Red cable car
The capital's symbol.
Brett Taylor from Wellington, New Zealand — CC BY 2.0 · Bahnfrend — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949 — Public domain
A little red funicular climbing from Lambton Quay, the shopping street of central Wellington, to the hillside suburb of Kelburn, on a line about six hundred metres long that rises 120 metres, in a ride of about five minutes, and a symbol of the capital since the early twentieth century. The car passes through short tunnels lit with coloured lights, and its top station gives a superb view of the city, the harbour and the mountains across the bay. The station houses a small museum on the history of the line and its old cars. At the top is the gate of the Wellington Botanic Garden, and you can walk back down through its terraced paths among native trees and the famous rose garden to the city centre, a lovely stroll that is mostly downhill. Tickets are about NZ$7 one way and NZ$13 return per adult, per visitor guides. The best plan is to ride up and walk down through the free garden.
The capital's symbol.
Over the harbour.
On the way down.
From Lambton Quay to Kelburn, central Wellington
Ride up to Kelburn, then walk down through the free Botanic Garden to the city centre.
