Wellington ( ) is the
capital city and third most
populous urban area of New Zealand
.The urban area is situated on the
southwestern tip of the country's North Island
, and lies between Cook Strait
and the Rimutaka Range
. It is home to residents, with an additional
3,700 residents living in the surrounding rural areas.
The
Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the
southern North Island, and is the seat of the Wellington
Region
- which in addition to the urban area covers the
Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa. The urban area lie across four
cities.
Wellington City
, on the peninsula between Cook Strait and Wellington
Harbour
, contains the central business district and about
half of Wellington's population. Porirua City
on Porirua Harbour
to the north is notable for its large Māori and Pacific
Island communities. Lower Hutt
City
and Upper Hutt
City
are suburban areas to the northeast, together known
as the Hutt Valley.
Name
Wellington
was named after Arthur Wellesley,
the first Duke of Wellington and
victor of the Battle of
Waterloo
. The Duke's title comes from the town of
Wellington
in the English
county of Somerset
.
In
Māori, Wellington goes by
three names.
Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara refers
to Wellington
Harbour and means "the great harbour of Tara".
Pōneke is a transliteration of
Port Nick,
short for
Port Nicholson (the city's central
marae, the community supporting it and its
kapa haka have the pseudo-tribal name of
Ngāti Pōneke).
Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui, meaning
The Head of
the Fish of Māui (often shortened to
Te
Upoko-o-te-Ika), a traditional name for the southernmost
part of the North Island, derives from the legend of the fishing up
of the island by the demigod
Māui.
Wellington also has nicknames including
The Harbour
Capital,
Wellywood and the
Windy City .
Importance
Wellington is New Zealand's
political centre, housing
Parliament and the head offices of
all
Government
Ministries and
Departments, plus the bulk of the foreign
diplomatic missions
that are based in New Zealand.
Wellington's compact city centre supports an arts scene, café
culture and nightlife much larger than many cities of a similar
size.
It
is an important centre of New Zealand's film and theatre industry,
and second to Auckland
in terms of numbers of screen industry
businesses. Te Papa Tongarewa
(the Museum of New Zealand), the New Zealand Symphony
Orchestra, the Royal New
Zealand Ballet, Museum of Wellington City &
Sea
and the biennial New Zealand International Arts
Festival are all sited there.
Wellington has the 12th best
quality of
living in the world in 2009, a ranking holding steady from
2007, according to
a
2007 study by consulting company Mercer. Of cities with English
as the primary language, Wellington ranked fourth in 2007.
Of cities
in the Asia Pacific region, Wellington ranked third (2009) behind
Auckland and Sydney
, Australia. Of New Zealand cities only Auckland rated higher with a ranking of fourth best in the
world in 2009, rising slightly from fifth in 2006 and 2007.
Wellington became much more affordable, in terms of cost of living
relative to cities worldwide, with its ranking moving from 93rd
(more expensive) to 139th (less expensive) in 2009, probably as a
result of currency fluctuations during the global economic downturn
from March 2008 to March 2009. "Foreigners get more bang for their
buck in Wellington, which is among the cheapest cities in the world
to live", according to a 2009 article, which reported that currency
fluctuations make New Zealand cities affordable for multi-national
firms to do business, and elaborated that "New Zealand cities were
now more affordable for expatriates and were competitive places for
overseas companies to develop business links and send
employees".
Settlement
Legend recounts that
Kupe discovered and
explored the district in about the tenth century.
European settlement began with the arrival of
an advance party of the
New Zealand
Company on the ship
Tory, on 20 September 1839,
followed by 150 settlers on the
Aurora on 22 January 1840.
The
settlers constructed their first homes at Petone
(which they
called Britannia for a time) on the flat area at the mouth of the
Hutt
River
. When that proved swampy and flood-prone
they transplanted the plans, which had been drawn without regard
for the hilly terrain.
Earthquakes
suffered serious damage in a series of
earthquakes in
1848 and from another
earthquake in
1855. The
1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred
on a
fault line to the north and east of
Wellington. It ranks as probably the most powerful earthquake in
recorded
New Zealand history,
with an estimated magnitude of at least 8.2 on the
Richter scale. It caused vertical
movements of two to three metres over a large area, including
raising an area of land out of the harbour and turning it into a
tidal swamp. Much of this land was subsequently
reclaimed and is now part
of Wellington's
central
business district. For this reason the street named
Lambton Quay now runs 100 to 200
metres (325 to 650 ft) from the harbour. Plaques set into the
footpath along Lambton Quay mark the shoreline in
1840 and thus indicate
the extent of the uplift and
reclamation.
