Guidebooks are annoying. Just because some editor who doesn’t know me tells me which restaurant is the best or what attraction is a must-see doesn’t make it a must-see attraction. Sightseers’ Delight is dedicated to the weird, the quirky and the fun. After all, traveling is fun.
If it’s not, you’re doing it wrong.
All of the places highlighted in this ever-growing database are great. Sightseers’ Delight has visited them all. We think you should make a point to see every one of them. But, this is not a guidebook. Just a webpage to help you plan your next adventure.
The 25-hectare Wellington Botanic Garden in Wellington on the side of the hill between Thorndon and Kelburn. The garden, established in 1868 and classified as a Garden of National Significance by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, features a range of protected native forests, plants and seasonal displays. It also features a variety of non-native species, including the extensive Lady Norwood Rose Garden.
Since it opened in 1902, the Wellington Cable Car has been a symbol of the city. The roughly 2,000-foot-long cable car rises 394 feet above Windy Wellington, taking riders from the heart of New Zealand’s capital city to the Kelburn neighborhood. The cable car, which moves at a constant rate of nearly 18 percent, opened to encourage new residents to move into Kelburn, which was a new neighborhood at the time. By the 1960s and 1970s, there were concerns about the safety of the funicular. But, the cable car was rehabilitated and returned to its former glory. At the top, be sure to visit the Cable Car Museum to learn more about its history.
For anyone interested in learning more about the history of Wellington, the Wellington Museum is an absolute must. The centerpiece of the museum is the building itself. The museum is located in the Bond Store, which sits in the heart of Wellington’s waterfront district. Leading architect Frederick de Jersey Clere designed the 1892 heritage building. The museum features a mix of stories about the community of Wellington and maritime history, including information about the 1968 Wahine disaster, a deadly ferry disaster that claimed the lives of 53 passengers.
Wellington railway station is the main railway station serving Wellington, New Zealand, and is the southern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk, Wairarapa Line and Johnsonville Line. The station opened in June 1937, replacing the previous Wellington termini, Lambton and Thorndon.
West Coast Railway Heritage Park is the second largest railway museum in Canada and home to more 90 pieces of vintage railway equipment, including Royal Hudson No. 2860, one of 65 Hudson Class (4-6-4) locomotives, Montreal Locomotive Works built for Canadian Pacific Railway starting in 1929.
Western Heights Cemetery, initially known as Troth, features burials dating back to the 1850s, though the cemetery was formally dedicated in 1881. In 1881, Z.E. Coombes and W.R. Fisher set aside land for a “graveyard forever.” Notable pioneers interred here include W.R. Fisher, Z.E. Coombes, John and Bosina Loupout, Mary Ellen Cole Tuggle, and Heinrich and Anna Struck. The cemetery is also the final resting place for veterans of the Civil War and both World Wars I and II, as well as Clyde and Buck Barrow.
75208
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, better known as Westminster Abbey, was built in the 10th century. British monarchs have held their coronations at Westminster Abbey since 1066. Among the artifacts on display is King Edward’s Chair (or St Edward’s Chair), the throne on which English and British sovereigns have been seated when crowned and has been used at every coronation since 1308. The Abbey has been the site of at least 16 royal weddings since King Henry I married Matilda of Scotland on Nov. 11, 1100.
Weta Workshop was founded in 1987 and develops special effects for movies and television shows. It formed a digital division, Weta Digital, in 1993. The studio is perhaps best known for its work with Kiwi director Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films. The company is named for the weta, one of the world’s largest insects. Today, visitors can tour the studio to learn more about the process and see sets in use for various productions.
The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum chronicles the Jewish experience and the universal themes of diversity and human dignity. The museum, which opened in 1996, collects and preserves Jewish culture and history through permanent exhibitions like the Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years, 1933-1945. The exhibit was designed by local architect and Holocaust survivor Ben Hirsch. The Cuba Family Archives also houses the largest repository of Jewish archival material in the region.
30309
William Gilbert Rees was an explorer, surveyor and early settler in Central Otago, New Zealand, and is regarded as the founder of Queenstown. He and fellow explorer Nicholas von Tunzelmann were the first Europeans to settle the Wakatipu basin. A statue of Rees stands on Rees Street in Queenstown.