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The REAL NZ vs the JAFAs

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Kiwithrottlejockey
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« Reply #75 on: March 27, 2011, 12:40:23 pm »


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« Reply #76 on: March 27, 2011, 06:02:32 pm »

Tsunami fears for Auckland coast
By Kieran Nash 5:30 AM Sunday Mar 27, 2011 Share52  Email
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 "worst-case scenario" tsunami for Auckland would swamp the Viaduct and make Devonport an island, a council report shows.

But none of the scenarios modelling the effects of a wave most likely to hit Auckland, presented almost a month before the March 11 Japanese tsunami, would have the dramatic consequences of the Japan disaster, in which tens of thousands are thought to have died.

The most likely event to affect Auckland is an earthquake off the coast of South America, predicted to happen once every 50 to 100 years.

It would create tsunami waves travelling thousands of kilometres, hitting Auckland's east coast, inundating land up to 3.5m above sea level and disrupting motorways and flooding streets.

Auckland Civil Defence controller Clive Manley said the areas on the North Shore near Devonport and the Auckland Viaduct were low-lying and near to the sea, making them the most susceptible to tsunami inundation.

Tsunami expert and Niwa principal scientist Rob Bell said the most likely tsunami to hit the isthmus would be a slow-moving "slug of water" which would inundate the low-lying margins of Auckland.

Bell said Great Barrier Island would bear the brunt of the wave's force, with the island's east coast experiencing the most damage.

Auckland is lucky to be largely sheltered by some large land masses, in particular Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula. "They're the great protectors of the city of Auckland," said Bell. "It's a fortunate geological coincidence for Auckland."

Auckland's proximity to a tectonic plate boundary in the Pacific Ocean means it is vulnerable to tsunamis from a range of areas, mostly the Peru-Chilean coast and the Tonga-Kermadec trench.

An earthquake would need to be shallow (less than 40km deep) and produce an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 or more to create a damaging wave.

Earthquakes off the Peru-Chile coast have been the most frequent source of hazardous tsunamis for the Auckland region, with earthquakes in 1868 (magnitude 9) and 1960 (9.5) producing estimated tsunami wave heights of 0.6m to 2.9m.

Auckland Council environmental science team leader Greg Holland said it was a challenge to predict exactly how far water would push up on land because every tsunami acted slightly differently.

"Japan has spent a significant amount of money researching these tsunamis and look what happened."

But "in Auckland we appear to have a really low risk. We're tucked up in the harbour here."

Auckland Civil Defence controller Clive Manley said in the event of a tsunami, people should get to high ground - if there was time.

They should go to a place they had arranged as a meeting point with friends and family.

From there, they should listen to the radio for advice.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10715156

From what I know from reading local history a tsunami could turn Devonport into 2 islands if not 3. Photos exist of both of Narrow Neck and Stanley Bay with the tide in on both sides of the road. Stanley Park and Devonport Golf Course are both low lying reclamations as is some of the Navy land in Ngataringa Bay. Devonport Domain was once a swamp and not much else separates Cheltenham Beach from Torpedo Bay
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« Reply #77 on: April 03, 2011, 09:14:50 am »

Bus-ting for ride to work
By Kieran Nash 4:30 AM Sunday Apr 3, 2011 Share   Email
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 Expand On some busy Auckland routes, buses aren't stopping because they already full to capacity. Photo / Doug SherringWorkers forced on to public transport by soaring petrol prices are having to contend with a lack of buses on key routes in Auckland.

Commuters said this week they often saw up to three full buses drive past their stops because there was no room for more passengers.

Under-pressure providers are trying to borrow buses from quake-hit Christchurch and pressing older vehicles back into service.

But Auckland Mayor Len Brown, who made better public transport a key part of his election campaign, said it was a "hell of a good problem to have".

The Herald on Sunday revealed last month that the number of people using public transport had reached record levels since the price of 91 unleaded fuel topped $2 a litre.

Some commuters are so fed up with full buses they are switching services to less convenient stops.

Others have given up and decided to walk to work.

The problems aren't just during rush hour. A bus from central Auckland to the North Shore at 8.30pm on Thursday was standing room only.

Auckland Transport, the Auckland Council body running public transport, was reluctant to comment.

The organisation referred inquiries about specific routes to the companies that operate them.

Rachel Drew, chief commercial officer of NZ Bus, Auckland's largest provider, said a $50 million consignment of 120 new buses was expected in June.

In the meantime, the company was considering short-term solutions.

"Where there is fleet available, there is the option of using older buses as a temporary measure while we wait for new stock," Drew said.

The company was considering leasing buses but had not finalised any plans.

"We're reacting as quickly as we can to a rapidly changing situation," Drew said.

Ritchie's Bus Company director Andrew Ritchie said he wanted to lease 12 to 14 buses from Christchurch operator Go Bus and hoped to have them on the road within a month.

Christchurch operators were running at about 30 per cent capacity after the February earthquake and would welcome the extra money by leasing their buses out, he said.