The area has high seismic activity even by New Zealand standards,
with a major fault line running through the centre of the city, and
several others nearby. Several hundred more minor fault lines have
been identified within the urban area. The inhabitants,
particularly those in
high-rise buildings,
typically notice several
earthquakes
every year. For many years after the 1855 earthquake, the majority
of buildings constructed in Wellington were made entirely from
wood.
The
1996-restored Government Buildings
, near Parliament is the largest wooden office building in the Southern Hemisphere
. While masonry and
structural steel have subsequently been
used in
building construction,
especially for office buildings,
timber
framing remains the primary structural component of almost all
residential construction. Residents also place their hopes of
survival in good
building
regulations, which gradually became more stringent in the
course of the twentieth century.
New Zealand's capital
In
1865,
Wellington became the capital of New Zealand, replacing Auckland, which William Hobson
had established as the capital in 1841.
Parliament first sat in Wellington on 7 July 1862, but the city did
not become the official capital for some time. In November 1863 the
Premier
Alfred Domett moved a
resolution before Parliament (in Auckland) that "... it has become
necessary that the
seat of
government ... should be transferred to some suitable
locality in Cook Strait." Apparently there was concern that the
southern regions, where the gold fields were located, would form a
separate colony. Commissioners from Australia (chosen for their
neutral status) pronounced the opinion that Wellington was suitable
because of its harbour and central location. Parliament officially
sat in Wellington for the first time on 26 July 1865. The
population of Wellington was then 4,900.
Wellington is the seat of New Zealand's highest court, the
Supreme Court of New Zealand.
The historic former High Court building is to be enlarged and
restored for the court's use.
Government
House
, the official
residence of the Governor-General, is in
Newtown, opposite the Basin Reserve
.
Geography
The Wellington Urban Area (pink) is
administered by four city councils
Wellington is at the south-western tip of
the North
Island on Cook
Strait, the passage that separates the North and South
Islands. On a clear day the snowcapped Kaikoura
Ranges
are visible to the south across the strait.
To the north stretch the golden beaches of the
Kapiti Coast.
On the east the Rimutaka Range divides Wellington from the broad plains of the
Wairarapa, a wine region of national
acclaim.
With a
latitude of 41° 17' S, Wellington is
the
southernmost national
capital city in the world. It is also the
most remote capital
in the World (i.e. the furthest from any other capital). It is more
densely populated than most other settlements in New Zealand, due
to the small amount of building space available between the harbour
and the surrounding hills. Wellington has very few suitable areas
in which to expand and this has resulted in the development of the
surrounding cities in the greater urban area.
Because of its
location in the roaring forties
latitudes and its exposure to omnipresent winds coming through
Cook
Strait, the city is known to Kiwis as "Windy Wellington".
More than most cities, life in Wellington is dominated by its
central business district (CBD).
Approximately 62,000 people work in the
CBD, only 4,000 fewer than work in Auckland's CBD, despite that city having three times
Wellington's population. Wellington's cultural and nightlife
venues concentrate in
Courtenay Place and surroundings
located in the southern part of the
CBD, making the
inner city suburb of
Te Aro
the largest entertainment destination in New Zealand.
Wellington has a median income well above the average in New
Zealand and a much higher proportion of people with tertiary
qualifications than the national average.
The boat harbour, Oriental Bay,
Wellington, 1923
Wellington has a reputation for its picturesque
natural harbour and green hillsides adorned with
tiered suburbs of colonial villas.
The CBD is sited close to Lambton
Harbour, an arm of Wellington Harbour. Wellington Harbour lies along an active
geological fault, which is clearly
evident on its straight western coast. The land to the west of this
rises abruptly, meaning that many of Wellington's suburbs sit high
above the centre of the city.
There is
a network of bush walks and reserves maintained by the Wellington
City Council and local
volunteers. The Wellington region has of regional parks and
forests.
