New Zealand is divided into two islands, aptly known as the North Island and the South Island. Wellington sits at the south-west end of the north island on the rim of the Cook Strait that flows between the two islands. The Cook Strait is a busy waterway for cruise and transport ships, local boaties, and the regular ferries that provide a constant transport link to and from the islands. However, the winds in the Strait are the strongest in the world, earning Wellington its nickname as the windy city. Wind aside, for its size, Wellington is an exciting and sophisticated place to visit with plenty of fun things to see and do.
Famous for its food and wine, New Zealand attracts taste travellers from all over the world keen to follow the various food and wine trails, and Wellington is their starting point. If you are looking for gift ideas for someone planning to visit Wellington or who lives there, Gifting Owl has Wellington gift vouchers such as the Taste of Wellington Food Tour, a 4-hour tasting of locally crafted beers, coffee and chocolates. Or if your intended gift recipient is a sucker for seafood, a gift voucher to the 7-hour Wellington Food Tour is a sensational way to spoil them for their birthday or special occasion. This guided food and cultural tour takes guests off the main street grid and into the small eating and drinking places that offer unique New Zealand flavours based on local produce.
For after-dark food and drink fun and entertainment, there is also a 2.5-hour guided tour of Wellington's best bars in the top spots around town. A popular Wellington gift voucher, this tour introduces guests to top mixologists in the city and the chance to sample most exotic creations while making the most of the vibrant street nightlife.
All around the world, New Zealanders are affectionately known as Kiwis. Māori culture underpins the social fabric alongside the more recent British influence following colonisation in 1839. The blending of these two cultures has created a unique national character and one that is celebrated in every aspect of Kiwi life. Wellington features several excellent museums well worth the visit with interactive displays, cultural exhibitions and astonishing art and traditional Māori carvings. If you're lucky enough to be in Wellington on Waitangi Day (6 February) you should head to Waitangi Park on the waterfront for a full day of festival fun. Te Rā o Waitangi commemorates the 1840 signing of the Waitangi Treaty and is a national day of celebrations that take place across the country.
New Zealand is also world-famous as the home of hobbits, dark lords, wizards, witches and all manner of mystical creatures from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Our Wellington gift vouchers include guided tours to Weta Cave museum and the Outer Shire (the hobbits' hidey-hole) where film buffs can learn all about the behind the scenes action and see many of the props used throughout the series. Tours vary with some including extras such as tram travel to Mount Victoria and waterfront finish or a stop at the Mount Victoria lookout for breathtaking views over the city.
So much of Wellington's natural beauty is in its sea and bay borders and mountainous backdrop. However, that beauty extends well beyond Wellington City limits. Within easy reach, there is a magnificent coastline, mountain ranges and quaint villages to explore and discover. The Wairarapa Full Day Tour is a 7-hour journey through forest and farmlands, sleepy hilltop villages and coastal fishing townships with stops along the way to sample local wines, brews, beers and fish chips kiwi style. The kicker to this magical escapade is the beautiful little fishing village of Ngawi where guests encounter the local seal colony of grey fur seals and their pups before heading to Cape Palliser Lighthouse for the final stop of the tour.
If your gift recipient is in New Zealand or heading that way, a Wellington experience gift voucher is a wonderful way to send your love and treat them to something special. If you can't decide on the perfect gift, you need not worry. We have gift vouchers available so that your gift recipient can choose for themselves. Happy gifting!
