Lonely Planet rates Wellington top capital
The Wellington Chamber of Commerce have announced:
The naming of Wellington as one of the world’s top ten cities will provide a wonderful boost to the city’s reputation and tourism industry according to the Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce.
Lonely Planet has just named Wellington the ‘coolest little capital in the world’ and ranked it the 4th top city in the world to visit in 2011.
“This is a huge tribute coming from such a respected publication. It is well deserved. It is also great news in that it will attract significant international interest in Wellington,” said Chamber President Richard Stone.
“Tourism is an increasingly important part of the Wellington economy and this accolade will provide a welcome lift.
20 years ago Wellington was the last place in NZ that most people would want to visit – let alone overseas tourists. The transformation over time has been great, and the Lonely Planet top ten rating is a great tribute. Lonely Planet is a bible for many travellers, and we should see a pick up in tourism on the back of this.
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November 1st, 2010 at 6:28 am
That’s crazy! There’s nothing to do there except visit Te Papa and the airport looks like crap (literally).
November 1st, 2010 at 6:38 am
Yep, we could all come and visit on the TRAIN.
We might arrive sometime!
November 1st, 2010 at 6:45 am
Wellington is actually a very pleasant place. Part of the reason may well be the same as why some of the most awesome flowers on earth come from parasites: those who don’t work have the resources to spend on beautification.
November 1st, 2010 at 6:52 am
It’s a nice enough place to live (apart from the weather), but I’d struggle to think of things to do as a tourist.
November 1st, 2010 at 7:00 am
The “Absolutely Positively Wellington” campaign kick-started it all…perhaps Auckland should develop something similar….like…”Auckland A”…or something
November 1st, 2010 at 7:01 am
Aside from Te Papa? Zealandia? The Botanic Gardens? (Teeming with life according to the Flight of the Conchords). There’s the Weta cave, The cafe culture, party central at Courtney place, The waterfront in the weekend (Hire a pedal-Car).
Best of all, it’s not Auckland!
November 1st, 2010 at 7:15 am
This is wonderful recognition; not just for Welly but for New Zealand in general.
We’ve been a bit remiss this year, and haven’t been down often, but Wellington makes a great weekend spot for Mrs Inv and I. It’s little more than a couple of hours’ drive, there are always cheap hotel deals at the weekends (getting an upgrade to the suite on the 26th floor at the James Cook was a highlight), there are cafes aplenty, and great choices for dining in the evenings. We just hope now that there will still be beds available given this new recognition!
November 1st, 2010 at 7:40 am
Mr. & Mrs. IV2, let me know next time you are planning a visit and we shall meet for drinks.
November 1st, 2010 at 7:56 am
Good to see – but if you look at the list New York is the only city of note, the rest in the list you would be going WTF – eg Newcastle Oz is there – I don’t think I’ll be going there anytime soon
November 1st, 2010 at 7:58 am
Will do Manolo
November 1st, 2010 at 8:02 am
ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY WELLINGTON
November 1st, 2010 at 8:10 am
Well I guess if you have enough lists…
November 1st, 2010 at 9:39 am
There was a joke circulating in Auckland years ago about a competition. First prize was a weeks holiday in Wellington. Second prize was two weeks holiday in Wellington!
November 1st, 2010 at 9:58 am
Was third prize having to stay in Auckland?
November 1st, 2010 at 10:04 am
If you don’t like Wellington, just stay away, it’s really that simple.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:18 am
While I am a proud Wellingtonian I do struggle with it being considered the 4th best City in the world.
There are a million reasons to live in our capital city, however, the weather is not one of them.
Having said that, Wellington folk should enjoy their brief time at the top, the new Green Mayor will soon have Wellington plummeting down the rankings.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:36 pm
This Wellingtoninan is very happy that so many fools/Aucklanders have such a low opinion of the city.
You’re right, all of you. You should never visit. In fact try to stay as far away as possible.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Great news for our little capital. While I’m not convinced we have the fourth best city in the world, Wellington blows any other NZ city out of the water.
I’m with RRM – if a low opinion of Wellington keeps Aucklanders away, then that is fine by me.
November 1st, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Coolest little capital……….so it was competing with places like Stanley in the Falklands or Banjul in Gambia,well done,congratulations. Can’t wait to……yawn…..zzzzzzz……
November 1st, 2010 at 2:12 pm
It is a windy , depressing hole..full of PC people..
November 1st, 2010 at 5:08 pm
I love it. But at the moment I love visiting more than living I think. When I spend too long here it feels too small, so off to Auckland next year – despite still not having a very high opinion of it i’m hoping, like LA, that i’ll settle in and discover the awesomeness that keeps 1.2million there. Or just decide you’re all nuts….
November 1st, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Lonely Planet’s Australia-Pacific Commissioning Editor Errol Hunt is originally from Opotiki and no doubt very objective when it comes to promoting New Zealand within the Lonely Planet rankings.
November 1st, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Errol Hunt is originally from Opotiki and ……
And Opotiki is the hidden jewel in New Zealands crown, forget Wellington and those other places. The Big O is worth a visit.
