A cable car hauls people up to Wellington's Botanic Gardens

Photo: Christina Wood

This hilly, windy harbour city is New Zealand's cultural and political capital - a vibrant hub home to 400,000 or so caffeine-addicted residents.

Situated on the North Island's southeast, Wellington is one of New Zealand's prettiest cities. It is surrounded by a stunning harbour, steep hills and the Cook Strait and filled with picturesque weatherboard houses clambering up hillsides. Wellington is also a highly seismic city, so if the Earth moves for you here, it's probably not just because you're having a really good time.

Wellington's compact centre is easily explored on foot. However, for a small price, a cable car will haul you up a steep hill for the obligatory panoramic photo op from the Botanic Gardens (see picture).

For those unfortunately frequent days when Wellington is lashed by horizontal rain, its waterfront cafes, bars and galleries make fine retreats. First stop on rainy days (or sunny days for that matter) is the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the excellent waterfront museum covering New Zealand culture and history. The Museum of Wellington City and Sea provides a glimpse into the city's maritime history, while the Parliamentary District has some of New Zealand's finest traditional and modern architecture (check out the radical Beehive building).

Despite Wellington's lofty claim to have more cafes per head than New York, there is much more to do here than sit on your bum and sip lattes; the city's surrounds offer prime sailboarding, kitesurfing, coastal walking and mountain biking opportunities.