Wellington Cable Car

The cable car climbs from a doorway off Lambton Quay, in the middle of Wellington's shopping street, up through three short tunnels to the suburb of Kelburn on the ridge above. It has run since 1902, built to open hillside land for housing, and the red cars still make the trip in about five minutes on a steep, straight line. At the top a terrace looks back over the city and the harbour, with the port, the stadium and the hills of the far shore laid out below. The upper station also holds a small museum with the original winding gear and one of the early wooden cars, and the botanic garden begins at the door.

History

In 1898 people developing housing in Kelburn founded the Kelburne and Karori Tramway Company, and the line, designed by the Dunedin-born engineer James Fulton as a hybrid of cable car and funicular, was built from 1899 and opened on 22 February 1902. By 1912 it carried a million passengers a year, and in 1933 its steam winding gear was replaced by an electric motor (Wikipedia, Wellington Cable Car).

Highlights

• The Kelburn lookout - the terrace view down over the city and the harbour.
• The tunnels - the lit sections of the climb, decorated along the way.
• The Cable Car Museum - the original winding machinery and an early wooden car.
• The walk back down - the path through the botanic garden from the top station into town.

When to go

It runs every day at short intervals, and queues are worst between mid-morning and mid-afternoon, especially when cruise ships are in port. Clear evenings suit the view, and the terrace is a common sunset spot. Many people ride up and walk back down through the botanic garden, which takes around forty minutes at an easy pace.

Things to know

The ride is short and the fare is charged per trip, so it is a few minutes of travel for the price of a coffee. The view is good rather than exceptional, since the ridge is not high. Queues build at midday and the cars fill. Wellington wind can make the open terrace unpleasant, and low cloud on the ridge cancels the point of going up.

Nearby

The Wellington Botanic Garden begins at the top station, with Lambton Quay and the waterfront below.

Key facts