← Runaway Hawke's Bay Marathon·3 nights

Wellington: A Compact Capital With Free Museums

Three nights in New Zealand's capital, built around free museums, a flat waterfront and a cable car that saves the legs.

Duration3 nights
TransitDrive via State Highway 2, about 4 hr 30 min from Napier, or a domestic flight
DepartsNapier

After the Hawke's Bay Marathon: Wellington

The Route: Napier → Wellington → Te Papa → Wellington Botanic Garden → Wellington Airport Logistics: About four and a half hours by road via State Highway 2, or a domestic flight from Hawke's Bay Airport, where direct services may not run every day, so check the timetable and connections. Marathon Month: May Duration: 3 nights

Napier ──(about 4 hrs 30 mins by road, SH2)──> Wellington ──(short walk or cable car)──> Wellington Botanic Garden
                                                     │
Wellington Airport (WLG) <──(about 15 to 20 mins by taxi or bus)─┘

The Runaway Hawke's Bay Marathon finishes on a Saturday in May. Wellington is a practical last stop, with the airport close to the centre and much of the city reachable on foot.

May in Wellington: autumn. Days are typically 11 to 16°C, and the city is known for wind and quickly changing weather, so bring a windproof layer. The wind can close ferries and make the waterfront cold, so keep indoor options in reserve.

Nights One to Three: Wellington

Te Papa, the national museum on the waterfront, has free general entry, and it is level and indoors with plenty of seating. It can take half a day, so split it into two short visits if the legs are complaining. The Wellington waterfront promenade is flat and runs for a few kilometres, and a short section from Te Papa towards Oriental Bay is easy.

The Wellington Cable Car climbs from Lambton Quay to the Botanic Garden, which saves the climb, and the walk back down through the garden is on a gentle path. Check the current fare and operating hours. Zealandia, the wildlife sanctuary, has paths with slopes, so keep it for the third day.

For a bed, QT Museum Wellington and the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor are both central hotels close to the waterfront. Prices vary by season and events.

For a meal, Logan Brown on Cuba Street serves modern New Zealand food in a former bank building, and Nikau Cafe at the City Gallery is a lighter lunch option. Book ahead on weekends.

The Drive or the Flight

The drive from Napier to Wellington is about 320 kilometres via State Highway 2 through Hastings, Dannevirke and the Wairarapa, a road of about four and a half hours with a lunch stop. A domestic flight between Hawke's Bay and Wellington takes about an hour, but direct services vary by season, so check the timetable and any connections. Arriving in Wellington by air puts you within 20 minutes of the centre.

Day Three: The Cable Car and Zealandia

The cable car climbs from Lambton Quay to the Botanic Garden at Kelburn, and it saves the steepest part of the hill. From the top the paths back down through the garden are gentle and well surfaced, and the walk down takes about 30 minutes. Zealandia, a fenced wildlife sanctuary in Karori, has paths with slopes and steps, so keep it for a rested day, and use the shuttle from the city if one is running. Check current prices and hours. On a still afternoon the ferry to Days Bay across the harbour takes about 20 minutes, and the flat waterfront at the other side is an easy end to a day. Check the ferry timetable, because winter services are less frequent.

Getting Home

Wellington Airport (WLG) is about 15 to 20 minutes from the centre by taxi or bus. For international departures most travellers connect via Auckland or Sydney, so leave a generous connection time and check the airline's rules. If you drove from Napier, return the hire car with a full tank.