In between the orienteering and socialising, there are heaps of tourist and cultural activities to enjoy and cool corners of Aotearoa to discover. We’ve split up our recommendations roughly by the areas you’ll be staying or passing through.
And if you’re a local, why not send in your top tips for visitors?
If you’re driving between Wellington and the events, the trip takes a couple of hours by car in either direction. You’ll pass along the Kāpiti Coast south of the Manawatū and there’s a fair bit to see and do along the way.
kāpiti island
The fastest route between Wellington and Kāpiti is to take State Highway 1 through Transmission Gully. If you have a little more time, you can also take the old SH1 route (now SH59) along the coast. This has lovely views of Mana Island and the Cook Strait, and goes past some great cafes in Paekakariki, near where the route diverges from SH1 south of Queen Elizabeth Park.
For a gentle adventure, QE Park has a big, relatively flat track network with access to the beach and the option to take a vintage tram ride from the car park down to the sea: The Wellington Tramway Museum runs trams Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. If flat tracks don’t do it for you, head under SH1 to Whareroa Farm which has some pretty (and pretty steep) running and walking options with access to serious bush beyond Campbell’s Mill Road. Both areas are also good for biking – though Whareroa is more appropriate for MTBs.
North of there is the Tuatara brewery in Paraparaumu, and for the mechanically inclined Southward Car Museum has a collection of over 400 vehicles, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime.
The Ngā Manu Nature Reserve near Waikanae is home to a wide range of native New Zealand species, from eels and tuatara to kiwi and more. Tours to Kāpiti Island can be booked with Kāpiti Island Nature Tours but have limited capacity, so be sure to organise this well in advance. This is one of the best places in New Zealand to spot the famous kiwi and takahe in their natural habitat.