Haka House Wellington enjoys a wonderful downtown location within a short walk of the iconic Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the city’s picturesque waterfront and various tourist activities in Wellington – New Zealand’s buzzing capital city.
With a choice of private and shared room accommodation that’s cosy, comfy and stylish, and guest facilities that include two fully equipped kitchens, a dining and living room, movie room, pool table and foosball table, dart board, laundry and free Wi-Fi, this new Wellington hostel with harbour views is sure to become a favourite home-away-from-home for many travelers to the capital.
Haka House Wellington guests keen to take advantage of their property’s central location will quickly discover there are many wonderful free things to do in Wellington on foot. A great place to start is at the nearby waterfront where there’s a seaside reserve just for pedestrians. There are restaurants here, and also Wellington Museum. From Queens Wharf the harbour can be followed around past Te Papa and Chaffers Marina to Oriental Bay, where there’s cafes and a stretch of golden sand.
For a touch of culture, a visit to Te Papa – New Zealand’s national museum – is a must. The Maori name Te Papa Tongarewa literally means ‘container of treasures’, and the museum’s collections span five areas – art, history, Pacific, Maori and the natural environment. A landmark building in the city, the museum boasts over 800,000 artworks, cultural artefacts, historical archives and scientific specimens.
Another of the must-do activities in Wellington that’s a short walk from Haka House Wellington is the famous cable car that travels between Lambton Quay and Kelburn Village. Opened in 1902 and today the country’s only remaining funicular railway, the five minute ride offers great views and at the top there’s the Wellington Cable Car Museum to visit. The Wellington Botanic Garden is also located here, encompassing 25 hectares of specialised plant collections, colourful botanical displays and a protected native forest.
Another spot from which to soak up spectacular panoramic views of the city and surroundings – and among the top free things to do in Wellington – is the top of Mount Victoria. Rising 196 m above the city, Mt Vic as it’s known locally is a great place to bring along a picnic and settle in on the hillside to watch the ferries and cruise ships sailing into and out of the harbour and planes flying in and out of the airport.
A 15 minute walk from Haka House Wellington is Cuba Street, known for its bohemian nature, cafes, op-shops, music venues, restaurants, bookshops, heritage architecture and general ‘quirkiness’. It’s a place celebrated for its character and social life, and is one of the city’s top tourist areas.
Those who love the magic of movies will love the fact that Weta Workshop, known for its Academy Award®-winning special effects and prop work on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies among other blockbuster films, is based in Wellington and that it offers behind the scenes tours to the public. Visitors can try their hand at making props or creating gruesome wounds with makeup, and there’s also the Weta Cave retail shop which is guarded by giant trolls.
Close encounters with some of the wildlife at Wellington Zoo – a 10 minute drive from Haka House Wellington – is among the particularly memorable activities in Wellington to enjoy. The 13-hectare zoo is home to more than 500 animals, from tigers, meerkats and sun bears to lemurs, chimpanzees, giraffes and a bunch more.
Still on the wild side, Zealandia is the world’s first fully fenced, predator-free ecosanctuary and is just 10 minutes’ drive from Lambton Quay. Time magazine named this as one of the 100 greatest places on the planet, 225 hectares of regenerating forest and birdlife that is the closest thing to experiencing what New Zealand was like before humans. Visitors can explore Zealandia by themselves, with 32 km of track on offer, or take a day or night tour.
Walk into any Haka Hostel, and you’ll discover stories of Māori culture, told through custom-created mural paintings. Each mural gives a glimpse into fascinating legends, and an introduction to the artistry of the Māori people, brought to life by Charles and Janine Williams, local contemporary artists who are passionate about sharing their heritage.
Long renowned as a geothermal wonderland, a nature-lover and outdoor-adventurer’s playground, and a center of Maori culture, the list of things to do and places to visit in Rotorua – one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations – is both a long one and a fun one!
Occupying a fantastic location on the shores of stunning Lake Wakatipu, within minutes of Queenstown’s shops, restaurants and charming pedestrian avenues, is an absolute jewel in cosy and modern hostel-style Queenstown lakefront accommodation – the aptly named Haka House Queenstown Lakefront.
Haka House Aoraki Mt Cook couldn’t be better named and it couldn’t be better located – nestled snugly as it is into the gorgeous alpine landscape of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and with the mighty Mt Cook, stunning Tasman Glacier and gorgeous Southern Alps mountain range all on its doorstep, making it the best Mt Cook hostel for mountain walks.