You see Parliament featured on the TV news all the time, but did you know you can visit and tour the inside of these building during the day for free?
Parliament has an 'open house' programme with professional guides taking groups through the country's corridors of power. Can you think of a better cultural thing to do on a rainy day in Wellington?
First you get to see some great architecture close up. Tours cover the old Parliament House, the Gothic Parliamentary Library, and the 1970s-style Beehive building. If members are not sitting, you even get to stand on the floor of the debating chamber.
If you have problems working out how our political system works, then all will be revealed. Tour commentary brings political process to life — covering history, heritage, law-making and even art and culture. There might even be a familiar face scuttling down a hallway.
Tours take an hour and are conducted at regular intervals on most days.
Afterwards, have a drink or meal in the Backbencher pub across the road, with its walls adorned with satirical puppets and cartoons, and where politicians frequently take a break for liquid refreshments.