WELLINGTON: the little capital of cool
Time off work required: Not required!
Budget: $700
Flights: can be as low as $400 return
Accommodation: $100/night
Other costs: $200
Welly's just 3 hours (2.5 on a good day) from the east coast, but is so often overlooked as a holiday destination by its southern sister Queenstown, and business tends to take place in Auckland further north. While capital cities for most Aussies are associated with school trips to Questacon and Parliament House, Wellington has so much to offer, and is hella easy to get to.
There are Friday night flights out of Sydney (you may need to cut work early to make checkin), and flights home on both Sunday arvo and Monday morning that have you at work on time.
The great thing about Wellington is its size. Smaller is better (on this occasion), as everything is entirely walkable, which is great given the sometimes unpredictable weather. The coffee in the city is brilliant (and there are so many great brunch options that picking one just isn't fair). I've a few favourite Wellington activities, from walking up Mt Victoria to watch sunrise over the city (magical on a clear day) to taking a cable car up the Botanic Gardens and walking back down and through the city, or going to markets to pick up some fresh local produce...there's no shortage of things to keep you busy over a weekend.
The design scene is fab, and some one of a kind finds can be had throughout the city, and worth checking out alongside the local household names on Willis St and Lambton Quay. The nightlife is also worth chirping about, with a multitude of super cool small bars along Courtenay Pl and throughout the city that whip up lip-smacking cocktails.
The great thing about Welly is that it's so close and has just the right amount on offer for a weekend, and even acts as a fab launchpad to the likes of Marlborough and Wairarapa wine regions.