Wellington/Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Maui ("head of Maui’s fish"), New Zealand’s capital city, leans out from the Rimutaka Range into the roaring forties headwinds blowing up through the Cook Strait. The city hunkers on the North Island’s southwestern tip, its stately suburbs of colonial villas climbing steeply from Wellington Harbor. Its strapline "The coolest little capital in the world" could not be more succinct. This compact, densely populated city is New Zealand’s seat of power, where the nation’s policies are thrashed out in the iconic "Beehive" parliamentary buildings. Wellington is dynamic, creative, and well educated; over a third of its relatively small population holds a university degree. As a thriving business hub and cultural powerhouse, it plays host to the New Zealand Stock Exchange and is second only to Auckland in terms of CBD size and creative industries such as IT and film. The city boasts a star-studded, action-packed cultural calendar. The World of Wearable Arts (WOW) show, the Cheapskate Grom skateboarding competition, Wellington Fashion Week, Art Splash Youth Festival and Rugby Sevens are just a taste of the events held throughout the year. Gourmands and wine connoisseurs will revel in the wine-growing region of the Wairarapa plains that fall away from the Rimutaka Range. Go-getters and high-hitters will relish the city’s fast-paced politics and progressive business culture. Wellington’s creativity and passion for fashion will slake any thirst for culture. Meanwhile, the city’s proximity to fantastic alpine resorts and its prolific outdoor activities will satiate the most avid sportsperson.