• NZ Road Trip – North Island – Day 5 & 6
• Paekākāriki – Wellington
• Thursday 26th – Friday 27th February 2026

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Leaving Paekākāriki the next morning felt like pulling ourselves away from somewhere we’d only just discovered but already loved.

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But the road south was calling.  The drive into Wellington is short but dramatic. The coastline hugs you most of the way, railway line on one side, ocean on the other and then slowly the city skyline begins to appear.

Hills wrapped around a harbour. Colourful houses stacked up slopes. Wind, of course. It wouldn’t be Wellington without it.

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After the stillness of Paekākāriki, Wellington felt alive. Its creative, compact but full of personality.

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Cafés spilling onto pavements, street art tucked into corners, ferries crossing the harbour. There’s an energy here that’s completely different from the small coastal village we’d left behind just half an hour earlier.

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What I loved most was the contrast. In one morning we went from walking on a driftwood-covered beach the night before… to standing in the capital city of New Zealand.

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That’s what makes travelling here so special. The change is constant, but it never feels rushed. Every place has its own rhythm.

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First stop was Cuba Street. It’s exactly what you imagine Wellington to be, creative, colourful, slightly quirky and full of personality. Theres independent shops, street art tucked between cafés. It has that effortless cool that doesn’t feel forced.

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We wandered slowly, just soaking it in, before ducking into Midnight Espresso and what a find. Dark, eclectic, a bit retro, with that proper artsy café vibe. We grabbed coffee and a cheese scone and honestly… it was one of those simple travel moments that just hits perfectly. Good coffee, warm scone and a window seat to watch the world go by.

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After that, we ticked off one of Wellington’s little icons the Wellington Cable Car. The bright red carriage climbing steadily above the city gave us the best views back across the harbour.

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From the top, you can really see how the city wraps itself around the water, hills rising sharply behind it.

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Wellington felt vibrant but compact. A capital city that doesn’t overwhelm you.

We wandered along the stunning waterfront. The harbour was calm enough, ferries gliding across the water and locals out walking, running or cycling along the promenade.

There’s something about Wellington’s harbour that feels both lively and peaceful at the same time.

The city rises straight up behind it, colourful houses layered into the hills, and yet right there at the edge of it all is open water and space to breathe.

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The just like that, next morning before boarding the ferry, we gave Wellington the send-off it deserved.  We drove up Mount Victoria for one last look over the city before leaving the North Island.

The view from the top is incredible, harbour stretching wide and blue, ferries moving across the water, houses scattered over the hills like they’ve just landed there naturally.

Then it was time to head for the harbour. 

North Island memories packed up.  Next stop…….the South Island.