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Christchurch's Bangalore Polo Club has recently moved into Wellington. It's one of a number of new bars to open in the the city recently.

To wish Cantabrians a happy anniversary and try and woo you Wellington’s way, Positively Wellington Tourism has compiled the below list of what’s new and a few tips on what’s happening in Wellington from Friday 11 November  – Sunday 13 November.

What’s On?
 

Sex Drive at Circa Theatre, runs until Saturday 12 November, $38 – $46
Love, Lust and Lotto. Sex Drive is a fast-paced comedy that tells the story of three women who work in the Pack 'n' Pullet Poultry Factory. Their Lucky Clucky Chicken Plucking Syndicate wins a second division Lotto prize... and so Sex Drive is born. A mobile sex shop created by women, for women. They find they have skills they had never imagined - but the Sex Drive truck runs out of luck when it rolls up against Christian sensibilities on one side and City Council bylaws on the other. The tension builds in a battle of wits. Love is won and lost and all is revealed in a rollicking grand finale... Sex Drive is co-written by Wellingtonians Lorae Parry and Pinky Agnew, both of whom have received the MNZM for services to the Performing Arts.

Gaggenau at City Market: The Perfect Egg. Sunday 13 November, 10am-11.30am. Tickets $50.
September through December, the popular City Market providore market is hosting intimate cooking classes with Wellington’s best chefs and food personalities. Set in a stunning Gaggenau kitchen, classes take place in the City Market where you will be surrounded by bustle, bounty, and aromas. This weekend’s class is devoted to the humble egg - when cooked perfectly they are a thing of beauty.  So why so hard?!  Prepare to learn from a master.  Chef Kelda Hains of Nikau will be in the Gaggenau kitchen to take care of the basics, and to show you how best to incorporate these orbs of joy into a great meal.  You'll be tasting Kelda's dishes, which will be paired with a glass of wine or craft beerm, then sent on your way with recipes and a beautiful Gaggenau magazine, well satiated and bursting with ideas. Details and online booking at www.citymarket.co.nz

Behind Closed Doors: New Zealand Art from Private Collections in Wellington, at Adam Art Gallery until Sunday December 18. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-5pm
Get an insight into the private collections of the cultural capital. Showcasing ‘moments’ in a history of New Zealand art from 1946 to the present, drawn exclusively from private collections in Wellington, this revealing exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see works that complement and extend the holdings of New Zealand’s public and corporate collections. The paintings, sculptures, and works on paper are simultaneously significant works by major figures and tributes to the often close relationships that accrue between artists and their patrons.

What’s New?

:: Christchurch’s very own Bangalore Polo Club (BPC) has recently made the move to Wellington’s Courtenay Place, just down the road from fellow new kid on the block Ancestral. BPC’s opulent and stylish clubrooms have a retractable roof to make the most of the sunny days and the summer refresher that is the Lady Stacy (single origin vodka, strawberries, cucumber, mint and pineapple juice) may be just what the anniversary weekend doctor ordered. 63 Courtenay Place

:: Wellington is home to a trail of boutique bars celebrating New Zealand’s finest brews. Wild About Wellington offer a Boutique Beer Tasting Tour, or DIY around classic favourites such as the Malthouse (48 Courtenay Place) and underground cult Japanese beer bar Hashigo Zake (25 Taranaki St) and brand new gems such as Little Beer Quarter (6 Edward Street), Hop Garden (13 Pirie St) and Fork and Brewer (upstairs at 14 Bond St).

:: At the city end of Cuba St, the new Phoenix boutique cosmetics store offers an extensive range of makeup services along with its own cosmetics line. Staffed by experienced makeup artists (the Phoenix Pink Ladies), you can get your makeup done for a special night out in the capital of cool, or book in for a one-on-one lessons so you can learn to recreate the looks at home. Signature products in the extensive make-up range include their shimmer powder and custom-blend foundation - blended on the spot to match your exact skin tone. 34 Cuba St

What’s the Deal?

Rydges Hotel has the below Capital of Cool Packages available over the weekend @ $199 inc GST:

:: Capital Chill
One night’s accommodation in a Superior Room
Two return Cable Car tickets
Two Espresso Coffees and Muffins to takeaway
In-house movie or 2 tickets to the Embassy

:: Capital Thrill
One night’s accommodation in a Superior Room
Crocodile Bike hire for two
Cocktails & Sliders at the bar
Toss the Boss for a free room upgrade on arrival
 

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Coolest Little Capital in the World
Dubbed a ‘city on the rise’ by Lonely Planet in 2007, Wellington rose to the challenge the ‘coolest little capital in the world’ was named the 4th top city in the world to visit this year by Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011.

A Local Favourite
Wellington has been named New Zealand’s favourite destination in the Fly Buys/Colmar Brunton Mood of the Traveller Survey seven out of eight quarterly surveys to date.
 

Culinary capital
Wellington restaurants have taken out the supreme Cuisine Restaurant of the Year award four out of the awards’ seven years and the city has been named in the Top 10 Food & Wine Destinations in the South Pacific in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice 2011 Awards.
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