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By Richard Moore

Wellington, like Canberra, often suffers for being being the capital of its country - denigrated for being overrun with politicians and bureaucrats.

But the New Zealand harbour-side city is loved by those who live there and they willingly cop ribbing about it being too hilly and the Windy City.

And it has to be said that you can understand why the locals are proud of a city that sits on a delightful harbour with multi-storey houses nestled away on some pretty steep hills.

It has a village-like charm in its self-contained susburbs and walking about the place is pleasant.

Visitors to Wellington can sample a lifestyle very similar to Melbourne's, with lots of great restaurants and artistic places to visit in a less rushed atmosphere than the much larger metropolitan areas of Auckland or Sydney.

One great food and restaurant area is in the inner city is along Courtenay Place where you can pick up just about any style of food you fancy. We had a night out at Coyote - a Texican eatery where the lighting is dark, the food excellent and the margueritas very addictive.

And around the harbour in Seatoun there is the wonderfully quaint cafe called the Chocolate Fish. If you have time, check it out, the food is great and the setting awesome.

Wellington is a city of just over 200,000 people and sits at the bottom end of New Zealand's North Island.

Just across Cook Strait is the South Island and if you want to travel between the two you can take a ferry from Wellington to Picton and on the way spend a couple of days enjoying the sights of the capital.

One of the most obvious places to visit is the political centre of the country - the Parliamentary precinct, which includes the Beehive, Parliament House, the Parliamentary Library and the Government Buildings.

There are free tours for visitors who want to see the historic buildings and a must-see is the Government Buildings - one of the world's largest all-wood structures.

Another worthwhile stopover is to take a tour of the old Parliament Building and debating chamber.

While you are in exploring mode not far away is Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand's national museum.

At Te Papa you can learn about the geological occurrences that formed New Zealand, enjoy being in an Earthquake House, discover the world of Maoris, the animals unique to New Zealand, a Maori marae (or meeting place) and take a trip back in time on a high-tech simulator.

Entry is free and it is open from 10am to 6pm every day, although on Thursdays there are extended hours to 9pm.

Another indoor suggestion is go to historic family home of one of New Zealand's most famous authors, Katherine Mansfield.

It is in Thorndon, one of Wellington's oldest suburbs, and dates back to the mid 19th Century.

Mansfield's birthplace has been beautifully restored with antique furniture and its heritage garden is filled with plants like jasmine, roses and calendulas that were part of 1880s Wellington.

If you want to continue a peaceful wander through leafy areas then consider a visit to Wellington's Botanic Gardens.

The 26-hectare site can be reached quite easily by taking the wonderful cable car from Lampton Quay and on the way enjoy some spectacular views.

Also within the Botanic Gardens is the Carter Observatory, which offers Planetarium shows - a recreated night sky that allows viewing at any time of day - views of Jupiter from its moon, a journey across the galaxy, or a deep space exploration journey through the lens of the Hubble Space Telescope. There is even a Sundial of Human Involvement, which is worth checking out for something a little different.

You can also see the real night sky on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during 30-minute viewing sessions.

It is recommended you book ahead for these. Private telescope viewings are available.

Wellington has a lot to offer visitors and is worth taking a couple of days out to investigate.

The latest Sightseeing, Tours, Attractions & Events in Wellington