Wellington Botanical Gardens: A Must Do!

For tourists and visitors alike Wellington Botanical Garden is a must do! Today was a perfect day in Wellington. One of those days you wish for when you see a cruise liner dock in the harbour. Wellington on a good day is paradise.

Take a ride up the cable car for magnificent views and a visit to the cable car museum. A beautiful, 100 year-old, cable car, is exhibited and in days gone by passengers could reach over and shake hands with passengers travelling in the opposite direction. Children are always fascinated by the mechanics of the cable car and the way the track splits into two mid-way, to allow two cable cars to alternate the ascent and descent.

Walking back down through the gardens there is a wonderful choice of pathways to capture all interests. Children adore the mysterious pathways and exploring their destination. The playground is always a friendly spot for parents to grab some adult conversation and set in the most beautiful surrounds.

From the playground it is a short walk to ‘The Treehouse’, which is an amazing structure. It encompasses the Botanic Garden Visitor Centre and also the Headquarters of WWF-New Zealand, the conservation organisation. There is plenty of interesting information for adults and children alike (and an opportunity for some retail therapy for those in need of a ‘fix’!). A life-size tree trunk contains little doors which open to reveal photographs and information on various New Zealand species.

The Treehouse looks down upon the duck pond and ‘The Sound Shell’, which is the home to a wonderful array of free concerts during the summer months. This is a beautiful spot for a picnic and is often frequented by giant dragon fly and even the occasional Kaka!

We could have stayed all day, but Charlotte had Kindi in the afternoon. Next time, we’ll explore more of those pathways, venturing through the herb garden, sculpture garden, rose gardens and visiting the fish and wishing pond in the Begonia House (where there’s a wonderfully child-friendly cafe that serves excellent lattes!).