For over 120 years, the Cable Car has trundled up and down the Kelburn hillside. Ferrying commuters, students, and tourists between Lambton Quay, Victoria University, and the Botanic Gardens. The five-minute trip has become a Wellington must-do for tourists.
Every 10 minutes, the bright red Wellington Cable Car departs from Lambton Quay and makes its way up into the hills of Kelburn.
The 612m journey travels through three tunnels and over three bridges. Once you’ve reached the top you’ll have risen 120m above sea level. The views of the city below and harbour and hills beyond are, predictably, spectacular.
A milestone in engineering when it opened in February 1902, this is New Zealand’s only remaining funicular railway. Originally steam-powered when it began, the two red cable cars have traversed the hill many times a day for over one hundred years.