November 1st, 2010 at 8:46 pm
I wonder if Lonely Planet can e held liable for misrepresentation. Sure, you have a nice day like today and Wellington might almost seem half decent, but then you get one of 5 days in 6 when its blowing, cold, a bit of drizzle, and you’re stuck on a bus with 50 other people, destination Happy Valley. Then say its one of the top places anywhere with a straight face.
I’d probably feel more absolute and positive if the country weren’t being led down the garden path by the eternally socialist median voter in our great country.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Yeah, I’m sure there are a few attractions for the visitor. Te Papa is great. And congrats re Zealandia – good stuff.
But no way I would want to live there.
Christchurch is just so easy to get around, park anywhere, minimal traffic hassles, and on a long weekend no massive tail-backs trying to get out of town, just drive any way you want. NZ’s tourist mecca is your back yard. 6 skifields within 90 mins, with real powder. Mount Cook 4 hours away, The Sounds 5 hours, Queenstown or Franz Josef Glacier 6 hours.
Christchurch weather beats Wellington hands down, more sunshine, less rain, less wind. OK a few more frosts, big deal.
Don’t give me that “the coffee is so good in Wgtn” bollox, just make your own at home and save a fortune. How many great cafes do you need, is 100 to choose from really better than 50? And that tragic dedication to losing sports teams!
The Wellingtonians have no answer to the above, so will instead just satisfy themselves by throwing insults to Christchurch people. As soon as the insults come out I know I have won the argument.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:59 pm
^^^ Psychopaths f*cking dead bodies under the floor of the house, disturbed teens f*cking goats in Sumner reserve – hell yeah, for a f*cking good time, you can’t beat Chch.
You’d better know your rugby tho because they don’t have a lot else to talk about down there…
November 1st, 2010 at 11:23 pm
We have been talking about earthquakes for awhile now and heritage buildings…still so much better than Wgtn..better climate , better gardening, fruit trees etc..and the people are down to earth and hard working..hell even Wgtonians were impressed after the big one when CHCh people just got out there and got on with it. People all over the world were impressed. Another 4.5 tonight.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:39 pm
^^^ You what?
Cantabs whinged for weeks about how scary the aftershocks where. It actually had to be pointed out to them that they had come through a properly major earthquake with zero deaths and they should be counting their lucky stars.
November 2nd, 2010 at 4:03 am
Crusader
Hear hear. Chch is still my NZ fave for the reasons cited. Winters too cold for my warmed desert blood now. I must confess to really liking Auckland a whole lot more than I used to but the humidity and traffic drive me insane.
My last corporate job our HO was in Johnsonville so I had to travel to Welly heaps. I made a trip there on my last visit to NZ – the first in 5 years to the capital and I was pleasantly surprised. The airport is NZ’s nicest domestic terminal (for now until Chch’s new one is finished) and the views are to die for. And yes restaurant/cafe life is awesome although not streets ahead of Chch. The weather has improved but still mostly sucks – ditto the traffic particularly when you want to leave the city on a holiday weekend. Caketin is awesome as is the 7′s. I enjoy Parliament and catching up with friends still working ‘inside the beltway’ and hearing all the sordid gossip.
But how it ranks 4th in Lonely Planet is beyond me!
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:40 am
It is a windy , depressing hole..full of PC people
..hear hear.. totally agree..
disturbed teens f*cking goats in Sumner
..it was a donkey you fooool…and I can tell you , he only flopped it out to take a pee when it backed onto him…
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:00 pm
ha ha love it ..the whole CHCH crime myth is just that a myth..Sandra Manderson , former cant. commander , said the top ten crime families all moved down from the North Island…they move down when their men are imprisoned at CHCH men’s. The guy who had the women under the floor had also moved down from the NI recently.
CHCH’s real claim to fame is that it is the alcoholic capital of the country….that is why it is so much fun.
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Hmmm, Wellington. I like the very inner city bit, especially the older buildings. But I can’t get away from the feeling that Wellington would wither and die if it was not for tax payer expenditure, from the government and its horde of bureaucrats. At least Auckland and Christchurch survive by themselves by actually producing stuff.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I did find Fox News Radio at http://interactive.foxnews.com/livestream/live.html
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:31 pm
And OK, Fox News with vid on line here http://www.watchlivetv.us/foxnews.php
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:17 am
I love Wellington and loved my time living in this great compact city. But coolest little capital, in the top 4 cities in the world?? What on earth were Lonely Planet smoking? Lonely Planet have lost it, Rough Guides are much better anyway.
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 am
Are people seriously suggesting that Crimechurch is a superior city to Wellington?
As somebody who has lived in both cities I can tell you it is no contest, Wellington wins hands down.
Far better climate (even allowing for the irritating bloody wind)
Far better people
Far more mature outlook on life and their city
Wellington people do not define themselves by their Rugby team
Wellington people are not fazed if their footy team has more than the agreed quota of “darkies”
And most importantly…marrying your sister is not compulsory in Wellington.