What's 10,000 miles!

Wellington - what a beautiful city you are with quite possibly the friendliest people I've ever met! I've had an awesome time exploring your city & cannot wait to come back in the future! What's 10,000 miles when you have so much to look forward to!
Adele (UK)

Unrequited love

Dear Wellington,
You know how much I love you - I've committed to living with you - put down roots, tied my life up here. But this summer its feeling like unrequited love. I'm battered by the southerlies bringing tears to my eyes as the rain gives an uppercut to my chin. Yet, you know, you're counting on, the fact that one glorious day with the harbour sparkling as I swim at Petone beach, will keep me with you.

Together forever

Dear Wellington,
 I wish we could be together forever and have dinner in one of your great restaurants and drinks in the awesome bars every night! Unfortunately I'm just passing through, but we might see each other one day again!
With love,
Anne from the Netherlands.

 

Impressed with Wellington

An original Aucklander living in Toronto, Canada for the past 40 years. I am so impressed with Wellington. A vibrant, energetic city and one I am so pleased to have visited this week with my mum (90yrs) and my daughter (forever young!). Auckland you may just be the bridesmaid now!

A unique and spectacular city

What a beautiful city you are. The water hugs your shores like a mother clinging to her newborn. The history, the arts, and the culture all combine to make you a truly unique and spectacular city. I do, and will always love you Wellington. I will be back. I promise you. For my heart is not complete without you. Love from Sam.

Start playing hockey Wellington

Dear Wellington,

You are one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Though we were only here for a short time we wish we could live here forever. Maybe one day we can.
All the way from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 
Feb 13 2014
Curtis & Shawna Robert.

P.S. Please start playing hockey, you'll love it!

Stand strong Wellington

To Wellington,

You are a beautiful big city with a lot of heart, soul & history. May you always stand strong and beautiful. We will be back to visit your beauty again. Stand strong windy city. 

Love from lovebirds Ashlee & Mike xox
 

Embraced by your wind

Dearest, loveliest Welly, 

I was born here surrounded by your beautiful hills and embraced by your energetic wind. I have travelled the world living in and enjoying many other cities and cultures but I have never found anywhere else that has rivalled you for my affections.

Forever yours,

Bridget <3

xxoo

Hope to never be separated again.

Hi I live in Auckland with my mum and 2 sisters and brother. But not my dad, not cuz they're divorced or anything (please, no) but because my dad's sick and immigration says no. We're not the [?] family but we wish and pray that we will be all together soon. And once we are, I hope and wish and pray that we will never be separate again.

Just like home

We have travelled from Wellington, Somerset, England to Singapore, Sydney, Auckland. Travelled down North Island through lovely scenery to a windy rainy Wellington New Zealand. Like home from home. Enjoyed your city.

A visit from Prince William

One day I took some early childcare centre children to the hospital to see Prince William who walked into the hospital to see all the sick children. He was a very lovely man. He spoke to all the children from the centre, told them he loves Wellington and also stated "what a lovely nice wee family of children we have here" then put his arms around and hugged all the children. Really special moment for Wellington and future children as it was so exciting for the children to see their prince.

Playing with a toy plunger

One time I got a little toy plunger for Christmas, so I stupidly decided to put it on my head for as long as I could. Unfortunately I had a mark for 4 days!!

Spinal surgery

On December 2nd 2013 I had a spinal surgery to straighten my spine as I was diagnosed with scoliosis earlier in the year last year. It all went well and I have 18 screws and 2 titanium rods up my spine. From Hannah, 15, NZ. P.S. I love Wellington!!

Trying to make a difference for indigenous communities

I just arrived in Wellington 6 days ago and am enjoying walking around the city. Am visiting Museums to get a crash course on NZ history and it's contemporary issues. I'll be studying in VUW until early 2016 and am hoping to write freelance on the side. I came to NZ to study the socioeconomic and political tensions between indigenous communities and the industry, and to observe what "sustainable development"really means. I'm originally from Indonesia and was a travel writer there, but by coming here to Aotearoa, I hope to learn to someday be able to do more for indigenous communities back home than just write about them in the media. I also hope to travel this beautiful country and get to know Maori communities in different places to learn how they fight for the survival of their culture and land rights in the 21st century.

Mythical Wellington

I grew up inland, close to the glistening waters, in the shadow of the Tararua Ranges. Wellington, for me, was mythical, a place where everyone wore suits, the wind blew dreams away, Cobb & Co served chicken & chips.

