Nine must-do highlights of Wellington, New Zealand

Explore the nooks and crannies in Hannah's Laneway.Credit: Camilla Rutherford/100% Pure New Zealand

THE BRUNCH

Eggs, bacon, oats, avocado on toast. There's nothing wrong with them but European soul food specialists Field & Green should be dubbed Left Field & Green after devising a brunch menu that's a whole lot different. Think a Red Leicester cheese scone with butter; kedgeree, soft boiled egg and curry oil; salt beef and potato hash, poached egg, mustard sauce and gherkins, or, the clincher: a fish finger sandwich, tartare sauce and rocket. The dinner menu offers more rich comfort food: roast bone marrow and white anchovy on sourdough toast; Cloudy Bay clams and saffron risotto are a taste. Sit at a table or perch at the kitchen to watch the chefs work their magic. And ice-cream lovers rejoice: 17 options of house-churned varieties are available from vanilla, to saffron and cardamom. See fieldandgreen.co.nz

THE LANEWAY

Sample wines by the glass, or half glass, at Noble Rot.Credit: James Phillips

The nooks and crannies in Hannah's Laneway, the area in and around a former shoe factory, is now home to a mix of must-visits celebrating Kiwi inventiveness, irreverence and a love of all things sweet and savoury. Here you'll find the Wellington Chocolate Factory (see below); the Leeds Street Bakery (leedsstbakery.co.nz), birthplace of a salted caramel cookie that has been on Wellington locals' lips for a while now; Pizza Pomodoro (pizzapomodoro.co.nz), an authentic pizzeria certified by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, and the Hanging Ditch (hangingditch.co.nz) cocktail bar where your drink of choice is delivered via bungee-type cords hanging from the ceiling - peak NZ. There's also the self-explanatory Donnie Taco food truck and Fix and Fogg, who create monstrously delicious peanut-buttery creations from behind a tiny window. See fixandfogg.co.nz

THE CHOCOLATE INDULGENCE

Wellington has its own Willy Wonka in the form of Gabe Davidson, co-founder of the Wellington Factory in Hannah's Laneway. His mission? To produce fine-quality organic chocolate via ethical means. To do so the factory pays a premium for their organic beans in places like Vanuatu and Peru, to ensure growers can attain a better standard of living. Drop in for a cup of hot chocolate or to sample some of the award-winning craft chocolates, which are wrapped in papers designed by local artists. Or join a chocolate-making workshop where you mix, temper, set and wrap your own chocolate bars - no golden ticket required. See wcf.co.nz

THE TOUR

If Zealandia sounds like a magical land you are right. This 225-hectare urban eco-sanctuary on the outskirts of the city opened in 2000 aiming to do the seemingly impossible: to reinstate populations of native birds and fauna that had almost disappeared in the wild. The result is best articulated by the whistles of the North Island kaka parrot, which is making a vigorous comeback into Wellington backyards after all but disappearing, thanks to Zealandia's zealous maintenance of their 1.83 metre high anti-predator fence which runs along the sanctuary's nine-kilometre perimeter. On our 2.5 hour Zealandia by Night tour we spot plenty of parrots, frogs, lizards, glowworms - and most excitingly - two kiwis hopping about in the wild. Night tour adults $NZ85 ($76.80). See visitZealandia.com

THE HOTEL

It doesn't take long after arriving in the cool Kiwi capital to realise there are two places you'll want to be: at the spectacular waterfront and in the bustling shopping and food hubs around Cuba Street. The Intrepid Hotel, on Ghuznee Street, is an easy walk to both and comes with all the little extras that make boutique hotels, well, boutique: funky interiors, good-sized and comfortable rooms, a gratis mini-bar, and The Puffin - a destination bar, offering natural wines and a salon vibe. And who can resist a hotel which drops complimentary warm croissants and jam at your door each morning, has communal brewed coffee and spring water on tap, and leaves Pinky chocolate bars on your bed at night. See theintrepidhotel.com

THE BAR

Noble Rot is the beneficial form of a grey fungus that affects wine grapes. And any Kiwi with a nose for the good stuff knows it's also the name of one of Wellington's most innovative and popular wine bars. Come here to sample drops by the glass - or even by the half glass - with guidance from sommeliers on a mission to tantalise your tastebuds with an incredible wine list. Pair your choice of more than 500 tipples (80 to try by the glass) with canapes or share plates such as salmon caviar with cultured cream and blini, smoked fish rillettes with crostini, or chicken liver parfait with pickled carrots and savoury pastry. See noblerot.co.nz

THE MUSEUM

Lonely Planet named it one of the top 500 places to see on the planet, and Te Papa Tongarewa, on Wellington's waterfront, doesn't disappoint. Home to floors of cultural, scientific, natural and artistic treasures, the scale of this building and its exhibits is breathtaking. My visit coincides with the first national public holiday to celebrate the Maori Matariki festival so a tour of the treasures of the te iwi taketake or First Peoples is particularly poignant. Feel the earth move under your feet in the earthquake exhibit; marvel at the size of the egg of a now extinct giant moa (hint: it makes an emu egg look like, well, chicken feed) and marvel at the exquisite workmanship of traditional Maori canoes. Admission free. See tepapa.govt.nz

THE RESTAURANT

Liberty lives up to its name, with a freedom of cuisine that diners relish. And so tostadas, pulled pork, 'nduja, tomatillo sits next to fish and prawn dumplings, chilli oil and crispy shallots on the menu, which also houses seriously good smoked lamb, lime pickle and coriander. All dishes are designed to share. This new sleek eatery with the big windows where you can view the happenings on bustling Cuba Street is the latest delicious venture by Steve Logan, of long-time fine dining destination Logan Brown, which is just up the road. See libertyrestaurant.co.nz

THE RIDE

Wellington is a city with no shortage of speccy views but a five-minute ride on the striking red Wellington Cable Car or funicular railway is one of the best ways to experience them, rising 120 metres over a length of 612 metres. The cable car, operating since 1902, takes five minutes to deposit you from the heart of Wellington at Lambton Quay, through Kelburn, with its distinctive wooden houses, to a lookout and cable car museum (entry included in the $NZ9 return fare). From here it's an easy walk to the 1868 Wellington Botanic Garden, home to 25 hectares of native forest and colourful European gardens. See wellingtoncablecar.co.nz

ONE MORE THING

At a time when so many shopping strips around the world are same same and not really different, Wellington's Cuba Street has a bit of everything that makes shopping interesting. Head here for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink, vintage clothing, book and record shops, quirky cafes and designer clothing. See WellingtonNZ.com

Jane Richards travelled to New Zealand as a guest of WellingtonNZ.