Ritchie was against putting older stock back on the road.

"It's really good getting this growth but if we put old buses on there and the quality of service drops it would put people off." The company had no plans to buy new buses because it had an ongoing replacement policy.

Howick & Eastern operations manager Sheryll Otway said the company was running double services at peak times to cope with demand.

She said Howick & Eastern would order more buses but couldn't say how many because the plans hadn't been finalised.

Meanwhile, Mayor Brown was confident companies were making plans for enough stock to cope with rising demand.

When told about full buses leaving passengers behind, he said it was a "hell of a good problem to have".

As for people opting to walk because of overloading, he said: "If they're only walking 500m to 1km that's great for fitness levels."

He urged people to "be patient" and said there would be more buses "in due course".

Council officers were also monitoring levels weekly to see the extent of demand across the city.

The number of bus passengers in Auckland rose 7.5 per cent in the year to February 28.

Campaign for Better transport convenor Cameron Pitches said there should be more investment in the service.

"We hope that the Government is coming round. They've been reluctant to invest in public transport."

He also said fares had to come down to encourage more people on to an appropriately-sized bus fleet.

"It's the people travelling long-distance who have been the most effective in reducing congestion. The fare structure has to reward these people for spending an hour of their time [on the bus]."

Auckland Transport spokeswoman Sharon Hunter said bus fare rises in the past 10 years were lower than the cost of living.

'I'm really angry I'd rather walk'

Frustrated commuters vented their anger after being refused access to a bus on Friday.

The 274 Britomart-bound service stopped near the intersection of Mt Eden Rd and Esplanade Rd at 8.45am.

Some of those waiting were allowed on - others were told to wait for the next service.

Monica Marsh, a 53-year-old receptionist, said she had starting catching a bus to Victoria St, instead of Britomart where she works, because her regular service is usually full.

"Normally one bus would drive by but now it's three in a row doing it."

Georgia Johnstone, a 19-year-old student, said: "I'm really angry. I'd rather walk, to be honest, because I know I'd get where I want when I want."

Michael Green, a 26-year-old team leader, said: "I've experienced it when three buses have gone past, it's left a lot of people feeling frustrated."

Rachel Deller, a 25-year-old charity worker, said: "You get four full buses then one empty. I tend to get [to work] later and later at the moment."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10716784

Yesterday (Saturday afternoon) Sp1 caught a bus from Highbury, if anyone else got on the would have had to stand. That may not sound too bad but the bus was heading to Beach Haven via Birkdale, not into Takapuna or City.

How the heck is the public transport system going to cope when the RWC is on?
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« Reply #78 on: April 03, 2011, 11:45:59 am »


Ah.....but Stephen Joyce (and the Nats) are spending money on motorways.

So all those foreign visitors will be able to hire rental cars and drive on the roads.

Should be fun, eh, watching Ork-lund seize up with total gridlock, thanks to the dumb Nats? 
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« Reply #79 on: April 03, 2011, 12:17:12 pm »


Ah.....but Stephen Joyce (and the Nats) are spending money on motorways.

So all those foreign visitors will be able to hire rental cars and drive on the roads.

Should be fun, eh, watching Ork-lund seize up with total gridlock, thanks to the dumb Nats? 

And it will happen.

Maybe I should get Mr Sp a kayak so he can paddle to work Roll Eyes
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« Reply #80 on: April 03, 2011, 01:55:18 pm »


Auckland Harbour in the late-1940s. You can see the gap where the Auckland Harbour Bridge now is. You can also see one of the double-ended vehicle ferries which enabled motorists to cross the harbour between the North Shore and Auckland City before the bridge was built. The Short Sandringham flying-boat is taxiing in to Mechanics Bay after landing on the harbour at the end of a flight from Rose Bay on Sydney Harbour. ZK-AMH “Auckland” was sold to Barrier Reef Airways in Australia in 1950, then a few years later ended up with Ansett Airlines. In 1974, the Sandringham went to Antilles Air Boats in the Carribbean, then was eventually retired to a museum at Southhampton in the UK where it is still on display.

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« Reply #81 on: May 05, 2011, 03:29:08 pm »

Ever get the feeling big brother is watching you?




Weird fog in Auckland today, I took those photos at 1pm. The fog was still over part of the harbour and Takapuna and Devonport.
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« Reply #82 on: August 31, 2011, 12:45:28 pm »

Auckland 'more liveable' than Wellington
TOM HUNT Last updated 11:59 31/08/2011

The traffic may be a nightmare but Auckland is significantly more liveable than Wellington.

The Economic Intelligence Unit has released its list of the world's most liveable cities in which Auckland ranked at 10th most-livable, with Wellington trailing at 23.

Melbourne took the top spot knocking Vancouver off the perch it has had for almost a decade.

Brisbane, a popular home for Kiwis in Australia, ranked 21st while Harare in Zimbabwe was the least liveable city on the list.

