Located at the top of Cuba Street, a large gold nugget stands on top o a blue post. Candles are…read morestuck into the nugget. Lots of symbolism that I didn't understand until after. It's hard to miss and hard to understand but here it is. From the online caption, "The work to commemorate and celebrate the prominent Wellington businessman and philanthropist, Thomas George Macarthy was unveiled on 12 August 2015. A joint project between the T G Macarthy Trust and the Wellington Sculpture Trust, it marks the centenary of the Trust T G Macarthy established on his death in 1912." "The gold nugget references the gold rush that brought Macarthy to New Zealand, and the column is typical of the classical modern architectural features used in/on buildings around the early 1900s. The candles are celebratory but also speak to the way the Trust has been a beacon of hope for countless numbers since its inception, providing $61.4 million to charitable causes throughout the Greater Wellington region." "Thomas George Macarthy was a respected businessman and public figure holding positions as director of the Wellington Opera House and a member of the board of directors of the Bank of New Zealand and the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Co., and was its chairman in 1897. He was an advocate of education and providing for the needy, which in his day often meant helping women. He was said to be a quiet man and didn't seek publicity, often making donations to charities anonymously." [Review 464 of 2024 - 115 in New Zealand - 21496 overall]

A lovely art gallery that is free to tour though the art for sale looks to be a lot more than I…read morewould want to spend. Yes, these pieces take a while to complete and the artist needs to get paid. Beautiful artworks that include paintings and sculptures. Big pieces and small pieces. Check it out while you're walking Cuba Street. [Review 516 of 2024 - 163 in New Zealand - 21548 overall]

Worth the 35 minute hike up...for the views on a clear Sunday morning…read more Mount Victoria is a hill situated just east of downtown Wellington, with hiking trails and auto roads going up to the top. The most popular destination is the lookout spot, a fenced ring at the highest point, giving 360 degree view of the city, the harbor and surrounding area. It is about 600 feet above sea level. One can get to it by auto from the East, and we saw large tour buses bringing passengers for the view. There are two large parking lots for cars as well, and it wasn't very full even on a Sunday. My brother and I chose to hike it from the nearby Oriental Bay Beach, and there were multiple choices to get there. It took about 35 minutes uphill (significantly less downhill), and there is no need to use hands/arms as long as you are careful. Once you get to the parking lot, you have to climb 70 or so more stairs to reach the observation deck. The destination was worth it, and we spent a bit of time up there. There are a lot of info plaque situated, educating about the surround areas. Land mass changing earthquakes are not uncommon here, and it's fascinating to see before and after photographs around a major earthquake. There is also a small memorial to Richard Byrd, aviator who reached both Poles by air, as well. Interesting that it would be here, since Admiral Byrd served in the US military. I guess exploration feats go across national boundaries.

One thing I love to do on vacation is walk and hike. If you're visiting Wellington, this is a…read moremust-visit place to enjoy nature and exercise. Mount Victoria sits right in the middle of Wellington, separating the CBD from Miramar and the airport. The tunnels you drive through go under this mountain, but you'd never know how much there is to do above without going for yourself. From downtown, you can easily walk here up a progressively steeper hill. They have benches, and information maps all around the park. Trails of varying degrees of difficulty zigzag all around, with other dedicated trails for mountain bikers and horses. There are also a number of roads, making the highlighted parts accessible to all. At the very top is an observation platform that gives you a 360 degree view of the Wellington area. You can see the city, bay, suburbs beyond, watch planes takeoff and land, and the sea further out. This is all a free activity. They have exercise areas for kids including what looked like awesomely long slides. You can also walk around some of the neighborhoods here, with more observation platforms, including one dedicated to the city namesake Wellington. For Lord of the Rings fans, some scenes were shot here, and there is are markers to let you know where they were. Many benches are dedicated with quotes from Tolkiens work as well.

Wellington is filled with many beautiful sculptures. The Nga Kina Sculpture is located along the…read moreWellington Waterfront Walk. The nine giant green shells at Kumutoto Wharf were created by sculptor Michael Tuffery. They represent kina which is a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. Nga Kina is a tribute to the Māori settlement that once lived at this point (Kumutoto Pa) where the Kumutoto stream emptied into the harbor. It now flows beneath an underground tunnel. Kina were fished and eaten by the Māori people for centuries. The "kina" shells are raised from the seabed. As the tide comes and goes, the sea urchins are partially submerged. A really beautiful sculpture that honors the Māori settlers that once lived here.

This is where top New Zealand labels are presented in a beautiful, historic converted bank. The…read moreBank of New Zealand opened their main branch here in 1901. There were coffee shops , a restaurant, nail salon, and beautifully presented clothing.

This is such a fun visit in downtown Wellington! Not only is it a beautifully restored historical…read morebldg, but aside from the shopping and eating options, there are hidden little gems to discover! There is a little bit of a museum display of the old ship that was unburied on the grounds here with some really cool artifacts and parts of the ship itself! But, the thing to see here is the animated, singing clock that "performs" once an hour about 2-3mins before the hour. The best view is from the second floor. The little clock show, with fully animated dioramas telling the history of NZ & Wellington within the clock with accompanying music and narration is a sight to behold and is worth a visit to see in and of itself!

I was looking for a shortcut around the Parliament Buildings and found these sculptures. They are…read morebehind a vehicle security gate but the grounds are open for pedestrians. There are three pieces, Manu, Waka and Tūāhu. The caption reads, "These sculptures refer to navigation: / the waka (canoe), bird head (manu), and the tuahu (an altar of / stones built on arrival)." From the artist's description, "Traditionally the positioning by Māori and Eastern Polynesian peoples of tūāhu made of stones marked their arrival on new lands. The tūāhu would very often have been positioned alone in the landscape. Points of interaction, similarity and exchange make for interesting confrontations between these two symbolic structures as visual markets of the arrival and settlement of two cultures." The artworks were commissioned by the Wellington Sculpture Trust in honor of Henry Lang, a co-founder of the Trust and former Secretary of the Treasury. The navigator is an appropriate theme as he demonstrated great leadership throughout his life. [Review 503 of 2024 - 151 in New Zealand - 21535 overall]

Fruits of the Garden by Paul Dibble is a striking sculpture against the bright blue summer sky. If…read moreyou take a closer look you can see an apple positioned on top of a woman's hemi-torso. A nice find walking along the Wellington Waterfront which is filled with public art.

From their website, "Toi Pōneke Arts Centre is a creative space where the city's arts communities…read moreinteract, produce innovative works, teach and exhibit in the heart of Wellington." It's not a big gallery. In fact, just one large room. The current exhibit is "This is the life that was" by Amanda Smith and is running from February 17 to March 15. "This is the life that was attempts to make sense of life and the world of Amanda Smith; recognizing private trauma and public chaos co-exist. Memory and time play a significant part in exploration, the unrealistic longing for times now gone and for times ahead." It was... interesting. I'm glad it was free. [Review 474 of 2024 - 124 in New Zealand - 21506 overall]