The scary taniwha

Out & about today with my wife - one week overdue. We were hoping that walking up & down the stairs would cause some stirring... nothing yet! Maybe the scary taniwha on level 3 =)

Living in Newtown

My Grandad, George Hardgrove, grew up in Newtown. His family lived in such a small house with so many kids, he and his brother had to sleep in a tent in the backyard! At night, he tells me they could hear the lions at the zoo roaring! I live in Newtown now too and he always askes me "have you heard the lions yet?" Lizzie Waugh.

Seafaring family

My name is Sally. I'm visiting from Australia. My gran & great-grandmother were born in the Wellington district. They're of seafaring blood, so I came here in the hope of finding some information of their past. No luck unfortunately but I can see how they felt at home in this big little city! Embarrassingly this is my first time to New Zealand, despite being well travelled! It certainly won't be my last. Now it's sunny & not windy outside, so time to go a wandering. Happy 2014 everyone.

A very generous offer

I was touched by the story about the elephant (1983) but it did make me sad :( If I win the lotto I'll buy Wellington two elephants :) Megan (UK/Sydney) 31.

Houses that are only memories now

Growing up in Wainuiomata we had a class trip to an old homestead in the valley - beautiful verandahs and bay windows - all gone now; just like the Orongorongo Lodge. Sad that these early settlers' homes are only memories now.

A secret love note

Dear William, Hi this is Shannan. I'm at Wellington Museum right now and I thought of you (I seem to be doing that a lot these days) and yeah. You're leaving at the end of this school year so I hope I will make good memories with you. If I don't ever get the guts to tell you, I kinda, sorta, maybe like you. By the end of Term One I'll just tell you when you leave in a pretty orange card cause you like orange and I'm a cheesy shit. ANYWAY. Ew why did I end up writing about you. This is ew. Please stop doing things to me e.g. invading my brain. P.S. if you ever come here I hope you find this, it'd be hilarious, omg.

Cross country running

Cross country running at school in the 1970s & 80s in Wainuiomata really meant cross country.
We ran through muddy bogs and gorse bushes, returning caked in mud and covered in scratches.

Wellington in the 70s

When I was little I lived in Wainuiomata. But my favourite cousins lived in Wellington, Torrens Terrace. I loved visiting them in the 70s. Cuba Mall was covered. We ate at the Greenstone room. The bus cost 5c. The music & sounds of the 70s was unforgettable. I'm 45 years old now and I still remember Wellington in the 70s. My cousins Tania and Richard were so cool. They took me to see Star Wars at the cinerama with the mean usherette.

Fox & Meerkat

We met at a support group for transgender youth & through one homestuck [?] hoodie we struck up a conversation & after months of flirting & tumblr anon askes he finally asked me out. And now we are here, trying to get people to recognise & validate our identities & trying to minimise the prejudice against transgender people & their feelings.

Fox & Meerkat (two female to male transgenders in love).

Memories from another letter

Today we visited and saw the elephant saddle. It reminded my family of their grandfather the elephant keeper.

It reminds my husband of his dad.

We saw the wall with someone elses memory & wondered if they & grandad met.

Great memories & new wonderings borne from a letter on a wall.

A criminal elephant

When my children were quite young we took them to the zoo. We had a lunch in a bag - and we were near the elephant which was tethered outside. When we went past the elephant took my bag - which contained my wallet and car keys - everything! I couldn't get it back! When we told one of the keepers they gave us money and said to return the next day after the elephant had been to the toilet and they would give back the keys + whatever else had survived. This would have been in about 1969 or 1970.

The Esmeralda

When I was 8 we moved to live on Beacon Hill Road above the Seatoun tunnel. I loved watching ships and ferries coming and going into Wellington harbour. One day the Esmeralda, a training ship, sailed into our harbour in full sail. We visited the ship when it was berthed and was opened to the public. In the evening thousands of Wellingtonians lined the harbour to see The Esmeralda leave under full sail. After it left, evening came and from our home we could see our beautiful harbour lit up by thousands of car headlights. It was an unforgettable sight and I recall so clearly my mother saying it looked like a diamond necklace.

Visiting during an earthquake!

My daughter Aishling is studying at Victoria University. It gives me a great excuse to come up from the deep south to visit wonderful Wellington. I love this city. It's probably one of my favourite capitals and I have lived in a few. Maybe one day I will live here but right now I am happy in Bluff, Southland. Wow! There has just been an earthquake!
Rosie Coyle