The name of the city commemorates Arthur Wellesley, the winner of the Battle of Waterloo and comes from its title - the first Prince of Wellington. The title relates to the English town of Wellington, situated in the British county of Somerset.

In Maori, Wellington is called troas. The name Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara refers to the Wellington Sea Port and means literally "the great port of Tara". The second name - Pōneke is an abbreviation for Port Nick and stands for the Maori place of worship (z. marae). It is also referred to by the name of the Maori celebration, known as Ngāti Pōneke. The last name is Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui, meaning literally "King of the fish Māui". The Head of the Fish of Māui; moor. Those Upoko-o-te-Ika). The latter name is commonly used to describe the southern coast of the North Island (this is related to the legend of the Maori god Māui, which is reportedly used to fish on the island).

The city is also often referred to as the Port Capital. The Harbor Capital), Wellywood and, more rarely today, the Windy City Elevators City).

The name Wellywood city has become a fool after the release of the film "Lord of the Rings: Ring Team" at the Embassy Theater and after the presentation of the next two parts of the saga. Photos for the film were taken near Wellington. The city was also famous for making and producing King Kong (both films directed by New Zealand director Peter Jackson). The name Wellywood comes from the combination name of cities: Wellington and Hollywood, a city considered the world capital of cinema. Film production companies are located in the suburbs of the city, in the district called Miramar.

New Zealand Parliament, known as The Beehive (beehive)

A building where the head office of the New Zealand Supreme Court was once located

Faculty of Law of Victoria University, largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere

Wellington Region Discovery

The first inhabitants of the areas currently occupied by Wellington are the Polynesian tribes of Kupe and Ngahue, which arrived near the present Wellington at the end of the X century. 11th century AD two more tribes have already joined the present tribes: Tara and Tautoki. In the present suburbs of the city at the end of the twelfth century, representatives of the Whatonga people, descended from the Tara tribe, settled. From the name of the Tara tribe comes one of the Maori names of Wellington: The Whanganui-a-Tara.

Development of settlements

Advanced settlement began with the arrival of the Tory vessel along with several dozen members of the New Zealand Company (New Zealand colonization organization) on September 20, 1839. The next 150 settlers arrived near today's Wellington on January 22, 1840. The first settlers created the Petone settlement (called Britannia for some time) near the Hutt River. The expansion of the settlement was slow, limited by mountainous areas inside the island.

Capital of New Zealand

The capital of New Zealand Wellington became in 1865 (the former capital was Auckland, established by William Hobson in 1841). The first session of the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington took place on July 7, 1862 (while Auckland was formally the capital; the mere fact of holding parliament meetings in a given city did not give him the primacy of the state and the title of the capital). In November 1863, Prime Minister Alfred Domett made a speech in front of the parliament in which he expressed his willingness to move the capital from Auckland to Wellington:

At the same time, there was a risk that the South Island would detach itself from the colony, as large gold deposits were discovered there. A dozen delegates from Australia said that changing the capital to Wellington was beneficial for the country because of the highly profitable seaport, as well as the central location of the city. The first parliamentary session in Wellington as the capital of New Zealand took place on July 26, 1865. There were 4,900 people living in the city. Wellington gained urban rights in 1886. At the Wellington convention in 1893 they decided to give women electoral rights, which made New Zealand the first country in the world to allow women to vote.

twentieth century

The city was not seriously affected by any of the world wars. In World War II, New Zealand fought on the part of the Allied states (for the United Kingdom). In Wellington, no major losses were reported due to the uncomfortable position of the states (Japan was the closest opponent of New Zealand). The 20th century resulted in two fundamental legal reforms: social reform (1930s), increasing unemployment benefits, and economic reform restructuring the entire New Zealand economy (1980s and 1990s). Both reforms were modeled on reforms carried out in the UK over the same period.

Meaning

Wellington is the political center of New Zealand, there is a local parliament and headquarters of ministries and departmental boards.