In the
east is the Miramar Peninsula,
connected to the rest of the city by a low-lying isthmus at
Rongotai, the site of Wellington International
Airport
. The narrow entrance to Wellington is
directly to the east of the Miramar Peninsula, and contains the
dangerous shallows of
Barrett Reef,
where many ships have been wrecked (most famously the inter-island
ferry
Wahine in
1968).
On the
hill west of the city centre are Victoria
University
and Wellington Botanic Garden
. Both can be reached by a funicular railway, the Wellington
Cable Car
.
Wellington Harbour has three islands:
Matiu/Somes
Island
, Makaro/Ward Island
and Mokopuna Island
. Only Matiu/Somes Island is large enough for
settlement. It has been used as a quarantine station for people and
animals and as an
internment camp during
the First and
Second World Wars.
It is now
a conservation island, providing refuge for endangered species, much like Kapiti Island
further up the coast. There is access during
daylight hours by the
Dominion Post Ferry.
Climate
The city averages 2025 hours (or about 169 days) of sunshine per
year. The climate is generally moderate all year round, and rarely
sees temperatures rise above 25 °C (77 °F), or fall below 4 °C (39
°F). The hottest recorded temperature in the city is 31.1 °C (88
°F), while -1.9 °C (28 °F) is the coldest. The city is notorious
however for its southerly blasts in winter, which may make the
temperature feel much colder. The city is generally very windy all
year round with a lot of rainfall. Average annual rainfall is
1249 mm, June and July being the wettest months.
Frosts are quite common in the hill suburbs and the
Hutt Valley between May and September.
Snow is very rare, although snow was reported
to have fallen on the city on July 17, 1995.
Architecture
Night Harbour view
contains a variety of architectural styles dating back from the
past 150 years; from nineteenth century wooden cottages, such as
the
Italianate Katherine
Mansfield Birthplace
in Thorndon, some streamlined
Art Deco structures such as the old
Wellington Free Ambulance
headquarters, the
City Gallery
, and the
Former Post
and Telegraph Building
, as well as the curves and vibrant colours of
post-modern architecture in the CBD.
The
oldest building in Wellington is the late Georgian Colonial
Cottage
in Mount Cook. The tallest building
in the city is the Majestic Centre
on Willis Street at 116 metres high, the second
tallest being the structural
expressionist BNZ
Tower
at 103 metres. Futuna Chapel
is located in Karori
, was the
first bicultural building in New Zealand, and is thus considered
one of the most significant New Zealand buildings of the twentieth
century.
The bucket fountain, Cuba Street
Old Saint
Paul's
is an example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture
adapted to colonial conditions and materials, as is Saint Mary
of the Angels
. The Museum of
Wellington City & Sea building, the Bond Store
is in the Second French Empire style, and the
Wellington Harbour Board Wharf Office
Building
is in a late English Classical style.
There are
several restored theatre buildings, the St. James
Theatre
, the Opera House
and the Embassy Theatre
.
Civic
Square
is surrounded by the Town
Hall
and council offices, the Michael
Fowler Centre
, the Wellington
Central Library,Capital E, Home of the National Theatre for
Children, the City-to-Sea bridge
, and the City Gallery.
Being the capital, there are many memorable government buildings in
Wellington.
Both the National
Library of New Zealand
, located on Molesworth Street, and the Te
Puni Kōkiri building on Lambton
Quay are aesthetically unique . The circular-conical
Executive Wing of New Zealand Parliament
Buildings
, located on the corner of Lambton Quay and
Molesworth Street, was constructed in the mid-60s and is commonly
referred to as the
Beehive
. Across the road from the Beehive is the
largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere, part of the old
Government Buildings
which now houses part of Victoria
University of Wellington's Law Faculty. Further afield,
Victoria
University's Coastal Ecology Laboratory on the south coast of
Wellington is an arresting new structure that was completed in
early 2009.
The
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa
Tongarewa
is on the waterfront.
As tastes and trends in architecture have come into and fallen out
of fashion, many memorable buildings have been lost.
Wellington also contains many iconic sculptures and structures.
Elijah Wood mentioned that he urinated
in the
Bucket Fountain in
Cuba Street in an interview with
Jay Leno.
