Flashes of Scotland

By and by, we drove down to Cape Palliser. In a flash, you would think you were cutting through the countrysides of Scotland. But no, in the far off misty air of Wellington's [Wairarapa's) crisp clouds was a lighthouse, brilliant and mystical.

Overrun by unicycles

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember … (#17 of 30)

My husband and I had come to visit Wellington a few times before we settled here from the UK a few years ago. We had always loved Wellington, being close to the water, surrounded by green hills and the fact that something was always happening. On one of our stops we ran into the World Unicycling Competition on the waterfront and would see unicyclists zipping around town including one collecting a takeaway pizza whilst on his unicycle. We decided on that trip that Wellington is where we wanted to be and we haven’t regretted it! (Becky, Learning and Public Programmes Developer, Carter Observatory)

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington’s Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

The awesomeness of Christmas

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember … (#16 of 30)

As kids, my sister and I used to love Christmas shopping at Kirkcaldie & Stains on Lambton Quay. Mum would take us to the Christmas store and we would wildly look at all of the sparkly decorations that we wanted mum to buy us. In the end we usually only got one thing each but it was so much fun wandering around the store seeing the Christmassy [sic] awesomeness that is the Kirk’s Christmas store. The holiday season is never complete without this. (Sarah, Visitor Services Host)

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington’s Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

Covering the whole region

My husband, children and I have come 'full-circle'! We met, got married, and raised our 2 youngest in Porirua, then Plimmerton, before moving over to the Wairarapa, having lived there for almost 15 years before moving back to Wellington in January this year (2013). Our 2 youngest are now adults and we are happy to be back! Wellington is awesome.

The most splendid view

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#15 of 30)

From Red Rocks to Oteranga Bay is quite a walk, it takes at least one good cook up on the way. In the 1940s a hut (now demolished) was built into a cave at the Bay which had the most splendid view across the Strait. This was my first great outdoor experience in Moving to Wellington. (Brett, Director). 

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

Safe away, but with concerns

I moved to Wellington 4 days before the 2011 Chch earthquake. It was unnerving not being able to contact my friends and family. Luckily no-one close to me was hurt, but those events are still felt by many people ('sad face').

The 'Mechanical' Gardens

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#14 of 30)

I remember long car trips from New Plymouth every year to visit family in Wellington. My sister used to terrorise me when we were driving along the stretch of highway before Pukerua Bay - telling me that cars regularly got washed off the road by the waves. Once we were here - my favourite things to do were collecting seafood and having BBQ's at Makara beach, and playing at the playground in the 'Mechanical gardens'. It ook me years to figure out that that wasn't what they were really called ... (Karryn, Business Manager). 

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

In the blood

My ancestors sailed to Wellington from far away, a long time ago. They were brave and they were tough, and they were survivors. And their blood runs through my veins. 

Buried beneath

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#13 of 30)

When I was young we lived in Ngaio and there was always something spooky about the house. My mum had vivid dreams and in one a Māori woman came to her speaking in Te Reo. At the time mum didn't speak Te Reo so didn't know what the woman was telling her. Later we found out that the house was built on a Māori burial ground. (Pippa, Publicist). 

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

The storm in Island Bay

We had a big storm. It was very windy. the sea broke the seawall. The trees broke in the streets. There was lots of seaweed on the beach. Henry, 6, Island Bay.
  

Take the Possum Road!

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#12 of 30)

My Nana and Grandad used to live in Waikanae and my mum, dad, sister and I would drive up to visit them quite often. We would always drive over what my sister and I called the 'Possum Road'. What we actually meant was the Paekakariki Hill Road but we would always yell at my dad to 'take the Possum Road!' because we would see possums running over the road when we drove at night. It's been a while since we've driven over there as a family but I still call it the Possum Road. (Sarah, Visitor Services).

Stay tuned for our daily stories throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region. 

