According to legend, Maui, the son of a Maori god, battled a great fish. Maui won, and the fish became New Zealand’s North Island—its head, the region of Wellington. Wellington city, set within rugged valleys on the southwest coast, is the capital of New Zealand. The harbour, representing the mouth of the great fish, is notorious for its wild gales that are responsible for the nickname ‘Windy Wellington’. In contrast, the city is the country’s cultural hub and home to the National Opera and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. The wildness of Wellington is preserved by reserves like Kapiti Island Nature Reserve on the west coast, and the Putangirrua Pinnacles, unique organ pipe rock formations, on the south coast. Wellington’s interior offers mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, as well as plains that support farming and wine industries. The Wairarapa Coast on the east, less populated than the west, provides a majestic coastline of jagged ledges, white sand, and the region’s best surfing.