After being dropped off on Lambton Quay to browse their local boutiques and to sightsee on our own, we ended up with eight fellow passengers following us. I shuddered because none of us had ever been to Wellington before, and I somehow felt the weight of being a group leader as they looked to me for having great navigational skills. Luckily, i was listening intently when just before our shuttle bus driver dropped us off on Lambton Quay, he directed us to the lower station of the cable car and gave us 3 options to do, based upon our fitness or stamina levels: 1- purchase a round-trip ticket from Lambton Quay to Kelburn Lookout and continue walking on Lambton Quay to their "Beehive" and Parliament Buildings on Bowen Street where the designated cruise ship shuttle stop would come by every hour; 2- get a one-way ticket to Kelburn, explore the area and dine at one of the numerous cafes in the neighborhood and catch public transportation to the Bowen Street shuttle bus stop; or 3- continue walking downhill from the lookout to the Wellington Botanical Gardens. We decided on option number 3 (one-way ride up to Kelburn Lookout)) and discovered our shuttle bus driver may have meant "walk downhill THROUGH" instead of "TO" the Wellington Botanical Gardens because after getting a map from the museum, I discovered an entrance to the Wellington Botanical Gardens right across the street and found other attractions were also straight through the gardens leading to Bowen Street. Our group began the winding trail on the Downhill Path, past the Space Place, into this beautiful 61-acre botanical garden, and reveled in its 150 years of history. The gardens feature colorful and amazing botanical displays, unique landscapes, specialized native and global plant species, a protective native forest, and unparalleled views over the city. I read that the garden and land date back well before European colonization and permanent settlement in the mid-19th century. The local Māori inhabitants of the Te Ātiawa village used this area for trade and food cultivation, collecting plants for construction, food fiber, and medicine, and birds for food. Unfortunately, during the mid-1800s, as Europeans began permanently settling in the area, the Te Ātiawa were displaced, and the official Wellington Botanic Garden was established in 1868. We all wandered through the gardens at our own pace until we met at the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, and we looked forward to visiting the nearby Begonia House, which features permanent tropical and temperate displays. Also, because most of us had been walking or standing for at least 4 hours straight, part of our group eagerly took a break and snacked at the Picnic Café while my husband and I continued wandering the area, found the country's oldest cricket club (The Wellington Collegians Cricket Club) and its historic field, and were stopped from entering the Begonia House because it was undergoing construction or renovation. Undaunted, we explored the Peace Garden and found an eternal flame featuring the preserved flames from the 1945 atomic holocausts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The eternal flame was presented to New Zealand by Japan in 1990 in recognition of New Zealand's unilateral steps to stop the spread of atomic weapons. The last line on the bronze plaque reads "The Chief Priest prayed that this Flame of Peace should burn until the day all nuclear weapons are Finding the Peace Garden and reading about this country's pledge toward Anti-Nuclear development policies made me reflect upon the current global events. After the others had eaten and rested, we continued walking through the gardens, which led to Bowen Street, where we saw the "Beehive" or Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament and other government buildings. We hopped on the shuttle bus after waiting for 15 minutes. Still, we wished that we had been able to spend more time in the city as we drove past Old St. Paul's Cathedral (a Gothic Revival structure built in the 1860s) and the National Library, which houses the City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, a premier contemporary art gallery. read more

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Looking for an activity to do in the afternoon, we opted to take the cable car up to the botanical gardens. Entry into the gardens is free. We started down the main downtown walk but diverted onto other paths as things caught our eye. I took so many pics. Loved all the colors and interesting vegetation. I think my fav area was the succulent garden. I love the colors and shapes of these plants. We visited in October so the roses were not yet in bloom but I suspect that is a stunning area when in season. I also liked the duck pond. Wish we would have known that you could get duck food in the tree house. We would have treated the ducks (and pigeons as it was clear they knew food might be involved and were following us anyway). Beautiful place to enjoy Wellington. Outstanding views from on top the hill as well. read more

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The Wellington Botanic Garden is a little escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, located right in the center of downtown. There are tons of trails to walk, in order to see as much vegetation as possible, as well as ponds and offshoots where you can stop to read about what you're seeing. We stumbled on the Wellington Botanic Garden while we were just wandering around Wellington, so it's not hard to miss at all. Aside from vegetation, plants, and flowers, we also stumbled upon waterfalls, creeks, and small buildings and pavilions. It's over 62 acres of lush plants and trails, so you can spend a full day at the Wellington Botanic Garden. We were only there for a few hours of tranquil walking, but if we go back, we'll explore a lot more! read more

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We arrived at the Wellington botanic garden through the cable car ride which itself was worth it. The botanic garden is very big and beautiful! In New Zealand there are flowers and plants that I've never seen before- all them being different colors, textures. Truly beautiful. To get to the botanic garden it is a hike up / down the mountain so be prepared. They do have a visitor center/gift shop. The center did have a clean restroom and the views even from the center were beautiful. Overall- I would highly recommend!! The only way to get back to your original spot is to take the cable car down however we decided to uber back to our hotel. read more

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Scenic garden, very nice and greenery. The garden is very kids friendly, with treehouse and playground. Awesome place! read more

Wellington Botanical Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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When visiting new cities, I always make time for visiting Botanical Gardens. Wellington's is a wonderful one and well worth the time to visit. I had planned on going one day, but seeing how it was on a hill, I made another trip to come back and explore and was glad I did. The best way to see theses gardens is to take the Wellington Cable Car to the top. Exiting the station to the right is the entrance to the gardens, again at the very top of the mountain so you'll slowly work your way down into the city. There are multiple paths to take, the observatory path has wonderful views of Wellington and the bay. The others wind down; one is a forest walk, another is more of a direct path to the tree house. Toward the bottom you'll find landscaped flowers, then going back up the herb garden. From here you'll work your way to the green house, which has various areas of tropical and swamp plants, so this would be a great place to come on a cold day. There are restrooms sporadically through the gardens, so that shouldn't be a worry. There's also a cafe at the greenhouse. From here you can walk through the historic cemetery and a pedestrian over the highway that takes you right back into the center of the city. This is a must-visit. read more

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This is a must do stop in Wellington. The gardens are free, but it is fun to take the cable car up to the top, buy a one way ride and walk down through the gardens, the historic cemetery and into town. In addition to the lovely curated spaces with paved paths such as the succulent garden, rock garden and display garden, there is a duck pond, many grassy areas for picnicking, a lovely sculpture walk and several gravel lined bush walks and areas with views over the city. The Druid hill Listening sculpture is quite fun - step inside and listen to the sounds of the city and forest. The rose garden toward the bottom and the begonia house are beautiful and the Picnic cafe is a must try for brunch or cakes and coffee. read more

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