Wellington International Airport has direct connectivity to the rest of New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji, across various airlines. Domestic air services are regular and fast. Flights leave for Auckland and Christchurch international airports hourly, and travel time is usually an hour. Queenstown is an hour and a half away, with multiple flights daily. Flights to Rotorua take just over an hour.
The capital is a coastal gateway between the North and South Islands. There are regular ferry services across the Cook Strait to and from Picton. The three-and-a-half-hour journey takes you through the picturesque Marlborough Sounds. You can sail with either Interislander or Bluebridge. Taking a vehicle is easy, just drive on and off.
Cruise ships often stop in the city. The port hosts over 120 ships every year and is a ten-minute drive from the central city.
If you are driving, Wellington is connected to two of the country’s major state highways, SH1 and SH2. The drive time from Auckland is approximately nine and a half hours, and Rotorua is five and a half hours.
Wellington is also part of the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail. Keep an eye out for the brown road signs displaying grapes as you travel along the scenic driving route.
The train station is in the centre of the city.
Great Journeys of New Zealand have a regular Northern Explorer train service, which connects Auckland and Wellington. The scenic 648km journey takes one day and includes multiple stops along the way.
If you’re heading to the South Island via ferry, jump on a Coastal Pacific train from Picton to Christchurch.
You’ve arrived! Find out how you can get around once you’re in the capital.