The city is the center of the New Zealand film industry. The headquarters of Wellington are:

• New Zealand National Museum Te Papa Tongareva
• New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
• Royal New Zealand Ballet
• Museum of Wellington City & Sea

Wellington ranks twelfth among the world's cities in terms of the quality of human life (according to a study conducted in 2007 by Mercer). Among English-speaking cities, it ranks fourth.

In addition, Wellington has the headquarters of the Supreme Court. Supreme Court of New Zealand). The original headquarters of the Supreme Court has been renewed and is being reused today.

Government House, the governor's headquarters for the United Kingdom, is located in one of the Wellington districts, Newton, opposite the Basin Reserve, the national rugby stadium.

Herb of Wellington

The New Zealand Parliament approved Herb Wellington in 1878, but it has never been officially done. The coat of arms depicts a lion, an ostrich and a fish fighting for a shield. The golden cross and five silver dots come from the emblem of the Wellesley family (in the memory of Arthur Wellesley). Since Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, the coat of arms also contains national symbols: ship, skull and horn. The animals visible in the coat of arms are the British lion and the extinct bird moa. In sign that Wellington is the most important city of New Zealand, the coat of arms features a dolphin (symbol of the sea) and a crown (symbol of land leadership).

Suburbs of Wellington

Satellite picture of Wellington area: (1) Wellington; (2) Lower Hutt; (3) Upper Hutt; (4) Porirua

Wellington is located on the southernmost coast of North Island in the Cook Strait, which separates the islands: North and South New Zealand. On clear days, the Kaikour mountain range from South Island is visible. In the north of the city there is a sandy beach. In the east there are stretches of the Rimutaka Mountains, which separate Wellington from the vast Wairarapa plains, famous for their vast vineyards.

Wellington, lying at latitude 41°S, is the southernmost capital of the world. The Wellington region is the most populated region in New Zealand, despite its small space for the construction of residences (located between the port and mountainous areas). In the Wellington area there is little room for development, which has resulted in the formation of a group of small towns in the neighborhood in the past. Since the city is located between 40°S and 50°S (so-called roaring forties) - is exposed to constant and onerous winds. For this reason, it is known among the residents as "Windy Wellington". "Wellington Elevators").

For many residents of Wellington, the workplace is a business district. "central business district (CBD)", where about 62000 residents are employed. The city's nightlife and cultural life is centered around Courtenay Place, the main Wellington street, located in the southern part of the business district. New Zealand's famous entertainment destination is Te Aro district in the suburbs.

Characteristic elements of the Wellington landscape are a picturesque seaport and a district with exclusive villas (including Peter Jackson). The business district is located near the Port of Lambdon, part of the Wellington Sea. The Wellington port stretches along a long geological fault, which can be easily recognized on a straight-scratched west coast. The western part of the city is located several dozen meters above sea level than the center.

In the center of the city there is, among other things park and a network of wooden walking paths patrolled by the Wellington City Council. Parks, nature reserves and forests in the Wellington region cover an area of 500 square kilometers.

In the east of the city is a seaside suburb - Miramar Peninsula. The sea entrance to the city is located to the east of this district and sheltered with shallow rocks (a place called Barrett Reef), where in history many boats and ships have been damaged (including Wahine crash in 1968, when 53 people died).

The University of Victoria and the Wellington Botanical Garden are located in the western part of the city. Both facilities can be reached by means of an electric queue (i.e. Wellington Cable Car).

The Wellington port area is divided into three islands: Matiu/Somes, Makaro/Ward and Mokdomone. Only Matiu/Somes is habitable due to its sufficiently large size. The island was used as an area of the camp for interns during World War I and World War II. It is now a place where shelter for endangered species of animals is offered, as is the island of Capicia. This area is administered by the Government of New Zealand.

The surroundings of the city are distinguished by extremely high seismic activity, considering even New Zealand standards in this area. The main geological fault runs almost through the city center itself, and Wellington is cut by several hundred other faults identified so far. Residents of particularly high buildings usually experience several small earthquakes every year.

