The 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand is only two weeks away and in a rugby-crazed country like New Zealand, celebrating the great sport shouldn’t be too hard in or out of a stadium.

Several cities throughout the country will host matches over about a two month period of play, including Wellington. So if you’re visiting the ‘cultural capital’ of New Zealand particularly for the Rugby World Cup or just happen to be in the city during it, here are some tips on how to get around and best experience it.

How to get to the city

Wellington is one of the more accessible and affordable cities to reach in New Zealand. It is home to Wellington International Airport, so those visiting from overseas may find the city their final destination in the country. Those visiting within the country will find the city a bit cheaper to fly into than other places.

Other means of reaching Wellington include:

• by bus, such as Naked Bus and Intercity,
• by ferry from the South Island via Interislander and Blue Bridge (this option is particularly nice as it travels through the Marlborough Sounds),
• and by rail with Tranz Scenic and Tranz Metro.

Traveling within New Zealand is quite expensive, so spend some time looking through all these options to find out which one is most affordable to you. Some companies such as Tranz Metro are offering special promotions for the Rugby World Cup, which could cut costs a bit.

How to get around Wellington

Wellington is a fairly small city. I’ve found most places to be within walking distance or just a $2 trolley bus fare away.

That said, one of the more out of reach places in the city is actually Westpac Stadium. Their website offers helpful information on  getting to the stadium. If you can reach the city center, which isn’t hard, they often offer a stadium shuttle, which costs $5 for adults and $3 for children.

Other than reaching the stadium, there are some important things to consider about intercity travel.

The Wellington Railway Station, which is also where city buses depart from, is quite central, just off Waterloo Quay. Depending on which ferry you take into the city, they may offer $2 shuttles to the railway station or city center. There are a few ports in the city, some are closer than others but none are too far, so just check upon boarding the boat.

Metlink offers an Airport Flyer bus to and from the airport. This is probably the cheapest option for single travelers. It stops in the city center as well as some suburbs. Purchase tickets at the airport. Look into hotel shuttles from the airport as well. Taxis are very expensive in New Zealand, so try and find another method of traveling to and from the airport.

Finally, if you plan to stay in Wellington for a while and travel around the city by trolley bus, you may want to purchase a Snapper card. The card just makes it easier to travel by trolley, because you don’t have to constantly fish for change.

How to get tickets

You may be surprised to find out that tickets are still available to matches around the country on the Rugby World Cup website. However, as the tournament goes on and match ups become more dramatic, tickets will become more sparse. New Zealand doesn’t seem to be much of a scalping nation, so showing up at a stadium on match day may be hopeless. One good place to look for the harder-to-get tickets is eBay, but this method is very pricey.

Where to watch, party and celebrate in Wellington

The Wellington city government website says it will set up, “the official fan zone, centred on the waterfront in Odlins Plaza near the wharewaka and lagoon, featuring live broadcasts on the big screen, official merchandise and giveaways.” So if you want to watch matches on a big screen in the city center among roaring fans, Odlins Plaza is ideal. They will also host Festival of Carnival for the Rugby World Cup featuring several events around the city over two months. Visit their website to find out more.

If that’s not the place for you to watch matches, you’ll have no problem finding a bar with several screens featuring various matches. In fact, it will be kind of hard to avoid. A good place to start is Cuba Street, where dozens of bars like Hostel Bristol are sure to be hosting watch parties. Another place to visit is Courtney Place, which also is lined with sports bar after sports bar that will definitely be featuring matches.

Where to sleep

You’re going to have to stop partying at some point to catch some z’s! When you do, it may be hard to find last minute accommodation. If you choose to stay in a hotel in the city center than basically forget about affordability, but don’t panic. Remember that the city is not very big and most places are accessible by trolley. So look for accommodation in places like Mt. Cook, Mt. Victoria, Aro Valley and Te Aro. These places are very close to the city center and also attractions in themselves.

For those willing stay at hostels, the city has plenty! Those who want to think outside the box, try renting a house on TradeMe or looking for a room on Easy Roommate.

How to find out more

Whether the Rugby World Cup interest you or not, you’ll probably see it constantly pop up on several news outlets as well as Facebook and Twitter. Here are some useful links for following all the action:

• the official Rugby World Cup Twitter page is @rugbyworldcup and hash tag is #RWC2011,
• their Facebook page is Rugby World Cup,
• follow Wellington City Council on Twitter @WgtnCC for more on RWC events as well as important issues about the city in regards to it,
• follow Metlink on Twitter @metlinkwgtn for public transit information
• look to the Wellington Tourism website and at their Twitter feed @Wellington_NZ for things to do
• check out Westpac Stadium on Facebook
• and last but certainly not least, follow the All Blacks on Twitter @AllBlacks, become their fan on Facebook and visit their website.

Some blogs to check out:

• Craig from YTravelBlog will be following the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand as an Official Qantas Correspondent for the ‘Great Crusade’ Ultimate Supporters Tour of New Zealand
• and Amanda from A Dangerous Business has some amazing guides to all things Wellington on her blog.

This banner photo of Westpac Stadium is from Smudgers UK-NZ.