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Wellington waterfront

A special place, welcoming and connecting people to the sea and city.

A special place for all

The waterfront is a special place and a prominent part of Wellington’s identity. Thousands of people enjoy it every day, and for commuters it’s a handy route to work in the CBD.

Historically the waterfront was central to Māori life, and its importance in Māori culture is shown by the names given to the area and its surrounds. In post-colonial times, the demand for land in the central city led to significant reclamation projects to provide more space for buildings, wharves and railways.

Today, each precinct provides a unique sense of place reflecting the character of the different parts of the waterfront.

North Queens Wharf/Kumutoto

An historic part of the waterfront, this is home to the East by West ferries.

Queens Wharf

A vibrant and exciting space and within walking distance of all amenities such as TSB Arena, Lambton Quay shopping district, hospitality outlets, parks, playgrounds, the Cable Car and the Botanic Gardens. Find out more about Queens Wharf.

Frank Kitts Park and Te Aro Mahana playspace

A popular inner-city park with an open space area, amphitheatre-style seating, sculptures and cafes. Find out more about Frank Kitts Park and Te Aro Mahana.

Taranaki Street Wharf/Whairepo Lagoon

An open space and wide promenade offering some of the broadest waterfront views. Access by Te Papa or stroll along to Whairepo lagoon, outside Te Wharewaka o Pōneke and The Boat Shed.

Chaffers

Together the marina, Clyde Quay Wharf and Waitangi Park provide places for watersports, apartment living and the ever-popular weekly market on Sundays.

The jewel in the waterfront crown is the promenade. Approximately 2km long and built mainly on wharf structures, it’s a popular place for leisure and an important commuter link for walking, biking and scootering. The promenade connects a series of open spaces including the waterfront’s two largest parks, Frank Kitts Park and Waitangi Park.

Waterfront improvements

The waterfront is a complex and dynamic area, enjoyed by people in different ways.

We’re working on continuously improving everyone’s experience of the waterfront and promenade. That means better lighting, better access and protective seafront edging, making it a safe place for everyone to use and enjoy.

Find out about our ongoing development and maintenance on our waterfront safety improvements project page.

Events on the waterfront

The waterfront boasts a wide range of events and activities and hosts many annual summer city events including Waitangi Day celebrations, the Pasifika festival, Homegrown, the Dragonboating Festival, Chinese New Year and Ahi Kaa, as well as Puanga Matariki events and New Year fireworks. It also hosts Wellington Round The Bays, as well as events held at Circa Theatre, Te Papa, Wellington Museum, TSB Arena and Tākina – Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre.

If you want to hold an event on the waterfront, you’ll need to get in touch with us – we can help with organising an event.

Explore the waterfront

Popular activities on the waterfront include skating, biking, or taking a kayak out onto the harbour.

There are numerous artworks and sculptures to admire and heritage trails to explore, including the three that focus on the waterfront:

There's plenty of food and drink options on offer along the waterfront.

Many people walk, bike or scoot along the waterfront, or use public transport to get to its many treasures, but for anyone needing to drive to the area there are some places nearby for parking. The Frank Kitts Park underground car park will reopen to the public late 2024. 

History of the area

The waterfront has a long history, and many varied uses and phases of development over time. Over 20ha of wharves and land reclaimed from the Wellington harbour since the 1850s make up the waterfront.

There are 4372 marine structures reflecting the history of this area as a working wharf and Wellington’s original area of port development.

Many areas along the waterfront feature heritage buildings.

Find out more about the history of the waterfront, including early settlement and reclamation work: History of the Waterfront Area

Management of the waterfront area

Wellington City Council manages the waterfront area including property management, parking, cleaning, security and general maintenance. Council also:

  • promotes and restores waterfront heritage buildings
  • supports commercial development of the area
  • manages the TSB Bank Arena and Shed 6
  • stages public events
  • manages commercial berthage including East by West Ferry and NZ Police berthage
  • maintains wharf structures for formal and informal marine based recreation
  • provides information about waterfront development to the public.

The waterfront used to be managed by Wellington Waterfront Limited (originally Lambton Harbour Management Limited). This was set up by the Wellington Harbour Board and Wellington City Council in September 1987 to develop and manage 20ha of waterfront land extending from Waterloo on Quay Apartments (Shed 21) along the waterfront to include Clyde Quay Wharf.

Wellington Waterfront Limited is now a Council-controlled organisation. In July 2014 it transitioned into Wellington City Council as a business unit (Parks, Sport and Recreation) with a changed brief to extend beyond the waterfront and include a wider responsibility in other parts of the city with a focus on placemaking and city parks.

Contact us

For more information contact the Waterfront Operations team:
Email: waterfront.operations@wcc.govt.nz

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