Trifter

History

European settlement on what today is Wellington began on September 20th 1839 when settlers arrived on a ship known as Tory.  Several months later another ship called the Aurora landed carrying 150 more settlers.  The settlers began building their homes on a flat area at the mouth of the Hutt River.  Wellington got its name from Arthur Wellesley who became the first duke of Wellington after the battle Waterloo.

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Earthquakes 

In 1855 the Wairarapa Earthquake occurred on the fault line just outside the city and its estimated magnitude on the Richter scale was 8.2.  The earthquake was so powerful that it raised an area out of the harbor and turned it in a tidal swamp.  Wellington has been the source of a lot a seismic activity not just from the major fault line that runs through it but also from the hundreds of other minor fault lines that run straight through the city.

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Location and Geography 

Wellington which is the capital of New Zealand holds many records including the southern most capital city, as well as the most remote capital in the world (farthest from any other capital).  Wellington is also located on Cook Strait which separates the north and south islands.  On a clear day when looking over the strait you can see the Kiakoura mountain ranges and just to the north are the Kapiti beaches which are known for their golden beaches.

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Arts and Culture 

Wellington is the centre for New Zealand’s film industry and has one of the most world acclaimed film making infrastructures.  Wellington is also home to many world renowned museums including Te Pa, the cable car Museum and Colonial Cottage.  In addition to the many museums Wellington is also home to many art galleries including The National Art Gallery, and the Academy of Fine Arts.

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Transportation

There are three main highways that go through the city.  State Highway I, State Highways II, and the Ngauranga Interchange.   Buses are used almost everywhere in the city especially between Wellington railroad station and Courtenay Place.  There are also two main rail lines that come out of the rail station, one that connects Wellington to Palmerston and the other connecting to Auckland.  The city has one airport Wellington International which services flights across Australia and the Pacific Islands.

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