Eva Dixon’s to get the boot from the Zoo
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.
Petone Fair today!
Be there to score some great food and rides and crowds and good times and bargains at a truly cool, old skool fair.
Jackson St, Petone. Today.
Um, that is all.
Ice Ice Baby
Tonight come along to the Film Archive (corner of Taranaki and Ghuznee Sts) to the opening of à jaðrinum (transl. on the edge), a collection of 15 recent video works from Iceland, curated by Leonhard Emmerling, from 5:30pm.
The Archive will be revealing its mediagallery (a contemporary film and video gallery) programme for the next SIX months with a FREE GIFT. There’ll also be live musical performance by The Droszkhi & Riffkah Space Disko! — Hit (and miss) Signals from the Cosmos presented by Bek Coogan (Cortina) and Torben Tilly (Minit, Bad Statistics).
The artists in à jaðrinum explore a number of themes inspired by the cultural and geographical myths of Iceland; from melancholic self-effacement, to desolate landscapes and…erm, pixies.
(Last Minute) Ode to Love
Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day again. There may be some of you out there in need of last minute inspiration to “score brownie points”. Don’t you hate those bill boards trying to get men to buy flowers around town? They are almost as limited in their conception of masculinity as this little beauty
[contributed by Robyn of the Aucklandista.]
Those of us holed up in the Molesworth precinct earnestly “leveraging” this, getting “traction on” that and generally “actioning” the hell out stuff all day long, hardly need Valentine’s Day as an excuse to have a wee ‑tipple. Fortunately Cellar-vate on Molesworth are having free wine tasting from 4:30 till 6:30 this afternoon, and they are promising bubbly no less! So grab your office-bound honey and head on down.
I am going to avoid any cliched suggestions involving flowers or chocolate but spare a thought for all the Japanese office ladies who suffer through the Japanese version of Valentine’s Day where the onus falls on the woman to buy men chocolate and flowers. One month later, on White Day the men reciprocate three-fold, read into that what you will.
The top tip for Valentines Day, in this office lady’s opinion, is the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. They are having an adults-only night at the Sanctuary (oh la la) tonight with free boat rides on the lake, birdsong at dusk and most importantly, no children. They are open until 8.00pm so get a babysitter and get back to nature.
(Ed note: we take no responsibility for anyone caught getting really “back to nature”)
Hurray, it’s Webstock Week!
So, we didn’t post in advance to tell you about Webstock, because it’s sold out.
We do think you should know though that if you’re seeing a large number of people around the Town Hall this week carrying these sexy-ass satchels, they’re Webstockites, and they’re all about the peace, love and internet. You may also be able to recognise them by the shiny gadgets they carry that feature pictures of apples prominently, the coffees they’ll be knocking back at an alarming rate, and the excited, enthusiastic and emphatic conversations they’ll be carrying out with people who were complete strangers an hour earlier.
So, if you’re not a Browncoat brownbag carrier, we suggest that you lock up your sons and daughters, unleash your networks and put some more beer in the fridge for us. Cheers!
Flight of the Conchords live at Arovideo — Wednesday 13th February
BREAKING NEWS!
This just in from those fine folk at Arovideo:
It is our pleasure (and absolute thrill) to announce that Arovideo will be playing host to the hottest act in New Zealand (and possibly the world) right now, “Flight of the Conchords”.
In support of the local release of their widely-acclaimed HBO TV show on DVD, Bret and Jemaine will be performing a short set live in store from 10am, Wednesday the 13th of February, at 97 Aro Street in Wellington.
Then from 10.30am until 12pm, they will be signing copies of the DVD, which will be available to buy on site at $39.95 for the 2‑disc set.
Space limitations on the ground floor of our store mean this will be a very intimate, exclusive event indeed, and entry will be on a “first come, first served” basis. While we cannot guarantee you will gain entry for the performance itself, their should be ample opportunity to meet the guys, especially if you are armed with a copy of their fantastic DVD! There will be eftpos facilities available, though cash is recommended.
…
What more do you need to know people!
James Bond is bound to be skulking around Wellington
With the mega (not ‘super’, MEGA) boat Twizzle currently moored up to Queens Wharf the following must happen:
- Dark suited henchmen with Russian/Asian accents will be walking the wharf
- A bald headed chap is currently deep inside stroking a white cat make plans for world domination
- Cars with tinted windows will start to drop off “the associates”
- Bond will either:
- Be currently seducing the “female companion” to ensure an invite to “the meeting”
- Donning his wet suit (tux underneath) in preparation for the placement of underwater timer limpet bomb things
Really, it’s true … go check it out before it gets raided, destroyed or just ups-and-leaves under mysterious circumstances.
Have your say — busker & husband charged for dog hair in room
Talkback time — or type-back time to be more accurate.
This is the nice lady who sometimes busks near Woodward Street on the Quay, with her faithful guide dog at her side. Been a while since we saw her there.
Olivia and Jonathan Godfrey spent their honeymoon in a professed guide-dog friendly hotel in Palmerston North Wellington. When leaving, they were presented with a bill for an extra $85 for cleaning up unwanted dog hair.
I’m inclined to the side of the couple here, it seems the hotel refused the opinion of a guide-dog minder who was sent in to view any damage on the couple’s behalf.
Besides… the hotel spokesman said:
“There were two big dogs in a one-bedroom apartment … You can imagine the smell…”
I can actually, I imagine you could hardly smell them at all & that 5 minutes with the windows & doors open would have clinched it.
And even if the dogs were moulting, how long does it take to vacuum a one bedroom apartment? Nice hourly rate.
Full story here
Go for your life with the outraged comments either way.
Update:
The hotel has apologised to the couple & offered a couple of free night’s accommodation.
Firerockets at Night
Explosions in the Sky!
The latest instalment in a semi-regular Wellingtonista series on the thriving local touring circuit for international bands sees the instrumental rock goodness of Explosions in the Sky hitting Wellington for the first time tomorrow night, bringing their firecracker of a live set to the San Fran Bathhouse.
Praised for the cinematic grandeur of their albums and the intensity of their live shows, the Texans have come a long way since their inception as a post-rock four-piece in 1999. The band has also been appointed as the curators for the 2008 All Tomorrow’s Parties festival line-up.
Fusing bittersweet guitar melodies with crashing bouts of noise, Explosions in the Sky have garnered a strong following among fans and critics alike, with Tiny Mix Tapes labelling them “the only instrumental post-rock band that mattersâ€. Rolling Stone compared their most recent album, All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone, to the music of the Kronos Quartet, but with “big amps and John Bonham in the backâ€, and internet giant Pitchfork Media touted 2003’s The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place as “the perfect testament to art-rock mastery.â€
Show details after the jump…
A lovely trim
It’s upon us, Fringe Festival time.
I always love this time of year becuase you never quite know what might be happening around the corner. But you do know it’s a celebration of creativity that’s truly unique to our lovely Wellington.
Driving home today i saw art installations being installed, and i can’t wait to go visit them tomorrow
My cellphone sent ‘SECRET’ to 2343 along with my name and email so i could find out more about the Footnote Plus fuse secret production.
My ears and eyes are preparing for a 3D film plus octophonic sound at the Paramount courtesy of SpartacusR.
Do let us know what you’re looking forward to over the next few days and weeks!