The city was severely destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1848 and then in 1855. A particularly important consequence was the 1855 earthquake, when the earthquakes occurred at a geological fault from north to south of the city. It was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in New Zealand (Richter 8.2). The area affected by the earthquake has been thoroughly rebuilt and is designed for the construction of the city's business center, where the headquarters of the world's largest companies are now located.

At present, severe earthquakes are rarely reported. The last earthquake took place on 30 December 2004 (linked to the earthquake and tsunami that struck the islands in the Indian Ocean a few days earlier). Several hosts of the local fire service were involved in the cleaning up of the earthquake (minor damage). The city provided money for the renovation of several residential buildings close to the port, destroyed by the shocks.

Wellington lies on a similar latitude in the southern hemisphere as Rome and Salt Lake City in the northern hemisphere. However, the climate in Wellington is milder (cooler summers, warmer winters) due to the impact of the Pacific Ocean. The local climate is characterized by low amplitudes of daily and annual temperatures, as well as bright winds. Frequent winds blowing from the south to the north have given the city the name "windy Wellington". Elevators Wellington). In 1938 and 1968 two cyclones passed through the city, during which the wind speed reached 267 km/h.

The average daily temperature in Wellington is approx. 12,8 °C. During the year in Wellington is 169 days (over 2000 hours) sunny. This is a result similar to Auckland and Christchurch.

Wellington City Council

Wellington City Council Wellington City Council) consists of the mayor and fourteen councilors elected by universal suffrage. The Council exercises legislative power, implements relevant reforms and creates a general vision for the city. The local government and the mayor elect the chief commissioner. Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is responsible for the coordination of the Board's activities and the control of the administration. The Commissioner has the rights granted to him by Parliament (the rights are granted each time at the beginning of the Commissioner's term of office) and by Mayor Wellington. He shall also be responsible for advising the Mayor and the Council on political and economic matters and for implementing and monitoring Council resolutions.

Mayor of Wellington

The mayor is the highest legislator in the city and the president of the Wellington City Council. The mayor of Wellington in fact only manages this city - other metropolises in the Wellington region, such as Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua, have their own mayors. Since the modernization of the legislation, the mayor has been held by 34 people. The current mayor is Kerry Prendergast, the second woman in this post in history.

As a rule, the demographic situation is calculated on an aggregated basis for four cities: Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua. According to 2008 data, all four cities have a population of 385 600, while the Wellington agglomeration brings together 99% of the population. The remaining areas are mostly mountainous areas, located outside the urban area, often converted into farms. As the statistics for the city of Wellington are difficult to access, the data presented here are for all four cities in the agglomeration of Wellington.

The three per cent share of people over the age of eighty is due to the population of the island of Capitol, which is 7% inhabited by people of this age. The age structure for the Wellington agglomeration best illustrates the age structure throughout the country.

According to statistics from 2006, 87,000 women live in the Wellington agglomeration, which accounts for 48.4% of the population (compared to 48.8% of the total in New Zealand) and 92,500 men.

Ethnic structure

From the end of the 19th century until the end of the 20th century, most Wellington residents were of British origin. It was only in 2006 that the ethnic structure reached a mixed level. It is noted that there is an influx to the capital city of Maoris and the inhabitants of the islands surrounding New Zealand. At the end of the 20th century, there was a large influx of people of Asian origin, especially Chinese and Indian, but also an influx of immigrants from South Korea, Cambodia and Vietnam. In the mid-1990s, several thousand Somali residents emigrated to Wellington.

Language structure

The majority of the population declare that they have advanced English. Only some citizens (mainly Maori) speak Maori. Few inhabitants come from the Pacific islands around New Zealand and speak local languages (among these languages, Samoan is the leading).

Earning structure

The average income of residents of Wellington is the highest in New Zealand. The city also has the largest number of people with higher education in the country.

The unemployment rate is 7.1% in Wellington and 7.5% in New Zealand as a whole.

