Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Inner Hutt: location for 2HOT2 HandleAccording to a Creative New Zealand survey (3.5MB PDF) that was released last night, Wellingtonians are over 50% more likely than the average New Zealander to regularly attend arts events. Census data shows that Wellington City has the highest proportion of households that live without a car. So obviously, Wellington is the natural place to host a weekend of drag racing, burnouts and monster truck car crushing displays.

From tomorrow night, streets around the Stadium will close in preparation for the 2HOT2 Handle weekend as thousands of boy racers motorsports enthusiasts watch their heroes compete to see who is best at converting irreplaceable fossil fuels into noise, skidmarks and toxic fumes. You don’t have to be called Sharyn or Dwayne to enjoy such a spectacle, but it certainly helps: see today’s Wellingtonian article (page 23) about champion Mitsi-pimper Sharyn Reeve and her partner Dwayne. This Wellingtonista’s pick for a quiet, relaxing weekend: head to the Hutt Valley, which should be deserted for the duration.