About half the Wellingtonista now call Newtown home, so we thought it was about time we did some exploring of the area. Therefore, on this coming Saturday, we're going to be doing a Newtownista Pub Crawl, and you should come with us!

We're going to start on Riddiford St down near the zoo around 7.30pm, and work our way back towards town, aiming to end up at Amigo's for tapas. Most of us haven't been to most of the bars, so we'll be intending to give them all a go-to, even the dodgy ones - but we may change our minds on the night when we look in their doors.

To come along, either show up in that area at that time, get in contact with a cellphone number so we can text you our progress, or follow my twitter account as hopefully I'll remember to update it as we go along. We're going to boldly go where some people have gone before, and it should be a jolly good time.

Gorgeous photo by Dead Possum, yanked from flickr

The DomPost reports that Eva Dixon's Cafe is being given the old heave-ho from Wellington Zoo. The contract for the running of the Zoo's cafe came up last October, and, as co-owner John Heald said...

We were under the impression it wouldn't have been a problem and were waiting for the paperwork to come through ...

But no! The Zoo weighed up their options, and have decided to go with faceless, characterless corporate catering outfit Spotless.

Says Karen Fifield, chief executive of the Zoo...

We wanted to make a commercial decision which was going to result in value for the zoo.

Given that Eva's is 'predominantly family-run and locally owned', and Spotless, well, aren't (and hardly have a, err, 'spotless' reputation with regards to treating their staff well), it might be argued that the Zoo is flying in the face of one of their own stated goals, which is to "generate lasting community support by raising the profile of the Zoo and making the Zoo relevant to all Wellingtonians." (Admittedly, it does fulfill their goal of increasing "...financial sustainability by increasing revenue...").

Whatever the case, if you'd like to vent your opinion on this particular issue to someone who has some sway in the Zoo's affairs, drop Celia Wade-Brown a line - she's the WCC Councillor in charge of the Zoo Trust.

Can anybody help me locate a decent coffee in Newtown during these interminable public holidays? Peoples’ is shut until Monday, as is the café at the Med. The only option I have located thus far is Eva Dixon’s at the Zoo (which was a lovely walk in the sun) but resulted in a small latté in a large takeaway cup topped by prodigious amounts of froth, cost me $5.20 including the surcharge, and tasted like filth.

So, tomorrow I need a better option. Any ideas?

UPDATE: Thanks to the helpful comments I headed north today to find that The Ballroom, The Recovery Room and Pranah are all closed (which I suspected after having the same problems last Easter). And I did feel fairly strange prowling the corridors of the hospital looking for the Fuel kiosk which was also closed.

So, I’m off to the movies at Island Bay where, hopefully, the Empire can serve me up a brew before Alvin and The Chipmunks.

Tomorrow night, the Newtown Community and Cultural Centre hosts Newtown Spoken Word Winter 06, an open mike event organised by the Word Collective, the people who brought you Sk8board Poets, Karaoke Poetry and the Word Festivals. It starts at 7:30pm at the corner of Rintoul & Colombo streets, and entry is by koha. For more information, call Craig on 027 242 3453.

Five Other Things to do in Newtown:

A post had been planned about how you might like to take a tour around the fabulous architecture of Wellington Hospital, and suggesting that the best way to take such a tour is while lying zonked out on great drugs on a hospital bed, being pushed by a security guard, but as being sick is so last month, here are better things you should do in Newtown instead:

1. Go to the Zoo. You could even touch the red pandas if you're particularly lucky.
2. Go eat a mountain of fries at Malo. $5.50 buys a very very large bowl of thick crisp chips and great garlic mayo. Make sure to share them or you won't be able to walk afterwards. Wellingtonista has also had many happy Singaporean dinners at Chumeez, and adores the duck pancakes at Beijing Restaurant.
3. Buy Thai Red Bull from the Asian section of the small cramped New World. Mmmm syrupy. (Wellingtonista recommends it as a good base for Punch, particularly when mixed with soda, cranberry juice, vodka and blue curacao).
4. Check out some hot young talent before they end up on Shortland Street in a show at Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School.
5. Go celebrity spotting. According to the Wellington City Libraries, noted celebrities who live in Newtown include Emma Paki - and also Miss Natalie Biz of course.

What's there to do in your suburb?