Wellington is a city where many churches of all faiths are located: from protestantism to baptism to Buddhism and Hinduism. Because of the mixture of ethnic people living in the capital of New Zealand, this is a place where many religions meet. According to a 2007 study, the most popular religion in Wellington is Christianity (with an English predominance due to the presence of a large number of British people in Wellington). The second place is the non-religious.

The Colonial Cottage Museum

Wellington structures are a mixture of many styles in the 19th and 20th centuries architecture, e.g. wooden foundations (used e.g. at Katherine Mansfield's family home), art déco-style trends (Wellington Free Ambulance) and post-modernism elements in the business district (CBD). The oldest house in Wellington is The Colonial Cottage Museum (located on Nairn Street). The highest building is the Majestic Center (located on Willis Street), rising to a height of 116 meters. The second building in height is built in the modernist style of the BNZ Tower. Futuna Chapel was built as the first building in the city, combining the architectural styles of different cultures of the world and is seen as one of the most original creatures of our globe.

The Bucket Fountain ("Fountain Bucket")

St. Cathedral Paul in Wellington is an example of the nineteenth century Neo-Gothic building adapted to local conditions, which is seen primarily in the selection of ornaments and ornaments. Similarly, the Neo-Gothic church is the Holy Church. Maria with Angels "St Mary of the Angels"). The Museum of Wellington City & Sea and the Wellington Harbor Board Wharf Office Building (Port Management) are built in a late classicist style. St. James Theater Jana), Opera House (the largest opera in Wellington) and Embassy Theater (the theater), built in classicist style, were restored.

Near Civic Square, the main square of Wellington, there is Wellington Town Hall, a concert hall.

New Zealand's National Library and the building called in Maori Te Puni Kokili (both located on the main street of the city - Lambton Quay) seem to be unique in terms of aesthetics and the architectural style applied. "Wingdsummer" part of the New Zealand Parliament buildings was built in the mid-1960s and is known as The Beehive. Near the buildings of the Parliament is the Victoria University Law Faculty, which is the largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere. A large number of innovative buildings have reduced the number of historical sites to a minimum.

Many buildings in the center of the metropolis have wooden foundations. Restored in 1996, the New Zealand Parliament is the largest office building built of wood in the southern hemisphere.

Monuments and memorials

Monument by Richard John Seddon (1845-1906)

• Basin Reserve.
• Grave of an unknown soldier Tomb of the Unknown Warrior) - a grave of an unknown New Zealand soldier dead on the front during World War II. The tomb designed Kingsley Baird. It is made of bronze and stone.
• National War Memorial - a building to remember soldiers killed during the two world wars and during the Vietnam War. The building consists of two parts: The War Memorial Carillon (built in art déco style, completed in 1932) and Hall of Memories (completed in 1964).
• Grave and monument of Richard Seddon.
• Houses from the nineteenth century, most often converted into museums (e.g. The Colonial Cottage Museum).

History

The large-scale economy began to develop in the second half of the 20th century, with the withdrawal of trams. Since the end of the 1960s, the economy (which has been well developed and almost fully dependent on the British economy) has started to yield ever smaller profits and has become increasingly inefficient. Labor won in 1984 caused a rapid slowdown in economic development. Only in the second half. In the 1980s, the New Zealand government attempted to rebuild the economy and restore the hegemony of Wellington in New Zealand. The government has restructured the economy, eliminated customs duties between New Zealand and Australia and between the islands. Many private companies moved to Auckland at the time, as they could not count on government support. For this reason, Auckland is now the real financial and economic capital of the country.

In the early 1990s, import duties on cars were eliminated, which led to car companies in Lower Hutt and Porirua at the latest half. the 1990s they ceased their activities. In 1993 The New Zealand government provided unemployed Wellington residents with high benefits, which resulted in a sharp increase in the unemployment rate - up to a dozen percent in half. In the 1990s, it was only in the late 1990s that the Wellington economy stabilized, and many new factories were built, including automotive companies. With the development of the Wellington film industry, the construction of many innovative and functional industrial and office buildings, the development of biotechnology, the Wellington economy has overcome the troubles of the 1970s and 1980s and entered the 21st century with the highest productivity since 1976.

