colourful as they are delicious.
Kiwi Spotting at Zealandia by Night
Later, we head to Zealandia (visitzealandia.com) for their famed night tour. An Oscar-worthy short film sets the tone before we’re handed red-light torches and led into the pitch-dark sanctuary. Though our kiwi encounter is brief, glow-worms light the forest like constellations, and rare birds call out as we wander. It’s eerie, beautiful, and completely unique.
Hitting the Straight(er) Bars
It’s important to support our gay nightlife, but in a city as friendly and free as Wellington, you don’t need to limit yourself to only the queer venues. The wider nightlife scene is equally vibrant. We hop between rooftop hangout Dirty Little Secret (@dirtylittlesecretwgtn), Hanging Ditch (@hangingditchbar) – where bartenders reach for bottles of spirits suspended from ropes that sway above the bar – local brewery Mean Doses (meandoses.co.nz), and Havana Bar (@havanabarwellington), which brings some Cuban colour to an adorable villa on Wigan Street.
Breakfast at The Oatery
Sunday’s hangover cure is found at The Oatery (theoatery.nz). Their oat-based menu is nourishing and comforting – think cinnamon-spiced porridge loaded with peanut butter and poached fruit, washed down with organic juices and good coffee, leaving us feeling human again.
Tākina Exhibition Centre
Opposite Te Papa, Tākina Convention and Exhibition Centre (takina.co.nz) is Wellington’s striking new home for major exhibitions. When we visit, The Magic of Disney is on show, which – like all of Tākina’s exhibitions – was presented in both English and te reo. This month, the centre will house the World Press Photo Exhibition from Friday 5 September to Sunday 5 October, bringing the past year’s most captivating and thought-provoking photojournalism and documentary photography from around the globe. Their café, Zephyr, is the perfect place for a post-exhibit flat white.
Wētā Workshop Experience
We end the weekend in geeky style at Wētā Workshop (tours.wetaworkshop.com). Inside this deceptively modest Miramar building lives the genius behind everything from The Lord of the Rings to Avatar. We pose with orcs, swing swords, and sculpt alien heads from tin foil – all while learning about Wētā’s history of storytelling. Our guide is bursting with passion, and we leave inspired to follow our own creative quests.
As our weekend comes to a close, it’s clear Wellington’s creative pulse, welcoming community, boundary-pushing food, and ever-changing cultural calendar doesn’t rest over winter. It just layers up, pours a glass, and invites you to settle in.
Keep an eye on what’s happening in Wellington at WellingtonNZ.com and follow @WellingtonNZ on socials.
Photos | Celeste Fountain, Phoebe Mackenzie & Oliver Hall.
