Wellington, New Zealand Dating - Meeting Single men and Women in Wellington

Wellington is the Capital city of New Zealand and also the seat of the national parliament. With its vibrant social and cultural scene, the city offers several opportunities for its singles to get to know each other. Here is a lowdown on where and how to meet single men and women in Wellington.

Surrounded by rolling hills and set on the edge of a stunning Harbor, Wellington is blessed with beautiful natural vistas as well as a temperate marine climate which is warm and sunny for most of the year. Besides being the political capital of New Zealand, Wellington is also home to several important cultural and artistic institutions. All these factors make social life in Wellington one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling in the country.

Though not the busiest city of New Zealand, Wellington has a thriving 179,463-strong population while the Wellington region has a larger number of 448,956 inhabitants. According to the city’s official website¹, this number accounts for 4.5 % of the entire country’s population and in fact is expected to go up in the coming decade. The demographic distribution of Wellington City shows that the majority of the population, 70.2%, is of European origin while Asian-origin people make up the second largest ethnic group at 13%. People of Maori origin comprise around 7.8% of the city’s population while those from Pacific Islands make up 5.2%.

From the above demographic profile of Wellington City, it is clear that the city’s population is a multi-cultural mix. The first people to settle in New Zealand were the Eastern Polynesian explorers in the thirteenth century whose present descendants are the New Zealanders of Maori origin. Next came the Europeans in the eighteenth century and New Zealand became part of the British colonial empire. A significant feature of this phase of European immigration was the huge, structured inflow of people from Great Britain and Ireland. The arrival of immigrants from Asian countries like China and India is a relatively recent phenomenon, having begun after the Second World War when people arrived in New Zealand in search of better economic opportunities.

The presence of a multi-ethnic population in Wellington leaves great scope for various cultural celebrations throughout the year. While the Chinese ring their New Year with traditional costumes, cuisine and ceremonies, Diwali celebrations are a blaze of light and color for Hindus from India. The Pacifika is one of the biggest ethnic festivals in New Zealand and the Wellington edition is no less anticipated by its populace. Matariki marks the arrival of the Maori New Year. All these cultural events not only offer suitable venues for single people of similar ethnicities to mingle together but also allow people of other cultures to know more about each other.

Wellington is also home to some of the most prestigious cultural institutions of the country. Music concerts, art exhibitions, dance and theater shows and film screenings all make for a dynamic cultural scene which also provide ideal meeting grounds for the art aficionados of the city. Sports lovers too have a lot to look forward to in Wellington with the city hosting many famous matches, the NZI Sevens Rugby and the Shoe Clinic Harbor Capital Marathon to name only two. And finally there is no dearth of cultural festivals in the city. The biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival, Meridian Energy Summer City, Cuba St Carnival, the Fringe Festival and the Vodafone Homegrown are only few of the many cultural events that provide fun and colorful ways for singles with common interests to come across each other.

Wellington is a city of the young. Figures provided by 2006 Statistics New Zealand reveal that Wellington has more people in the age group of 20 to 34 than other areas and just under three quarters of its population is aged between 15 to 64 years. Not only this, the city has relatively fewer numbers of children and the elderly. This effectively means that the majority section of Wellington’s residents are young adults and socially active. This is evident in the many pubs, cafes and restaurants that throng the city’s most fashionable quarters like Courtenay Place and the Central Business District. The former is in fact known as the Restaurant Row of the city for its length of trendy cafes and fancy dining places. Besides these, Wellington also boasts of a lively nightlife with bars, nightclubs and discotheques swinging to the latest music and hosted by the coolest DJs.

The geographical location of Wellington makes it ideal for nature lovers as well. Lovely beaches on the Eastbourne coastline, exotic vineyards in the Wairarapa region and miles of walking or camping trails around Wellington provide ideal ways for young people to enjoy each other’s company in the midst of beautiful surroundings. There are also enough opportunities for sports like surfing, skiing and snowboarding for the more adventurous among them.

The relatively younger age profile of Wellington’s population also owes to a large student community. The city is home to several educational institutions of which the University of Victoria is the largest and best known. It has student strength of 20000 and is spread over four main campuses on the southernmost tip of New Zealand’s North Island. Other than this, Wellington also hosts several artistic institutions like the Te Whaea National Dance and Drama centre as well as the Capital E National Theatre for children. All this makes the campus one of the most favored venues for young singles to meet and find potential dating partners.

Wellington is not just the staid political capital of New Zealand but a dynamic, youthful city abuzz with life and energy. The higher educational levels and median income of its population as compared to the national average allows its men and women to afford and live the good life. The plethora of cultural events, fashionable hang-outs as well as naturally beautiful spots makes meeting and dating among Wellington’s singles a pleasurable experience.