 

Coffee and lego

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#11 of 30)

The best thing about Wellington is the way a good coffee can be found within 100 metres in any direction. I usually spend my Sunday morning if it's fine playing with the kids at Island Bay Park as the slide at the park is super high and very fast. But for me the best part about this park is the coffee shop directly across the road. The guys who have opened it have literally cut a hole in their fence, parked a caravan and installed a coffee machine. They live in the house behind so it's a win win. The caravan is full of lego sets ranging from the early stuff to the new series so it's like a mini lego museum plus coffee haven. If you like lego, coffee and homemade muffins this place is worth a look. (David, Exhibitions and Collections Manager).

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

Casting a watchful eye

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#10 of 30)

I spent many a summer out at Castlepoint when I was young with family and friends. I've seen the place change and grow (and erode) over time, but one thing has always stayed the same - the watchful eye of the lighthouse. Climbing the craggy path up to the historic lighthouse, then peering over the other side of the ridge has always been a treat, especially in all the varying weather conditions. I think back to those poor souls operating the lighthouse in times past and being so exposed to the elements. You could never fault the view though! (Brent, Programmes Developer).

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

Racking up the miles

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#9 of 30)

When I first started work - it was quite a long time ago - the trams were the main form of transport. I got up each workday morning in time to walk 10mins to the tram. I then caught the first tram from Karori at 6.30am down to Government Buildings, then ran to the station to catch a train to Petone. At Petone, I caught an Eastbourne bus to Gracefield on the other side of the valley and walked (or often ran!) up the road for 15mins to the Public Works Depot where I started at 8am. I was undergoing training there to be a mechanical engineer. At 4.30pm, another brisk walk back to the bus stop. Off to Petone to catch the train. On arriving back in town I had to attend night school 4 days a week. I caught the tram back home at 7.30pm or 9pm. On arrival at home, my dinner was waiting! Tumble into bed and repeat this the next day - for four years! I must say however that the training I received stood me in great stead for the rest of my working life. (Glen, Volunteer).

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

No Dinner Road

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#8 of 30)

One of my favourite stories about Wellington is how Tinakori Road got its name. A lot of streets in Wellington seem to be named after well-known colonists however Tinakori Road has a much more interesting back-story to it. 'Tinakori' refers to a dispute that happened between Maori road workers and their employers. It is said the workers were promised dinner as part of their pay but this promise was never kept. The workers staged a protest and subsequently the street acquired the name of 'Tinakori Road' which is a mixture of Pidgin English and Maori and loosely translates to 'no dinner road'. (Nell, Visitor Services).

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

Summer days at the Basin

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#7 of 30)

Growing up, my favourite part of the long summer holiday was not Christmas, but days spent watching cricket at the Basin Reserve. Whilst the main attraction is the hours spent lazing about with friends, there were some cricketing highlights too. My favourite was on Boxing Day 1998, when I got to see Simon Doull rip through the Indian top-order to lead New Zealand to a fantastic test victory. I've watched cricket at a few places around the world, but nowhere bets the Basin. (Ken, Educator).

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

The thrilling power of nature

During the big winter storm, 140km winds slamming into the side of my house - on a ridge in Khandallah - the thrilling power of nature.

That famous wind of ours

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#6 of 30).

Wellington weather can be as scarey as earthquakes. once when I was walking along the Terrace I was actually lifted off my feet by the wind. The good things was that it wasn't raining at the time - unlike yesterday! (Paul, Deputy Director).

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region. 

Tunnel tooting

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#5 of 30)

Driving through Mount Victoria Tunnel with my girsl we toot a cliched rhythm and wait for a reply. The local legend about why people toot is tied to the murder of 17 year old Phylis at the hands of her boyfriend, a labourer working on the tunnel. I think Wellingtonians are either 'tooters' or 'non-tooters'. Which are you? (Kim, Marketing Manager)

Stay Tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

Chicken camouflaging

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#4 of 30)

One of my favourite places in Wellington is the Belmont Magazines in Belmont Regional Park. They command fantastic views to the Hutt, Wellington Harbour and city and over to Porirua (in fine weather). Apparently the magazines now mainly house sheep (or so the evidence suggests) but were built as ammunition storage during WW2, and apparently were meant to look like a chicken farm from the air (just in case there were any enemy aircraft). I'm not sure 60 bunkers with huge amounts of earthworks spread out over the landscape would have made me think of chickens, but then I'm not a trained pilot. (Tamsin, Development Project Manager).