More recently a number of new kinetic
sculptures were commissioned, such as the Zephyrometer
. This giant 26-meter orange spike built for
movement by artist Phil Price has been described as "tall, soaring
and elegantly simple" and which "reflects the swaying of the yacht
masts in the Evans Bay Marina behind it" and "moves like the needle
on the dial of a nautical instrument, measuring the speed of the
sea or wind or vessel."
Housing and real estate
Apartments near the beach in
Wellington (2005)
The real estate boom of the early 2000s and the bust beginning 2007
which affected most Western nations affected New Zealand as well,
including Wellington. In 2005, the market was described as
"robust". But by 2008, property values declined by about 9.3% over
a twelve month period, according to one estimate. More expensive
properties declined more steeply in value, sometimes declining as
much as 20%. "From 2004 to early 2007, rental yields were eroded
and positive cash flow property investments disappeared as house
values climbed faster than rents. Then that trend reversed and
yields slowly began improving," according to two New Zealand Herald
reporters writing in May 2009. But in the middle of 2009, house
prices have dropped, interest rates are low, and buy-to-let
property investment is again looking attractive, particularly the
Lambton precinct in Wellington, according to these two
reporters.
The Wellington City Council conducted a survey in March 2009 and
found the typical apartment dweller was a New Zealand native aged
24 to 35 with a professional job in the downtown area, with
household income higher than surrounding areas. Three quarters
(73%) walked to work or university, 13% traveled by car, 6% by bus,
2% bicycled (although 31% own bicycles), and didn't travel that
far, since most (73%) worked or studied in the central city area.
The large majority (88%) didn't have children in their apartments;
39% were couples without children; 32% were single person
households; 15% were groups of people "flatting together". Most
(56%) owned their apartment; 42% rented (of renters, 16% paid $351
to $450 per week, 13% paid less and 15% paid more—only 3% paid more
than $651 per week). The report continued: "The four most important
reasons for living in an apartment were given as lifestyle and city
living (23 per cent), close to work (20 per cent), close to shops
and cafes (11 per cent) and low maintenance (11 per cent) ... City
noise and noise from neighbours were the main turnoffs for
apartment dwellers (27 per cent), followed by a lack of outdoor
space (17 per cent), living close to neighbours (9 per cent) and
apartment size and a lack of storage space (8 per cent)."
Wellington households are primarily one-family, making up two
thirds (67%) of households, followed by single-person households
(25%); there were fewer multiperson households and even fewer
households containing two or more families. These counts are from
the 2006 census and pertain to the Wellington region (which
includes the surrounding area in addition to the four cities
area).
Energy
The energy needs of the Wellington area are increasing, and one new
source is the wind. Project West Wind was granted resource consent
for 66 turbines, which is estimated to generate approximately
140MW. Meridian Energy's Project West Wind is located a few
kilometres west of Wellington's central business district, located
on Meridian's Quartz Hill and
Terawhiti Station. Near Project West Wind
is the new proposed project Mill Creek - this is in neighbouring
suburbs; Ohariu Valley (behind Johnsonville) and the back of
Porirua. It will be smaller than project West Wind, but its exact
size is still unknown - as it is going through the environment
courts. In April 2009, a $440 million wind farm was connected to
the power grid, including twenty 111 meter high turbines, and it is
expected that by the end of 2009, there will be 62 turbines (each
with 40 meter long blades) generating enough power for 70,000
homes.
Wellington's windy conditions, while perfect for wind farms,
sometimes take down power lines; in May 2009, one windstorm left
about 2500 residents without power for a few hours. In addition,
infrastructure upgrades as well as lightning sometimes cause
occasional power blackouts.
While
electricity is supplied by national power grid operator named
Transpower, Wellington's electricity
network is owned and managed by a Hong Kong
firm named Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings
which purchased the network in 2008 (the sale generated much
political controversy).
Demographics
The urban area of Wellington stretches across the city council
areas of Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua.
Population
The four cities have a total population of and the Wellington urban
area contains 99% of that population. The remaining areas are
largely mountainous and sparsely farmed or parkland and are outside
the urban area boundary.
Counts from the 2006 census gave totals by area, sex, and age.
Wellington
City had the largest population of the four city council
areas with 179,466 people, followed by Lower Hutt City
, Porirua, and Upper
Hutt City. Women outnumber men in all four areas, according
to data from
Statistics New
Zealand, particularly in the Wellington City area.
