Lunchtime Refuge
Sometimes, and especially when the weather is outstanding, you just have to get outside and away.
Now it turns out there are one or two places in the inner city where refuge may be had. These may well be places we’d rather not share, but that would be rude, right?
So here’s one of mine. On the Queen’s Wharf Outer Tee, on the northern end, there’s six park benches backed on to the warm concrete block wall. Even on a sunny day, there’s usually space and quiet for a while. You can watch the boats and ferries; commiserate with the occasional fisherman (they’re almost always male) on their luck or lack thereof; and listen to the city’s muted roar.
Just don’t go to sleep: you’ll end up sunburned and late for work.
So: that’s one of mine. Where are yours?
It seems that red car is always there.
The people sitting on the next bench over were suggesting that the grey boat is inhabited. In which case, perhaps the beetle belongs to the inhabitants?
Mine is the small patch of grass next to the city to sea bridge (above Capital E). On a sunny summers day I love to take my shoes off, sit barefoot on the grass and let my mind wander while staring at the sky or across at that beautiful harbour of ours. Bliss 🙂
When I worked at MetService I used to go and sit on the roof. Absolutely the best view in Wellington:
http://flic.kr/p/nmLj
Now I’m more of a Civic Square grassy patch kinda guy.
mine is my back yard with cat, neighbor’s rabbit and tui’s for company
Ok, it’s not very quiet, but going to look at the ducklings in the water by Te Papa is a very cheery thing to do during your lunch hour. Just be careful not to get run over by joggers and cyclists.
There’s a nice square lawn behind the Parliamentary Library. It doesn’t get many visitors, as you need to walk through the carpark behind the Beehive to get to it. It’s quite sheltered as it’s surrounded by buildings, and whoever does the gardens at the Parliamentary Buildings keeps it in lovely shape.
It’s a bit out of the way for most people, but: I’m quite fond of the small park above the old airport buildings in Miramar on Wexford Road (around here: http://bit.ly/dyxLUn — the big green bit on the hilltop). It’s basically the area that the Wellywood sign was proposed for. Lovely little park, perfectly legal to walk around, great views on all sides. On a calm day, beautiful place to eat your lunch and watch the planes landing.