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Te Whanganui-a-Tara · Wellington

Online courses in Wellington

Wellington sits at the south-western tip of the North Island, wrapped around Te Whanganui-a-Tara, the great harbour of Tara. The city's south coast faces Cook Strait, and its hills, harbour islands and regional parks put protected land within a short bus or ferry trip of the centre. Predator-free Matiu/Somes Island lies in the harbour, Kāpiti Island lies off the coast to the north, and the Wairarapa farming district lies east beyond the Remutaka Range.

Conservation work is unusually visible here. Zealandia, a fenced 225-hectare valley sanctuary in Karori, has helped make Wellington one of the few cities where native bird numbers are rising. Taputeranga Marine Reserve protects 855 hectares of the south coast, Ōtari-Wilton's Bush grows only native plants, and the Wellington Botanic Garden holds collections from around the world. North of the city, the regional council runs Battle Hill as a working farm park.

Close by: Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, Kāpiti Coast, Wairarapa.

Photography in Wellington

  • Te Papa photography collection (opens in a new tab)

    The national museum's photography collection includes Spencer Digby studio portraits (mid-1930s to late 1950s), Gordon H Burt commercial photographs and the life's work of Brian Brake. Te Papa still actively collects documentary and art photography.

    Entry is free for New Zealanders, and the collection can also be searched on Collections Online for historical portrait and commercial work.

  • New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata (opens in a new tab)

    A gallery dedicated to portraiture at Shed 11 on the Wellington waterfront. It runs changing exhibitions and the Adam Portraiture Award.

    Its exhibitions give portrait students a regular chance to study how others handle pose, lighting and character. Entry is free for New Zealanders.

  • Wellington Photographic Society (opens in a new tab)

    A long-running local camera club that has celebrated its 125th anniversary. It holds meetings, competitions and an annual public exhibition.

    Joining a club gives regular critique and competition deadlines, and the annual exhibition shows local landscape, portrait, street and wildlife work.

Photography Courses you can study from Wellington

Animal & wildlife in Wellington

  • Wellington Zoo Te Nukuao and The Nest Te Kōhanga (opens in a new tab)

    Wellington Zoo has cared for animals since 1906 and is run by a charitable trust for Wellington City Council. Its animal hospital, The Nest Te Kōhanga, treats wildlife brought in by the SPCA, DOC and Zealandia, and native species make up at least 70% of its patients.

    The zoo takes on volunteers aged 18 and over in animal care, nutrition and hospital support roles, with applications opening in March and August.

  • Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne (opens in a new tab)

    A 225-hectare valley sanctuary in Karori, enclosed by an 8.6 km predator-proof fence and described as the world's first fully fenced urban ecosanctuary. Tuatara, Hamilton's frog, kākā and little spotted kiwi are among the species living there.

    More than 500 volunteers work there, from bird feeding to fence checks. Volunteers must be over 18, pass a police check and usually commit for six months or more.

  • Taputeranga Marine Reserve (opens in a new tab)

    An 855-hectare DOC marine reserve on the south coast, established in 2008 and about 6 km from the city centre. More than 180 fish species have been recorded along this coast, and about 400 seaweed species within the reserve.

    Shore walks, rock pooling and snorkelling from Island Bay give direct access to a protected rocky-reef ecosystem. Check DOC's page for current water-quality notices first.

  • SPCA Wellington Centre (Margaret Doucas Animal Hospital) (opens in a new tab)

    The SPCA's Wellington Centre is in the old Fever Hospital in Newtown on Mount Victoria. It includes a full veterinary hospital that cares for SPCA animals and community animal emergencies.

    The centre advertises volunteer and foster roles, which give companion-animal students hands-on contact with shelter work.

Animal & Wildlife Courses you can study from Wellington

Beauty in Wellington

  • World of WearableArt (WOW) Show (opens in a new tab)

    An annual international wearable art competition. Finalist garments appear in a stage show in Wellington each September–October, combined with music, dance and performance.

    Makeup artistry students could attend to see how finished looks are presented on stage under theatre lighting.

Beauty Courses you can study from Wellington

Agriculture & farming in Wellington

  • Battle Hill Farm Forest Park (opens in a new tab)

    A Greater Wellington regional park at Pāuatahanui, near Porirua, with 500 hectares of paddocks, native bush and forestry. It is run as a working farm, with sheep and other farm animals.

    Walking tracks cross farmland, so visitors can see a pastoral property close to the city. Some areas close for lambing and calving, which shows the seasonal farm calendar in practice.

  • Golden Shears, Masterton (opens in a new tab)

    An international shearing and woolhandling championship that started in 1961 at the War Memorial Stadium in Masterton, in the Wairarapa. It is held each March.

    Spectators can watch top shearers, woolhandlers and wool pressers at work in a sheep-farming district within reach of Wellington.

Agriculture & Farming Courses you can study from Wellington

Landscaping & horticulture in Wellington

  • Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā (opens in a new tab)

    A 25-hectare council garden in Kelburn, managed by Wellington City Council since 1891. The Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture lists it as a Garden of National Significance, and it includes the Lady Norwood Rose Garden.

    Its curated international and native collections, plus guided walks and lunchtime botanical talks, make it a working reference for plant identification and display design.

  • Ōtari-Wilton's Bush (opens in a new tab)

    New Zealand's only public botanic garden devoted solely to native plants. It has about 1,100 native species, hybrids and cultivars in five hectares, beside 100 hectares of mature and regenerating forest. The Lions Ōtari Plant Conservation Laboratory is based on site.

    Entry is free. The supporting trust runs guided walks, talks and volunteer opportunities, which suit students learning native plants and restoration.

Landscaping & Horticulture Courses you can study from Wellington

Annual events near Wellington

Studying from Wellington: questions

Where can I volunteer with animals in Wellington?

Wellington Zoo opens volunteer applications in March and August for people aged 18 and over, in visitor, animal care, nutrition and animal hospital roles. Zealandia has more than 500 volunteers, who must be over 18, pass a police check and usually commit for six months or more. The SPCA Wellington Centre also advertises volunteer and foster roles.

Where can I see native wildlife close to central Wellington?

Zealandia, a fenced 225-hectare sanctuary in Karori, holds tuatara, kākā and little spotted kiwi. Taputeranga Marine Reserve on the south coast protects more than 180 recorded fish species, and Matiu/Somes Island in the harbour is predator-free and reached by ferry.

Can I see farming near Wellington?

Battle Hill Farm Forest Park at Pāuatahanui, near Porirua, is a regional park run as a working farm, with 500 hectares of paddocks, bush and forestry. The Golden Shears shearing championship is held each March in Masterton, in the Wairarapa.

Which Wellington gardens are useful for horticulture study?

The 25-hectare Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā is a Garden of National Significance, with international and native collections. Ōtari-Wilton's Bush is New Zealand's only public botanic garden devoted solely to native plants, with about 1,100 native species, hybrids and cultivars.

On the blog: Wellington

Compare every course available from Wellington · Nearby city guides: Palmerston North, Napier

Sources for the local information on this page

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