Population Density in Wellington
Region (2008) based on census data
Wellington Population by Area and Sex (2006
census)
| Area |
Total |
Men |
Women |
| Wellington City |
179466 |
86932 |
92532 |
| Lower Hutt City |
97701 |
47703 |
49998 |
| Upper Hutt City |
38415 |
19088 |
19317 |
| Porirua City |
48546 |
23634 |
24912 |
| Total four cities |
364128 |
177369 |
186759 |
|
Source:Statistics New Zealand (2006 census)
Age distribution
Age distributions for the four city regions are given (see table
below). Overall, Wellington's age structure closely matches the
national distribution.The relative lack of older people in
Wellington is less marked when the neighbouring Kapiti Coast
District is included. Nearly 7% of Kapiti Coast residents are over
80. One United Nations forecast suggests the population will grow
increasingly older during the next few decades.
Wellington Area—Age Distribution by Area
| Area |
Under 20 |
20–39 |
40–59 |
60–79 |
80 and over |
| Wellington City |
25% |
37% |
26% |
10% |
2% |
| Lower Hutt City |
30% |
27% |
27% |
12% |
3% |
| Upper Hutt City |
30% |
25% |
28% |
14% |
3% |
| Porirua City |
34% |
27% |
26% |
10% |
1% |
| Total four cities |
28% |
32% |
27% |
11% |
2% |
| New Zealand |
29% |
27% |
27% |
14% |
3% |
Source:Statistics New Zealand (2006 census)
Arts and culture
Film
While Wellington is considered by many as the centre of the
nation's film industry, in terms of the location of screen industry
businesses as well as expenditures of screen production companies,
Auckland is New Zealand's screen industry leader. "When combined,
they make up just under three-quarters of the total number of
(screen industry) businesses", according to one source. It is a
large and growing sector of the economy.
The film industry in 2008 was approaching $3 billion (see table
below), according to official sources. Television broadcasting
generated the most revenue. Expenditure in the Wellington region
more than doubled from $128 million in 2007 to $285 million in
2008. Funding received by screen production companies increased 59
percent to $644 million. The United States' contribution to the New
Zealand screen production sector increased by 99 percent to $481
million.
Gross Revenue for the Screen Industry in New
Zealand by Sector (2007-2008) -- (in millions of
NZ$)
| Sector |
2007 |
2008 |
Change |
| Production |
823 |
945 |
+15% |
| Post-production |
253 |
321 |
+27% |
| Television broadcasting |
1,081 |
1,155 |
+7% |
| Film and video distribution |
194 |
176 |
-9% |
| Film exhibition |
129 |
145 |
+13% |
| Total |
2,480 |
2,743 |
+11% |
|
Source: Statistics New Zealand
Filmmaker
Peter Jackson famous for The Lord of the
Rings, Richard
Taylor, and a growing team of creative professionals have
turned the eastern suburb of Miramar
into one of the world's most acclaimed film-making infrastructures. Jackson has
built a multi-million dollar studio on this peninsula. In addition,
the filmmaker, who is reportedly worth $450 million, owns
Camperdown Studios in Miramar, a post-production facility, and
Stone Street Studios near Wellington Airport. Jackson described
Wellington in this way: "Well, it's windy. But it's actually a
lovely place, where you're pretty much surrounded by water and the
bay. The city itself is quite small, but the surrounding areas are
very reminiscent of the hills up in northern California, like Marin
County near San Francisco and the Bay Area climate and some of the
architecture. Kind of a cross between that and Hawaii." Directors
like
Jane Campion and
Vincent Ward have managed to reach the world's
screens with their independent spirit. Emerging Kiwi film-makers,
like
Robert Sarkies,
Taika Waititi,
Costa
Botes and Jennifer Bush-Daumec, are extending the
Wellington-based lineage and cinematic scope. There are agencies to
assist film-makers with such tasks as securing permits and scouting
locations. The city is one of fifteen locations for the annual
New Zealand International Film Festival -- in 2009, the
film festival took place from July 17 through August 2.
