DAY 1 - After picking you up from home its just a short transfer to check in at the airport for our mid-morning flights south to Wellington. Arriving in the 'windy city' - but hopefully today not living up to its reputation, we collect our bags and head to our first destination , Wellington Zoo.  Before touring the Zoo there is time for lunch at the aptly named REX Tremendous cafe. Suitably refreshed you can then spend the afternoon viewing the wide variety of animals plus their most recent addition, the two Snow Leopards.

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Departing the Zoo for our hotel in the central city, we take a drive to a literal highlight of Wellington, Mount Victoria at 196m high offers truly stunning views (weather permitting) of the city, the harbour and surrounding region, even as far as the South Island. A twisty and narrow road leads us to the summit where we can enjoy the 360 degree views, a great photo opportunity, lets hope for good weather today.

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Its then just a short drive to our hotel to check in, with plenty of time to relax and freshen up before we head out to dinner to a Wellington icon for a very special surprise evening!

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DAY 2 - After a leisurely breakfast we head across town, past the Parliamentary precinct to the Old St Pauls Cathedral. One of New Zealand’s great heritage buildings, Old St Paul’s was built by the Anglican Church between 1865 and 1866 on what was originally the site of Pipitea Pā, a Māori settlement on Wellington’s waterfront. After a short introductory talk from one of the hosts, you are free to look around this stunning building. An interactive exhibition helps visitors delve deeper into the building’s finer details and fascinating history, plus there’s a gift shop as well!

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Next we head out to the district of the city often referred to as the 'Wellywood" of New Zealand, namely the Miramar Peninsula, location to much of New Zealand's movie industry. We will pass by the studios, backlots and offices of the world famous Sir Peter Jackson's film  operation, as we head to Weta Workshop for a behind the scenes tour.

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Our guide will explain how imaginary movie worlds are brought to life, right here in Wellington. You will see many movie special effects, from armour to weapons, creatures to costumes, make-up to miniatures, and more. Even if you are not a LOTR movie fan, you will still be impressed by the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the Weta team.

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Our next destination is the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, which translates literally to ‘container of treasures’. Time on arrival for you to have lunch at the museum cafe (your cost) before we join our guide for a private one hour tour.

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Our informative and often entertaining guide will explore and explain our diverse natural environment, the history and culture of New Zealand, and what the national art collection has to say about life in New Zealand.  You then have time to explore on your own, perhaps visit the very moving 'Scale of War Exhibition' which is another example of the work of Weta Workshops' stunning craftmanship. 

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We then head back to the hotel to freshen up before an early dinner as this evening we have the main event - the amazing World of Wearable Arts Awards Show. The venue is just a short walk from our hotel and we have reserved platinum grade seats so we can really enjoy this amazing show from the best seats.

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We also provide you with a Souvenir programs that you can keep to remind you of the fantastic stage extravaganza - which is a 2 hour spectacle or world class dance, music and of course the fashion of wearable art!

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