Foodies on a business trip to New Zealand's capital won't find Wellington an easy city to navigate. Simply put: it's small but there are just too many fine dining choices, from Ambeli's special star-gazing menu to a nine-course degustation menu at Logan-Brown.
Q&A:Weather decides whether to in Wellington
What is there to do right now during the winter? Winter can bring cold "southerly" storms with wind, rain and even snow that's good for skiing in some parts of New Zealand. But there's also plenty to do inside Wellington itself. Te Papa is the country's national museum and offers interactive exhibits that are especially engaging for kids.
What about something in the evening? The Carter Observatory occasionally runs late-night stargazing sessions, and it sits atop a hill connected to the city via cable car.
Are there suggestions for the outdoors? It's recommended to bundle up and pay for a guided tour. There are some walking and 4X4 tours connected to "Wellywood," where stops at local parks and forests highlight backdrops for films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong and Twilight.
What about a tour that just showcases nearby nature? Definitely hike the trails through the world's first fully-fenced urban wildlife sanctuary known as Zealandia, although Kiwi birds – which are noctural – are normally spotted only during a night tour. If you have a full day free, it may be worth visiting Kapiti Island Nature Reserve.
In fact, there are more eateries, cafes and bars per capita in Wellington than New York City, according to the travel guru Lonely Planet, which recently dubbed New Zealand's second-largest city the "coolest little capital in the world."
But as modest as Wellingtonians are, they will confess to being snobs - when it comes to their preferred cup of flat white, which blends a third of espresso with two thirds of steamed milk and a swirl of froth. There are more than half a dozen independent roasteries in the region that offer their own varieties, although one blend of up to seven different beans that is not be missed is "Dr Mojo's Medicine". It's made fresh in Mojo Coffee's new headquarters, snuggled inside the Historic Shed 13 on Wellington's waterfront, and is one of just many stops on the "capital tastes" food tour offered through an outfit called Zest.
Plenty of cafes can also be found on Cuba Street, while Courtenay Place offers the best mix for those with an eclectic taste. The latter leads to the Embassy Theatre, which was built in 1924 but was restored, in part, by Sir Peter Jackson for the world premiere of his final instalment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Top 5: Restaurants in Wellington for doing business.
1 Ambeli.
2 The White House Restaurant.
3 Logan-Brown.
4 Martin Bosley's Yacht Club.
5 Floriditas.
Source: TripAdvisor
In terms of lodging, consider staying at the Museum Hotel, which isn't the top-ranked place in the city but offers the most unique backstory. While its owners display their personal collection of contemporary art throughout the lobby and each floor, what's more noteworthy is that the five-storey, 3,500-tonne hotel is the largest building ever relocated in the country. It was moved 120 metres on railway tracks to make room for a new waterfront museum.
The Quote: "New Zealand is not a small country but a large village." Sir Peter Jackson, the director who lives in Wellington and is now filming The Hobbit there.
nparmar@thenational.ae
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Jawan
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The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