Museums and cultural institutions
Wellington is home to Te
Papa (the Museum of New Zealand), the Museum of
Wellington City & Sea, the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace
Museum, Colonial
Cottage
, the New Zealand
Cricket Museum, the Cable Car Museum, Old Saint
Paul's, and the Wellington Law school (largest wooden
building in the southern hemisphere) and the Wellington
City Art Gallery.
Food
Wellington's
café culture is prominent.
The city has more cafes per capita than New York City. Restaurants
are either licensed to sell alcohol, BYO (bring your own), or
unlicensed (no alcohol); many let you bring your own wine.
Restaurants offer a variety of cuisines from around the world,
including from Europe, Asia, Polynesia. "For dishes that have a
distinctly New Zealand style, there's lamb, pork and cervena
(venison), salmon, crayfish (lobster), bluff oysters, paua
(abalone), mussels, scallops, pipis and tuatua (both are types of
New Zealand shellfish); kumara (sweet potato); kiwifruit and
tamarillo; and pavlova, the national dessert," recommends one
tourism website.
Festivals
Wellington has become home to a myriad of
high-profile events and cultural celebrations, including the
biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival, biennial
Wellington Jazz Festival, biennial Capital E National Arts Festival
for Children and major events such as World of
Wearable Art
, Cuba Street
Carnival, New Zealand Fringe Festival, New Zealand
International Comedy Festival (also hosted in Auckland), Summer
City, The Wellington Folk Festival (in Wainuiomata), New Zealand
Affordable Art Show, the New Zealand Sevens Weekend and Parade,
Out in the Square, Vodafone
Homegrown
, the Couch Soup theater
festival, and numerous film
festivals.
Music
The local music scene has, over the years, produced bands such as
The Warratahs,
The Phoenix Foundation,
Shihad,
Fly My
Pretties,
Fat Freddy's Drop,
The Black Seeds,
Fur Patrol,
Flight of the Conchords,
Connan and the Mockasins,
Module and Odessa.
The New Zealand
School of
Music was established in 2005 through a merger of the
conservatory and theory programmes at Massey University
and Victoria University of
Wellington. New Zealand Symphony
Orchestra,
Nevine String
Quartet and
Chamber Music New
Zealand are based in Wellington.
Performing arts
Wellington is home to the New Zealand Symphony
Orchestra, City Gallery, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, St James'
Theatre, Downstage Theatre
, Bats
Theatre
, Circa Theatre, The National Maori Theatre company
Taki Rua, the National Theatre for Children at Capital E in Civic
Square and the New Zealand International Arts Festival; the
Wellington Performing Arts Centre is also an important local source
for theatre.
Wellington is also home to groups that perform Improvised Theatre
and
Improvisational comedy,
including
Wellington
Improvisation Troupe (WIT), The Improvisors and youth group,
Joe Improv.
Poet Bill
Manhire, director of the International Institute of Modern
Letters, has turned the Creative
Writing Programme at Victoria
University of Wellington into a forge of new literary activity.
Te Whaea, New Zealand's university-level
school of dance and drama, and tertiary institutions such as The
Learning Connexion, offer training and creative development.
Arts
Art Ferns & Civic Square.
From 1936
to 1992 Wellington was home to the National Art
Gallery of New Zealand
, when it was amalgamated into Museum of
New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Wellington is also home to the
New Zealand Academy of Fine
Arts and the
Arts
Foundation of New Zealand. The city's new
arts centre,
Toi Poneke, serves as a nexus of
creative projects, collaborations, and multi-disciplinary
production. Arts Programmes and Services Manager Eric Vaughn
Holowacz and a small team based in the Abel Smith Street facility
have produced ambitious new initiatives such as
Opening Notes,
Drive
by Art, the annual children's
Artsplash Festival, and new
public art projects. The city is also home to
experimental arts publication
White Fungus Magazine.
Sport
Westpac Stadium
Wellington is the home to:
Sporting events hosted in Wellington include:
Education
Wellington offers a variety of college and university programs for
students.
Victoria University, Kelburn,
Wellington, New Zealand (2006)
Victoria
University of Wellington (Te Whare Wānanga o te Ūpoko o te Ika a Māui) has
four campuses across the city and works with a three trimester
system (beginning March, July, and November). It enrolled
21,380 students in 2008; of these, 16,609 were full-time students.
