Your guide to autumn in Wellington

On a crisp, golden autumn day, there’s no better place to be in Wellington than the waterfront. Meander the oceanside boulevards with a hot drink in hand. You can watch ferries glide into port, sea life in the harbour, or stop in at one of many attractions and places to eat.

If you’re in the mood for culture, make a beeline for the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Spanning six storeys and 36,000 square metres, it’s the country’s largest and most dynamic museum. Inside, you'll find more than 800,000 artworks, taonga , and specimens. Immersive, interactive exhibitions bring these treasures to life. 

Start with the Te Taiao Nature exhibit, where you’ll learn about New Zealand’s natural environment. Discover native wildlife, seismic forces, and even walk through a living forest. Head up to Toi Art to see a rotating showcase of the best in New Zealand art and photography. Don’t miss Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War. Created in collaboration with Wētā Workshop, it’s a deeply human tribute to those who served in WWI, told on a breathtaking scale. 

After exploring Te Papa, chances are you’ll have worked up a solid appetite. Luckily, Wellington hosts a wide array of quality long-standing restaurants. Here, great food and great service go hand in hand. Floriditas on Cuba Street is delicious any time of day. The café and restaurant has made a name for itself with inventive seasonal fare, merging elevated Kiwi classics with European bistro dining. Great India on Manners Street is one of the dining scene’s stalwarts, having been open for over 40 years. Every one of its 60-plus dishes is made from scratch. If you’re after something more elevated, try the award-winning Capitol on Kent Terrace. The food is fresh and uncluttered, with a wonderful balance of flavours.

Autumn in the city provides the music lover with a wide range of live gigs. A playlist of pop bangers is used to explore what might have happened in Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. The blockbuster musical & Juliet runs from 9 to 24 May. More than one thousand competitors descend on Wellington for the New Zealand Brass Band Championships from 8 to 12 April, while electronic dance music fans will revel when ULTRA New Zealand comes to town on 10 April. It’s the first time the internationally acclaimed EDM festival has travelled to Aotearoa. 

For those looking for spectator sports, April is loaded. The New Zealand Cricket Home International Season bowls up two One Day International games at Cello Basin Reserve. The WHITE FERNS face worthy rivals South Africa on 1 and 4 April. Your ANZAC weekend is sorted with a trans-Tasman NRL game. On 25 April, the One New Zealand Warriors v Dolphins ANZAC match provides a rare chance to see the country’s favourite NRL team play south of its Auckland home. The same weekend, Faultline Ultra challenges cyclists and runners to the ultimate endurance challenge. Competitors choose from six courses ranging from 6km to 161km. 

The season also brings the NZ International Comedy Festival. This popular event draws thousands of people to live comedy shows around the city. It’s the perfect chance to get a taste of that trademark Kiwi humour: clever, offbeat, and delightfully self-deprecating. 

For anyone sad to have missed summer in the capital, enjoy one last open-air frolic at the free street festival CubaDupa. Watch as every corner of the Cuba Quarter transforms to showcase the city’s creative heart. Dance alongside locals and visitors alike until well after sundown.