Age XXI

The modern economy of the Wellington region is based on the service sector. In 2006 the government employed 24 950 full-time employees, which accounted for 12% of the total workforce in the region (in 2001 this figure was 21 300).

New Zealand's capital's energy needs are gradually increasing, so the authorities were forced to use an alternative way of obtaining energy for thermal power plants. One solution is wind power plants, which are concentrated in the West Wind project. The city has 66 power turbines - a total of 140MW (megawatts). Turbines are located a few kilometers west of the business center of the city, on a hill called Meridian's Quartz Hill.

In 2006, the government announced a plan for a further restructuring of the Wellington economy, which is expected to lead to the establishment of the region's most efficient economy in New Zealand. According to plans, the economy is to focus on the transport sector.

Hutt Valley Line Electric Train

Trollebus in Wellington

Map of railways in Wellington

The city is surrounded by two national roads: State Highway 1 in the west and State Highway 2 in the east. They cross in the Ngauranga Interchange road node north of the city center, where State Highway 1 leads towards the center and further to the airport. Traffic intensity in Wellington is lower than in several other large cities of New Zealand (e.g. Auckland). Between Wellington and the Capitol State Highway 1 peninsula runs along the Centennial Highway, a road section that, like a very narrow and steep section between Wellington and Wairarapa State Highway 2 leading through the Rimutaka mountains, is famous for its large number of accidents. There are two motorways nearby: Johnsonville-Porirua Motorway and Wellington Urban Motorway, which connects Porirua with Wellington (except for a few kilometer section which is a road of rapid movement).

Bus transport is operated by a dozen operators, while the whole system is controlled by Metlink Wellington. Buses cover all districts; The lines have a common stop at the Wellington railway station. Wellington Railway Station), located in the northern part of the city center. In addition, it is the only place in the country where trolleybuses run.

The city is located at the southern end of the North Island Main Trunk Railway line connecting Wellington from Auckland and Wairarapa Line connecting Wellington from Wairarapa. Both lines coincide at the Wellington railway station. Two long-distance railway lines leave the station: Capital Connection (connecting Wellington from Palmerston North) and The Overlander (connecting Wellington from Auckland).

Four suburban railway lines radiate from the Wellington railway station towards the city periphery:

• Johnsonville Line - runs north to the northern suburbs, has its end in Johnsonville
• Paraparaumu Line - runs along the North Island Main Trunk Railway in the direction of Porirua and ends its run in Paraparaumu on the Capitol Peninsula
• Melling Line - ends its run at Lower Hutt
• Hutt Valley Line - runs along with Wairarapa Line, ends its run at Upper Hutt

Wairarapa Connection (a railway line used only by oil-driven trains) connects Wellington to Masterton. The road runs through the longest in New Zealand, 8.8-kilometer Rimutak Tunnel.

The city is the final stop of a ferry connecting the South Island to the North (the ferries run from the Wellington seaport to Picton). The line is operated by two companies: Interislander (state) and Bluebridge (private). Private ferries connect Wellington from Eastbourne and Petone.

Wellington Airport is the main airport located 6 kilometers north-east of the city. The airport operates domestic flights and connections with Australia and Pacific Islands. Most international calls (e. g. with the cities of Europe) is being carried out from Auckland Airport due to a short (1936 meters) runway.

There are two large universities (Massey University and Victoria University), three institutes, including the Institute of Technology (Institute of Technology). Wellington Institute of Technology), language schools teaching English young people from all over the world and a dozen secondary schools and dozens of primary schools.

