Wellington is only New Zealand's second largest city, but
largely thanks to its position at the southern tip of the North
Island, and thus at the centre of New Zealand as a whole, it is the
country's capital. At the time it was chosen as capital in 1865
there was concern among politicians from the North Island that the
more populous South Island, where New Zealand's goldfields were
located, would separate from the North.
Wellington's wonderful waterfront location on the Cook
Strait (the narrow waterway separating the two islands) is perhaps
its most beautiful feature. The city's top tourist attraction, the
Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongarewa) is located here. The land
rises sharply up a steep hill from the waterfront, with many
expensive properties built on the slopes. The city's residential
buildings, due to threat of earthquakes, are primarily constructed
from wood. "Government Buildings", located close to Parliament, is
the largest wooden-constructed office building in the Southern
Hemisphere.