Harbour-fringed Wellington, situated at the bottom of the North Island, is the home of New Zealand's parliament, the centre of government, business and the performing arts.

Wellington is easy to get to, easy to get around, with well-served rail, bus and air services and an extensive, well-maintained road network.

The early Polynesian explorer Kupe is credited with discovering Wellington's harbour centuries ago, Captain Cook approached these shores in 1769, and European settlers first arrived in 1839.

The first capital of New Zealand was at Russell in the Bay of Islands for a period of only 9 months before moving to Auckland in 1841. Moving further south to Wellington in 1865 reflected the shift in population, the rising importance of the South Island and, mainly, the town's central position in the country.

The name 'Wellington' was in recognition of the interest taken by the Duke of Wellington in the New Zealand Company.

Today Wellington is not just the seat of government, but a prosperous, sophisticated city, which brings together an eclectic mix of cultural and natural attractions. Many of New Zealand's most important heritage attractions can be found only here.

Wellington offers visitors great shopping, an array of theatres and galleries, the national museum Te Papa with many Maori treasures, the Old Government Buildings, the world's second-largest wooden building, and the 'Beehive' Parliament House, the excellent biennial International Festival of the Arts, and a thriving arts and film-making scene.

The city is a walker's paradise with hundreds of interlinking paths and tracks connecting suburbs, parks and beaches.

Wellington's rugged southern coast is home to seals, seabirds, surfers and marine life and is just a short drive from the city centre.