Victoria University of Wellington

Victoria University

Victoria University is the largest university in Wellington, in Maori called Te Whare Wānanga o te Ūpoko o te Ika a Māui. The University was founded in 1897 by a parliament order issued in honor of the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria on the British throne. The university was to be the successor of the University of New Zealand (PhD). University of New Zealand). 21889 students study at the university, including 2966 international. 1985 people are employed. According to a 2003 government survey, the school ranks third in terms of quality of teaching in New Zealand.

Massey University

Masseya University is the largest university in New Zealand in terms of number of branches and educated students (40,000). He has branches in Palmerston North, Auckland. It is the only university in the country conducting examinations in aviation, mediation, veterinary medicine. The first New Zealand satellite called KiwiSAT was built with its support.

Wellington Institute of Technology

The Wellington Institute of Technology was built in 1904. It was created by the merger of the Central Institute of Technology and the Hutt Valley Polytechnic. She educates on average about 12,000 students a year. It offers over 140 types of courses, including visual arts, engineering, medicine, economics. Its building is located in the district of Petone. He has branches in Auckland and Christchurch.

Wellington Central Library

It is the cultural and entertainment center of New Zealand, the seat of many museums, theaters and cinemas. In addition, it has a chain of restaurants, cafes and bars (bigger than in New York). In Wellington, the roots have many world-famous musical groups. There are many festivals and festivals, both national and international.

The city also has the oldest zoo in New Zealand, the Wellington Zoo.

Movie

Wellington is the center of the national film industry. Thanks to creators such as Peter Jackson (famous by the trilogy titled "King of the Rings") and Richard Taylor the capital of New Zealand has become one of the largest film centers in the world (specifically the suburb of Miramar, where film labels are located). In addition to these, well-known directors producing in Wellington are: Jane Campion, Vincent Ward, Robert Sarkies, Taika Waititi, Costa Botes, Jennifer Bush-Daumec.

Cultural festivals

The city organizes many cultural events. Wellington guests, among others New Zealand International Arts Festival, International Jazz Festival, New Zealand International Comedy Festival, The Wellington Folk Festival.

Musical groups

From Wellington come musical groups such as:

• The Warratahs
• The Phoenix Foundation
• Shihad
• Fly My Pretties
• Fat Freddy's Drop
• The Black Seeds
• Fur Patrol
• Flight of the Conchords
• Connan and the Mockasins

In addition, urban projects are being developed in cooperation with the New Zealand School of Music and the Victoria University. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, based in Wellington, performs around the world, often with the Royal Ballet Section, which creates its own individual stage projects and presents them both in New Zealand and around the world.

Art, cultural institutions

Wellington has the headquarters of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, City Gallery, New Zealand Ballet Section, St. James Theater. In Wellington, there is an association of writers called The "new generation", whose founder and chairman is poet Bill Manhire. The group started the project "Creative writing" in New Zealand.

In the years 1936-1992 in Wellington there was the National Gallery of New Zealand. In 1992 it was converted into the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

New Zealand National Museum Te Papa Tongareva

In Wellington there are:

• New Zealand National Museum Te Papa Tongareva
• Museum of Wellington City & Sea
• Katherine Mansfield family home
• The Colonial Cottage Museum, the oldest building in Wellington
• Basin Reserve (national rugby stadium and located at the museum stadium)
• Museum of Electrical Queue Museum of Wellington Cable Car
• cathedral Paul
• Victoria University Law Faculty, the largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere
• Wellington City Art Gallery.

The city has several newspaper editors, several radio stations (including the station operated by the Victoria University - Active 89FM), several large TV stations, including. Triangle Television, Prime TV, TV3 and TV4 (Headquarters in Te Aro district), broadcast in Maori Te Upoko O Te Ika, located on the island of Mvv tv. The Wellington newspapers include:

• Aardvark Daily - the oldest New Zealand newspaper, was founded in 1994
• The Deer Farmer - a business newspaper that also covers agricultural issues
• The Dominion Post - an informational newspaper in which daily information is posted. The company that owns the newspaper is listed on the New Zealand stock exchange
• New Zealander
• The Newsroom - a newspaper that publishes stories. The newspaper also contains current information. Newspaper often describes topics related to Maoris and Maori
• Nursing Review - a newspaper created for medical nurses. Created in 1999
• The Opinion - daily newspaper serving online shop

