Mark Shea is an Australian filmmaker and traveler who combines his two loves to create short travelogues of the places he visits. Earlier this year he was in Wellington, and was inspired to get a little more in depth than his usual style, taking to the streets to ask the locals what it is they […]
(Just kidding) Like parents – or how we imagine them to be – we are immensely proud when one of our snotty brats achieves recognition for the things at which they excel. And in this case, Oor Tom has been featured in the My Favourite Table section in Wednesday’s Dom Post Capital Life supplement, being recognised for […]
It’s nice to see some solid local news reporting over at new Wellington website The Examiner. The Examiner says it aims to be “… a site where we look deeper and think harder about the city we live in and the issues that matter to us. It is also a forum for telling Wellingtonians’ stories, […]
Take a life long prankster, mix in some free time, 3 guys who work in film, some mild homo eroticism, and just the right amount of sexiness, and what you get is the Wellington Love Letter.
So, the news is out – on the front page of the DomPost, an advertising colour supplement, and banners all along the Golden Mile: Wellington is the “coolest little capital in the world”.
So, the news is out – on the front page of the DomPost, an advertising colour supplement, and banners all along the Golden Mile: Wellington is the “coolest little capital in the world”. Yep, that means Wellington has beaten out other little capital cities such as Vatican City, Dili, Kabul and Apia to be the […]
Lunchtime Refuge, originally uploaded by dubh. 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, […]
This posting brought to you by Sandy Mamoli (deeply honoured inaugural guest blogger).
Have you got something to say about Wellington? Would you like to guest on the Wellingtonista? Drop us a line and we’ll add you to the door list.
I discovered the Wellingtonista on day two after my arrival. It took them almost year to discover me …
In fact, it took them exactly a year. I celebrated my one year New Zealand anniversary last Friday with the contradictory emotions of someone who simultaneously feels like a true long-term Wellingtonian and a rookie who has just stepped off the boat.
I am still struggling with a wee bit of culture shock – complaining about Wellington’s provinciality and second-world infrastructure while marveling at the vibe, friendliness and genuine feeling of community one can only find in Wellington (I think).
Apart from being with a Kiwi partner who has been too long out of the country to remember anything useful and having read halfway through a travel guide I didn’t know much about New Zealand a year ago. And my former life in Vienna, Copenhagen and Amsterdam proved to be way too limited an experience of the world to shelter me from the surprises I was in for.
A different long weekend away provides another opportunity to reexamine the age-old battle. After our first chapter, Secret Agent Robyn came down from Auckland to check out our city. This is her report…
Getting there: The airport bus runs past my place every 20 minutes. I waited for 30 minutes, but there was no sign of the bus. I started to panic and called a taxi. $50 later I was at the airport, but too late for check-in. Oh no! But fate smiled upon me – due to ‘weather’ in Wellington, the plane was late, so they could check me in after all. In Wellington, the taxi to my hotel was cheap, but slow in a way that proves the bypass was a dumb idea. Wellington wins this one for delaying my flight.
Because not all Wellingtonista are indestructible, I was ensconced at home this morning with a touch of a cold.
Actually, a hell of a cold. But I’m persevering.
And the weather helped! It’s miraculous!
Stepping out onto Cuba Street, I wandered along to Truffle to buy some Pain au Chocolat (chocolate croissants. they’re frozen, but you can defrost them and cook them for breakfast).
Now, you can believe what you like. But Wellington Winter’s aren’t always that bad. It’s the freakin Spring that is truly awful. The winds really start to wind up, and the rain starts.
Today though… today the wind was gentle, the sun was out, and people were out with it.
I heard a young couple talking about who had the most duvet last night. They sauntered past with nary a glance in my direction.
People were all over Cuba St eating in the sun.
That girl with Down Syndrome was out juggling. She’s terrible at it, but I flicked her a dollar anyway.
That guy who plays the bamboo flute that looks a lot like a bong was out, playing the same tune over, and over, and over, and over.
And I thought to myself, “You know, on a day like this you almost forget what the Spring is like. This Wellington, she is a fickle mistress”.