If your time is limited, you'll get a comprehensive view of Wellington by booking with Hammond's Scenic Tours (tel. 04/472-0869). Their Wellington CityTour covers the financial and commercial area, Parliament buildings, and Botanic Gardens; they also go up to Mount Victoria lookout and then around the coastal bays, returning to the city via View Road. It costs NZ$50 (US$36/£18) for adults and NZ$25 (US$18/£9) for children ages 4 to 14. Wally and his son Lance run the operation, giving it a personalized flavor with good commentary. Their 2 1/2-hour tours depart daily at 10am and 2pm.

Flat Earth (tel. 0800/775-805 in NZ, or 04/977-5805) has a range of excellent specialty tours, including very interesting Maori Treasures tours priced from NZ$220 (US$156/£79) per person for a half-day, and excellent Capital Arts Tours that immerse you in the city's art and architecture for NZ$132 (US$94/£48) per person for a half-day.

Zest Food Tours (tel. 04/801-9198) is another excellent new business and is a real hit with foodies. Its Walking Gourmet (daily 9:30am-1:30pm) costs NZ$210 (US$149/£76) per person and introduces you to the capital's lively food scene and hard-to-find places. Taste Wellington (daily 9:30am-3pm) costs NZ$395 (US$280/£142) per person and includes coffee roasting, top specialty food stores, a wine-matched lunch at an award-winning restaurant, and a visit to the home of a local food writer. Chocolate Espresso (9:30am-noon) is a behind-the-scenes look into Wellington's chocolate hotspots for NZ$99 (US$71/£36) per person. Tours can be tailored to specific interests.

Wild About Wellington (tel. 027/441-9010 in NZ), has a fabulous Boutique Beer Tasting Tour, which is hosted by local beer expert/writer, Neil Miller. The 2-hour walking day tour is great value at NZ$105 (US$75/£38); and a 3-hour evening tour is NZ$135 (US$96/£49) per person. Fashion lovers should ask about their equally good City of Style Tour, which takes you to meet local fashion designers for NZ$120 (US$86/£44) per person.

Seal Coast Safari (tel. 0800/732-527 in NZ, or 04/929-7839) offers a completely different outing that departs daily from the visitor center at 10:30am and 1pm. For NZ$79 (US$56/£28) for adults, children 14 and under half price, you'll spend 2 3/4 hours taking the coastal road to the seals at Red Rocks. Walk Wellington (tel. 04/384-9590), on the other hand, gives you a fabulous value introduction to the city. The Essential Wellington tour is NZ$20 (US$14/£7.20) per person and departs from the visitor center daily, rain, hail, or shine at 10am. Additional afternoon walks are offered in summer at 5:30pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Call tel. 04/802-4860 for bookings and departure times.

Wellington Movie Tours (tel. 027/419-3077 in NZ) will give you a comprehensive overview of the Wellington movie scene, including visits to The Lord of the Rings locations, the Weta Store, on-site movie clips, and movie props. Tours range from NZ$40 to NZ$110 (US$28-US$78/£14-£40) per person.

On the Water

Take a Somes Island excursion with the Dominion Post Ferry. Simply take the ferry and stop off on the island, picking up a return ferry a few hours later. The island recently reopened to the public after 100 years of restricted access. In recent times, it has served as a quarantine station and before that as a prisoner-of-war camp. It has been replanted and developed as a wildlife refuge and has walking tracks and great views.