Basin Reserve

Westpac Stadium

TSB Bank Arena

The most common and most popular sports in Wellington include: bowling (Wellington Bowling Club uniting players from all over New Zealand), cricket (popularized by the Wellington Firebirds team) (Wellington Cricket Club uniting unprofessional amateur players from the Wellington region), football, golf (Golf Society), trampoline jumping, fencing (teenage club), squash, netball and the national sport of New Zealand, rugby.

Sports companies operating in Wellington include: Rebel Sport, Sport & Exercise Science New Zealand, Sport & Workfit Physio, Sport & Recreation NZ, SFRITO Sport Fitness & Recreation Industry Training Organization. The city has facilities such as: Basin Reserve (national cricket stadium with historical status), Westpac Stadium (Wellington Phoenix stadium), TSB Bank Arena (indoor sports hall where basketball competitions are held) and Wellington Stadium, a football stadium used primarily to organize cultural events; there were artists playing: Robbie Williams, David Bowie, Elton John, Neil Diamond, The Police and The Rolling Stones.

Due to a rather mild climate, i.e. temperature in summer approx. 20 °C and in winter above zero, the football season lasts almost a year, and international matches in many disciplines (rugby, cricket) are held all year round, also in winter (June to August), as weather conditions are not troublesome. For this reason, Wellington is a convenient place to organize sports games at any time of the year.

The city offers residents an extensive network of cycling roads (in the city there are clubs for lovers of this sport, e.g. Captain Cycling Club and Cycle Aware Wellington), swimming pools (five covered and two uncovered) and gym (such as Bodyworks Fitness Center). All sports halls (except TSB Bank Arena used for organizing professional sports competitions) are open to athletics, basketball and football amateurs.

Sports clubs

Wellington is home to sports clubs such as:

• Hurricanes - rugby union team playing Super Rugby games;
• Wellington Lions - rugby union team playing the National Provincial Championship;
• Wellington Phoenix - a football club playing in the Australian League A-League;
• Team Wellington - football team playing the New Zealand Football Championship national league;
• Central Pulse - a club playing netball;
• Wellington Firebirds and Wellington Blaze - teams (male and female) playing cricket;
• Wellington Saints - a basketball club playing at the National Basketball League National Basketball League.

Sports competitions

Wellington sports competitions:

• Wellington Sevens - annual rugby 7 tournament played at Westpac Stadium as part of the World Rugby Sevens Series;
• 2005 World Championship World Mountain Running Championships 2005);
• Wellington 500 - street car race between 1985 and 1996 (attempts are under way to restore the race);
• Wellington Lacrosse Open - national annual Lacrosse tournament launched in 2008.
• Wellington Cup annual horse tournament full of English blood played since 1874 on track in Trentham;
• Capital Bowl - the great finale of the annual national football league games.

The city maintains partnership relations within the so-called Cities sister city with several cities around the world. Cooperation shall cover activities in areas such as: economics, communication, art, education and sport. The city is in close contact with Chinese cities in particular, which is an international development. The main focus of cooperation is the joint fight against earthquakes, which is common in both countries. Moreover, Wellington maintains relations with Taiwan, which has been the cause of several misunderstandings between New Zealand and China.

•   Harrogate, United Kingdom (since 1954)
•   Chania, Greece (since 1984)
•   Xiamen, China (since 1987)
•   Sakai, Japan (since 1995)
•   Taipei, Taiwan (since 1998)
•   Tianjin, China (since 2000)
•   Qingdao, China (since 2000)
•   Beijing, China (since 2006)

Friendly cities

Wellington treats Sydney as a friendly city, a less formal partnership according to the New Zealand capital than a partnership based on a partner city. Cooperation with Sydney is focused on trade and business.

•   Sydney, Australia (since 1983).