Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, situated at the southern tip of the North Island on «Cook Strait», which separates it from the South Island. It became the country's official capital in 1865, succeeding Auckland, after legislators decided its central location was better suited to administering the colony from both its northern and southern reaches. The city was named in honor of «Arthur Wellesley», 1st Duke of Wellington, hero of the Battle of Waterloo, while its Māori name, «Te Whanganui-a-Tara», literally means «the great harbour of Tara».
The Windy Capital of World Cinema
Wellington is known as one of the windiest capitals in the world due to its location at a strait connecting two oceans, earning it the local nickname «Windy Welly». In recent decades, the city has become a global film industry hub thanks to «Weta Workshop» studios, which produced the visual effects for the famous «The Lord of the Rings» and «The Hobbit» film trilogies, earning it the nickname «Wellywood», echoing Hollywood.
- Became New Zealand's official capital in 1865
- One of the windiest capital cities in the world
- Home to Weta Workshop studios, which produced the effects for The Lord of the Rings
- The historic cable car line connects downtown with the hills overlooking it
Wellington blends its quiet government-city character with a rich cultural scene of cafés and art galleries, chief among them the national «Te Papa» museum, which documents New Zealand's natural and cultural history.
