According to thesciencetutor, the capital of New Zealand, the city of Wellington (327 thousand people), is located in its very center, at the tip of the North Island, near the Cook Strait. Due to its location, and this is the world famous “roaring forties” latitudes, the city is known for its never-ending winds. “The Windy City” is the nickname of the New Zealand capital. To the bay where merchant ships gather, small two- and three-story houses descend from the slopes of green hills. The business part of the city – high-rise buildings, offices, banks, shops.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The capital of New Zealand since 1865, Wellington is located on the shores of Lambton Harbor and is surrounded by high hills that offer magnificent views. The bay of volcanic origin is one of the most beautiful deep water harbors in the world. It is part of Cook Strait, which separates the North and South Islands and is known to sailors for its strong storm winds. This circumstance determined the second name of Wellington – “city of winds”. 362,000 inhabitants live in the capital and its suburbs.
Maori settlements from time immemorial were located on the shore of the bay. In 1839, Colonel William Wakefield, who served in the New Zealand Company, founded the city just north of its current location, but the strong floods of the Hutt River forced the Europeans to start building Wellington to the south. The first colonists disembarked from the Aurora in January 1840, naming the town after the Duke of Wellington. Around the city rose ridges of hills, overgrown with dense forests, which did not contribute to the development of agriculture at all. Only after becoming the capital of the country, its largest administrative center, Wellington began to actively develop all sectors of the economy. Today, this beautiful modern city attracts many tourists.
The Cook Strait region is considered a zone of high seismic activity. In 1848 there was a strong earthquake that destroyed the houses of the colonists. In 1855, the tremors were even stronger and led to the death of people.
ATTRACTION
The New Zealand Parliament Building was built in 1912 on the site of an old one that burned down in a fire in 1907. Opposite the Parliament is the former Government Palace, the second largest wooden building in the world. Geological, paleontological and ethnological expositions are especially interesting in the National Museum. A magnificent collection of Maori art. The museum is adjacent to the Art Gallery. It is interesting to visit the Maritime Museum, which, among other things, houses an exposition dedicated to the sinking of the Wahine ferry on April 10, 1968. Also noteworthy are the Portrait Gallery, the Art Gallery, the New Zealand Astronomical Center and the Planetarium.
A fabulous impression is made by the Botanical Garden with its rose garden, begonia garden and other beauties. It covers an area of 26 hectares and is located on top of one of the hills that surround Wellington: views of the city, port and strait are amazing. No less beautiful panorama opens from other hills – Victoria and Hawkins Hill. There are many equally pleasant places to walk in the city. South of Wellington near Newtown Park is a zoo where you can get acquainted with the New Zealand fauna.
The city has a great variety of pubs for every taste: English, Irish, Scottish; live music and homemade beer. Several nightclubs, a huge selection of restaurants, restaurants and cafes.
