The detail conference venue information will be available about two weeks before the opening of the conference.

Wellington tourist attractions

Wellington is located in the southwest of New Zealand's North Island and is the capital of New Zealand. It strangles the Cook Strait, is the transportation hub between the two islands, and is the political, cultural and economic center of New Zealand. Due to its high terrain, Wellington is close to the Cook Strait by the mountains and the sea. But Wellington really entered everyone's field of vision, it is estimated that it started from the premiere of "The Lord of the Rings". This is also where The Lord of the Rings was filmed and post-production. Whether you love watching movies or the beauty of nature, Wellington is a destination worth visiting.

Wellington is movie director Peter Jackson's hometown and many movies have been made in Wellington. The world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in November 2012 has the spotlight firmly in Wellington. A tour is the best way to discover the secrets of the making of the movies. Said to have more bars and restaurants per capita than New York, Wellington is widely celebrated for it's good taste. With over 20 craft beer bars and breweries, Wellington is renowned as the craft beer capital of New Zealand. Try innovative flavours as a beer brewed with volcanic rocks at Garage Project. Leave the diet at home and immerse yourself in the culinary capital for coffee, cocktails, cafes and some very fine dining indeed - all within easy walking distance around Courtenay Place and Cuba Street. Walk or take a bus from the city to the summit of Mount Victoria for a 360-degree panorama of Wellington.

Wellington's historic cable car has been climbing up the hill to the Kelburn Lookout, next door to the Botanic Gardens, since 1912. This fun five-minute journey is a scenic (and much more relaxed) alternative to puffing your way up Wellington's steep hill from Lambton Quay in the waterfront central district. There are excellent views across the city along the way, and keen photographers will definitely want to get snap-happy with the cityscape panoramas laid out before them once at Kelburn Lookout. The Kelburn cable car terminal is also home to the interesting Cable Car Museum, which displays the original cable car used on the tracks.

Wellington's most iconic building is The Beehive, site of New Zealand's parliament. Designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence and built between 1964 and 1979, the building with its distinctive shape is the city's most love-it-or-hate-it piece of architecture. Next door is the more classical looking building of Parliament House, built in 1907 in Neoclassical Edwardian style and home to The Chamber where parliamentary debates are held. Free one-hour tours of the parliament buildings are held daily between 10am and 4pm and trace New Zealand's parliamentary history, as well as touring through the important government rooms. 

Wellington's waterfront area is an attractive district right in the hub of the central city. Both Queen's Wharf and Frank Kitts Park are surrounded by fine buildings, including the Civic Centre and the Museum of New Zealand. From Frank Kitts Park, there is a good view of Wellington Harbour, and the park hosts a market every Saturday. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants in this area, so it's a great place for a pit stop while strolling the central city.

For nature lovers looking for a secluded getaway close to the city, Matiu Island (also known as Somes Island) in Wellington Harbour offers up a heady dose of wild New Zealand landscapes. During the pre-European era, Matiu Island: the largest of three northern islands in Wellington Harbour — was occupied by Maori. During the modern era, it was used as a quarantine station, internment camp, and military installation until being turned over to New Zealand's Department of Conservation as a nature reserve. For both day-trippers and overnighters, the island has a series of short hiking trails up to its highest point.