Courtenay Place - Entertainment, Food and Fun
by Kakapo2
I never stay awake long enough to see the ugly face of such places like Courtenay Place which is not a place in the meaning of: square, but a street which is the centre of Wellington’s dining and café scene. At its eastern end is the Embassy Theatre. It is just two or three blocks from the Waterfront and Te Papa, so you will always get there at some point.
There are talks to convert Courtenay Place into a square – which I think would be fantastic. Police would also praise this as a fantastic idea as it could help to solve the problem of car hoons cruising the street on weekends and endangering the thousands of people who are only out there for dinner or a drink and having fun. (Not to talk of what happens in the early morning hours when most revellers are drunken and the rate of violent encounters raises dramatically…)
There are some great Italian places at Courtenay Place, some with nice outdoor seating. Great to watch other people ;-)
Quite a Desk
by craic
Perhaps you know of the NZ writer Janet Frame (recently deceased, alas.) Jane Campion made a movie of her autobio called An Angel At My Table.
You probably don't know of Charles Brasch, NZ poet and editor of Landfall for many years.
Anyway, he used to layout Landfall on this table, then he gave it to Janet.
So now it is called the Landfall/Janet Frame Desk and is housed in the lobby of the International Institute of Modern Letters which is part of Victoria University.
It's not official or anything, well not that I know of, but if you want to make a pilgrimage and view it - I am sure you can just pop in and see it. People coming and going all the time.
Official address is 16 Waiteata Road, Kelburn. But a quicker, easier way is through the campus, just behind the library. Saves climbing a lot of steps.
How is this a local custom? Well - it is a custom of the locals to revere their very good writers.
Palliser Beach - Southernmost point on North Isl.
by hethbill
Palliser Beach is definitely not one of the more well visited places on North Island- inhabited by more sea lions than people with a lighthouse up on a bluff. The whole area makes for some great photographs and a quiet relaxing afternoon.
If you look on a map east of Wellington, you'll see there's only one road that goes out there, and it dead-ends at Palliser so it's easy to find.
Serious walking in Wellington
by craic
I got a swag of booklets at the info centre in Civic Square for the more serious tramping type of walking.
Like there is the Skyline Track and the Southern and Northern Walkways.
There is a map so you are not just wandering aimlessly.
Mind you when I was out wandering on Mt Victoria today I kept coming upon signs directing me to the Southern Walkway. (And also to filming locations for Lord Of The Rings.) So it was hard to be aimless and get lost.
I would very much like to do the Eastern Walkway out Seatoun way by the Pass of Branda and get to see the Ataturk memorial.
Mind you, most walking in Wellington is of a fairly serious nature. Not a stroll in the park sort of city. As I was descending to Oriental Bay today it was just like walking to Portofino (see my San Fruttuoso page). Walking to Portofino has become a catchcry in my family for an extraordinary walk. "It was like walking to Portofino!" Today Wellington was just as beautiful - and steep.
There is a plan afoot to get a walkway system (the Te Araroa Walkway) from Cape Reinga to the Bluff (except for Cook Strait of course LOL) and I believe extensive stretches of it are completed.
Malthouse
by fishandchips about Malthouse
The Malthouse has recently moved from Willis St to its new location on Courtenay place between Tory & Allen sts. The bar is on the smaller side but has plenty of seating and is a great place to have a beer or two. Behind the bar is a vast, vast array of international beers from all over the globe. Added to this is a few local beers on tap including a couple of exceptional brew - the Tuatara Pilsner & the Monk's Habit from the Cock & Bull brewery. The latter is a 7% alcohol beer so you need to be careful!!
Service here was great and nothing was a problem. Open 'til quite late most nights the Malthouse is a good spot to sample a few ales. If you are a homesick visitor or a local who hasn't experienced the wonders of international brews the Malthouse is the right place to go. Casual is the thing here with the punters in the bar wearing everthing from jeans & tee shirts to expensice suits. You should fit in no matter what you are in!!
Santa and their reindeer rolling in.
View on Wellingtom from the cableway
English Rose Garden - Wellington Botanical Garden
The big painting on the far wall