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

Hobbits on the red carpet

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#3 of 30)

I absolutely loved the Hobbit movie premiere last year. My sisters and I took the train into town, went to the Hobbit Artisan Market and then headed to the red carpet on Courtenay Place. We saw the Hobbit plane fly over the crowd and even saw some celebrities. The whole day was so much fun: being out in the sun, the buzz from the crowd waiting to see their favourite characters, Gandalf at Bilbo's door and being part of film (and Tolkein) history. I can't believe the second premiere won't be on our soil but I'm glad I made it to the first one. (Sarah, host at Museum of Wellington City & Sea).

Stay Tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

My special rocky outcrop

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ... (#2 of 30)

I remember going shopping with my mother and siblings in Kilbirnie. After shopping she'd buy us a treat - a chocolate fish or ice cream and we'd head off toward Houghton Bay and play on the rocky outcrops enjoying the southern coast and the views of the South Island. It remains one of my very special places. (Dawn, Marketing & Communications Manager of Carter Observatory).

Stay tuned for our daily memory posts throughout Wellington's Heritage Month 2013 - where staff and volunteers share one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region.

Daffodil happiness

Thirty days hath September, thirty things we remember ...
For Heritage Month 2013 we asked our staff and volunteers for one of their favourite stories of the Wellington Region. This is story #1 of 30. Stay tuned for our daily Heritage Month memory post.

Brent, our Programmes Developer, said 'when I was a kid I loved the Annual Daffodil Carnival in Carterton. It's a great way to celebrate Spring. The steam train arrives from Wellington and people are everywhere picking daffodils. It's just general all round happiness!'

Parking tickets and broadcasts

Today, it's my partner's birthday! We were looking for a place to park the car to come here (because it's unfortunately a rainy day) and a woman gave us her parking ticket, freely! And, during the afternoon, we'll go to speak to the Wellington Access Radio because we are French and my partner helped him (the manager) in the street yesterday! Wellington is nice! But cheeses and bread miss us!

A poetic shaking

My son Romeo Zachariah. 
When the quake starts
feelings tremmer [sic]
nerves are unjust
for our family etc...
A little 2yr old boy
first timer to all the shakes 
as a mother we protect 
and will do all it takes.

Near miss

One time I went to cross a road and didn't realise a car was coming and a man pulled me back and saved my life :)

Sirocco the rockstar!

We saw a kakapo yesterday. His name is Sirocco and he is staying at Zealandia for a few weeks. He's a rockstar. He loves humans, and grapes. He likes to flap his wings but can't fly. P.s., kakapos are awesome!

11 long months

My husband got a job in Wellington a couple of years ago and he had to go ahead of the family - so we were apart for 11 months, except for 1 week (Valentines week 2012) when I came to see him and he took me to Wellington Zoo as a Valentines present, to have a close encounter with a cheetah. We are all here now (+ our 5 children) and I work at the zoo as a volunteer. I love it!  

Adding to a growing phenomenon

My name is Susan. When my grandmother was born in 1905 NZ had 1 million people. When my mother was born in 1933 NZ had 2 million. When I was born in 1952 NZ had 3 million. Now I'm a grandma NZ has 4 [and a] 1/2 million.

Cut and shake - the new hairstyle

I have recently moved into a new flat with a hairdresser and while getting a complete makeover (haircut, colour, eyebrow tint and tan) during the haircut we experienced the first earthquake and a good amount of the 70ish aftershocks. I feel a lot better for it, who knew looking good could rock your world into self-confidence. Whilst I was preoccupied with this my two friends were moving up into their new 13th floor apartment when the elevator was not being used just in case a room full of people went basejumping on the inside of a building without any parachutes.