Of all students, 56% were women and 44% men. While the student body
was primarily New Zealanders of European descent, 1,713 were Maori,
1,024 were Pacific students, 2,765 were international students.
5,751 degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded. The school
has 1,930 full-time employees.
Massey
University has a Wellington campus known as the "creative
campus" and offers programs in communication and business,
engineering and technology, health and well-being, creative arts,
. It's school of design was established in 1886, and has
research centers for studying public health, sleep, Maori Health,
small & medium enterprises, disasters, and tertiary teaching
excellence. It combined with Victoria University of Wellington to
create the
New Zealand
School of Music.
The
University
of Otago
has a Wellington branch with its Wellington School
of Medicine and Health.
In addition, there is the
Wellington Institute of
Technology. For further information, see
List of universities in New
Zealand.
The Wellington area has numerous schools for college preparation
and study. See
List of schools in
Wellington, New Zealand for more information.
Transport
Wellington is served to the north by
State Highway 1 in the
west and State Highway 2
in the east, meeting at the Ngauranga Interchange
north of the city centre, where SH 1 runs through
the city to the airport. Road access into the capital is lower in
grade that most other cities in New Zealand - between Wellington
and the Kapiti Coast, SH 1 travels along the Centennial Highway, an
narrow accident-prone section of road, and between Wellington and
Wairarapa, SH 2 transverses the Rimutaka Ranges
on a similar narrow accident-prone road.
Wellington has two short motorways, both part of SH 1: the
Johnsonville-Porirua Motorway
and the
Wellington Urban
Motorway, which in combination with a small non-motorway
section in the Ngauranga Gorge, connect Porirua with Wellington
City.
Commuting patterns in the Wellington
region during 2006 are shown; darker red lines indicate greater
traffic.
Source: Statistics New Zealand.
Bus transport in Wellington is supplied by several different
operators under the banner of Metlink.
Buses serve almost
every part of Wellington City, with most of them running along the
"Golden Mile" from Wellington Railway Station
to Courtenay
Place. Most of the buses run on
diesel, but nine routes within Wellington use
trolleybuses - the only remaining
public system in Oceania.
Wellington lies at the southern end of the
North Island Main Trunk
Railway (NIMT) and the Wairarapa
Line, converging on Wellington Railway Station at the northern end of central
Wellington. Two long-distance services leave from
Wellington Railway Station: the Capital Connection, for commuters from
Palmerston
North
, and The Overlander
to Auckland. During 2006, there was serious discussion
to eliminate the Overlander train service altogether because of
lack of passengers; a railway spokesperson said the number of
passengers was so low that "we could not justify keeping it going".
In September 2006, however, the rail operator announced there would
be continued service but on a reduced basis (Fridays, Saturdays,
and Sundays in the off-peak winter season, and daily in the peak
summer and Easter period).
Four
electrified
suburban lines radiate out of
Wellington Railway Station to the outer suburbs - the
Johnsonville Line north to the northern
Wellington City suburbs, ending at Johnsonville; the
Paraparaumu Line along the NIMT to Porirua
and to Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast; the
Melling Line to Lower Hutt City centre via
Petone, and the
Hutt Valley Line
along the Wairarapa Line via Waterloo and Taita to Upper Hutt. A
diesel-hauled carriage service, the
Wairarapa Connection, connects several
times daily to Masterton in the Wairarapa via the long
Rimutaka Tunnel.
Wellington is the northern terminus of
Cook
Strait ferries to Picton
in the South Island
, provided by state-owned Interislander and private Bluebridge. Local ferries connect
Wellington city centre with Eastbourne, Seatoun and Petone.
Wellington
International Airport is south-east of the city. It is serviced by
flights from across New Zealand, and several flights to
Australia and the Pacific Islands. Flights to
other international destinations require a transfer at another
airport, as larger aircraft cannot use Wellington's short ( )
runway. The airport is a base for
Wellington Aero Club, a private
not-for-profit aeronautical flight school.
Gallery
centre
centre
centre
centre
centre
Notable Wellingtonians
Sister-city relationships
Sister-city relationships are at the local government level:
See also
References
External links
.jpg/180px-Cable_Car_(NZ).jpg)
over several days every February, this rugby sevens tournament contributes $6.8
million to the local economy each year.
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