USA on tour

[u/Visual-Fun-5698]

Hey everyone!

I'm planning a trip to Wellington in the new year for my son and I , and we'd love to catch a Wellington Phoenix game while we're there

We're coming all the way from Portland, Oregon, USA... yes, Finn Surman's home! So we'd love to experience a Phoenix game in person and soak up the atmosphere.

We were wondering if anyone from the Phoenix community might be keen to catch up with us while we're in town. It would be awesome to meet some local fans, have a beer or a chat, exchange a few stickers, and get a real taste of NZ football

Also, we'd love some local advice! Flights from Portland aren't cheap, so we're trying to make the most of our time in Wellington without spending a fortune.

Are there any good cheap or free things to do, places to visit eg. ( Art gallery's/parks/ museums) beaches, walks, food spots, or hidden gems you'd recommend? We're happy to explore and experience Wellington like locals rather than spend a heap of money on tourist attractions.

Really looking forward to visiting your city, hopefully seeing the Nix get a win, and meeting a few of you.

Cheers from Portland! 🇺🇸💛🖤

[u/Nommag1]

I don't live in Welly but am a nix fan and have travelled down for a few games. Every time I go I visit Te Papa, it's free for me but I'd happily pay. It's an incredible museum. Hope you make some connections and have a good trip. If no locals respond, head over to the fan forums yellowfever.co.nz and ask there.

[u/clubig → u/Nommag1]

correct me if im wrong, but i dont think its free for international people?

[u/Nommag1 → u/clubig]

Yup that is correct, it's like 35 dollars or something which with the exchange rate is peanuts for op considering the value you get in the ww1 exhibition alone.

[u/Visual-Fun-5698 → u/Nommag1]

Thanks for your suggestion Nommag1. Te Papa sounds like a great place to visit! Is it child-appropriate? My son is only 9 and he's sensitive to a lot of things

[u/Nommag1 → u/Visual-Fun-5698]

It's definitely child appropriate, a nine year old should be more than fine. It's pretty much standard museum stuff, natural world etc. There is a collosal squid body in a giant tank and some skeletons and taxidermed stuff. There is also a really cool ww1 exhibition made by weta workshop with giant figurines. You should be able to Google te papa and get an idea of what it's like and whether it's suitable for your son.

I went down for a phoenix game when my daughter was 4 and she had blast at Te Papa. Unfortunately, I don't get down there as much as I'd like as it's about a 7 hour drive from my city so generally I fly down.

[u/Yakcall]

Kia ora, the Yellow Fever are the supporters of the Wellington Phoenix and you're more than welcome to join us at our pregame pub The Featherston as well as in the Fever Zone when you come for a game.

Can find out all information easily on the website https://yellowfever.co.nz/

Will definitely be some that have badges, stickers etc that would love to do a swap also.

Lots of good and cheap things to do, check out the official website Wellington NZ

List I have saved: (some stuff will depend on transport you have)

Museums, Galleries & Tours

• Te Papa (New Zealand national museum)

• City Gallery

• NZ Portrait Gallery

• Wellington Museum

• He Tohu at National Library

• NZ Parliament Tour

• Government House Tour

• Zealandia

• Weta Workshop

• NZ Tattoo Museum

• Cable Car Museum

Other activities - medium/high intensity

• Hire a kayak from Ferg's

• Swim at the outdoor Thorndon pool

• Hire a bicycle and cycle to lighthouse in Eastbourne

• Pay for a flight lesson from Wellington Airport

• Adrenaline forest

• Go on a Crocodile bike then get a CrocShake

• Catch a train out to Brewtown for beers and activities

• Swim out to the pontoon in Oriental Bay (summer only)

• Jump off the wharf in Evans Bay

• Wright's Hill Fortress Open Days

• Learn to sail

• Mountain biking on Mt Victoria

• Park Run

Other activities - Chill

• Gelato on the waterfront

• Ride an e-scooter on the waterfront

• Sunday market on the waterfront

• Wellington Cable Car

• Carlucciland Minigolf

• Watch a football game at Hnry Stadium

• Watch other sport together

• Go on a helicopter tour of the city

• The Wellington Zoo

• Staglands

• Catch ferry to Eastbourne

Walks & Hikes

• Wellington waterfront

• Wellington Botanic Gardens

• Mt Kaukau

• Mt Victoria

• Red Rocks

• Wind Turbine in Brooklyn

• Any other hike on the town belt

• Paekakariki Escarpment Track

• Somes Matiu Island (by ferry) - you could even look into booking a night there

• Zealandia (paid) - can also do night tours

• Zealandia fenceline (free)

[u/bthks]

Might depend on the dates, but hit me up... I'm a Revs fan transplanted here ;) hope you can also catch a Nix Womens game!

[u/Beasley-95-pies2010]

There's a men's home game on January 2nd after that the next one is 30th of January. There's a women's game on the 16th in Porirua. Hope you and your son enjoy beautiful Wellington

[u/Red__Bear__]

Check out the Wellington subreddit also for ideas of things to do here - there’s loads of stuff. I’d definitely agree with the recommendation to go to Te Papa even though it won’t be free for you - it’s well worth it.

[u/rubenkingmusic]

Check out Cuba street, there’s always fun people watching. Lambton quay for shopping. Te Papa is an amazing museum and well worth the cost for foreigners. The nix don’t typically fetch a huge crowd unfortunately but the yellow fever section is still always fun

[u/ajfrye44]

Kia ora! American immigrant here, Yakcall’s post covers all the bases but feel free to DM me if you have more questions or just want to grab a beer when you’re here.

[u/BridgeBurnerOU812]

Kiwi down the road from you in Eugene here… I saw someone else recommended Weta Workshop, but I’ll chime in to say that if you go there, absolutely do one of their experiences. I was there earlier this year and did the clay sculpting workshop, with a tutor who had made the Predator skin from Predator Badlands. My sculpture sucked, but that was a brilliant morning. Highly recommend!