Cities were scored on stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education and infrastructure.

Wellington's comparatively low-ranking contrasts with last year when it was named the world's "coolest" capital city by Lonely Planet.

Wellington was named the fourth-best city in which to travel in the world behind New York, Tangier and Tel Aviv.

Highlights like the Rugby Sevens, Wellington on Plate, World of WearableArt, not to mention the vibrant café, film and arts scenes are likely to have contributed to Wellington's ''cool'' status.

A group came together to develop the Our City - Our Future strategy in 1997 which is a vision for the city for 2020.

Some goals clearly haven't yet been met - street signs do not show the origin of street names, fewer people speak more than one language, and there is no city-wide light rail/tram system.

But other things have been achieved. Wellington has developed and co-ordinated recycling efforts, it is the arts capital of New Zealand, and electronic information at bus and train stops is being introduced.

The top ten cities are:

1. Melbourne
2. Vienna
3. Vancouver
4. Toronto
5. Calgary
6. Sydney
7. Helsinki
8=. Perth and Adelaide
10. Auckland.
23. Wellington

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

 - The Dominion Post

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5540100/Auckland-more-liveable-than-Wellington
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« Reply #83 on: August 31, 2011, 03:58:03 pm »


I see you DIDN'T post the photograph that accompanied that article showing Wellingtonians strolling along their glorious waterfront past the centre of their city, accompanied by a second photograph showing an identical scene along the glorious Auckland waterfront adjacent to the centre-city.

Why do you suppose that could be?
   




BEATABLE, ON A GOOD DAY? Wellington has come in behind Auckland in a liveability ranking. — LUKE APPLEBY/The Dominion Post.
BEATABLE, ON A GOOD DAY? Wellington has come in behind Auckland in a liveability ranking.
 — LUKE APPLEBY/The Dominion Post.


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« Reply #84 on: August 31, 2011, 05:37:14 pm »

LOL.   TJ can't handle it so he has to come up with a pic of Wellington.   
 
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« Reply #85 on: August 31, 2011, 06:17:55 pm »

LOL.   TJ can't handle it so he has to come up with a pic of Wellington.   
 


So, just exactly who can't handle what? didya read SsweetP's linked story - http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5540100/Auckland-more-liveable-than-Wellington so what was the pic it showed?



but whaddya expect from the Dominion, while The Herald either doesn't know or doesn't care what the Economic Intelligence Unit thinks and maintains it's dignified silence on the subject


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« Reply #86 on: August 31, 2011, 06:35:37 pm »

I thought it was simple to understand really.  
TJ couldn't resist putting the pic from the link up on the screen.    

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« Reply #87 on: August 31, 2011, 06:39:28 pm »

I thought it was simple to understand really.  
TJ couldn't resist putting the pic from the link up on the screen.    


  I know !
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« Reply #88 on: August 31, 2011, 10:34:27 pm »


Well.....if you're going to post a news article, you should also post any images that go with it.


Anyway, seeing as The Dominion Post put up a photograph of Wellington's downtown waterfront, surely JAFAs can put up a photograph of their downtown waterfront.

Unless they don't have one, because it's all locked away behind industries, in which case I'd say, “you poor, public-waterfront-deprived JAFAs!” 
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« Reply #89 on: September 01, 2011, 12:33:28 am »

Sweetpea did.  The pic was included in link.    What Wellingtons waterfront has to do with it I have no idea but I noted the Dominion did say 'on a good day' which makes me think they may be rare. 

btw Auckland has miles of beautiful waterfront thanks. 
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« Reply #90 on: September 01, 2011, 12:58:59 am »


Well.....if you're going to post a news article, you should also post any images that go with it.


Anyway, seeing as The Dominion Post put up a photograph of Wellington's downtown waterfront, surely JAFAs can put up a photograph of their downtown waterfront.

Unless they don't have one, because it's all locked away behind industries, in which case I'd say, “you poor, public-waterfront-deprived JAFAs!” 


Well.....if you're going to post a news article, you should also post any images that go with it.

like this perhaps, beginning today

 http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/5-5bn-transform-auckland-4369142  http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images/news2010/new-zealand/auckland_city_2.jpg
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« Reply #91 on: September 02, 2011, 02:09:47 am »


Presumably the shit-hot city of Auckland has FREE wi-fi within its CBD and along its waterfront? 



Free wi-fi starts in Wellington CBD

By SHANE COWLISHAW | 7:53AM - Thursday, 01 September 2011

ONLINE: A map showing Wellington CBD's free wi-fi zone.
ONLINE: A map showing Wellington CBD's free wi-fi zone.

WELLINGTONIANS will be able to browse, tweet and Facebook to their hearts' content with the launch of free wi-fi in the central city today.

The network — called “cbdfree” — will be available in outdoor areas from Westpac Stadium to the Embassy Cinema, including the Golden Mile and Cuba St.

Along with Trade Me's free waterfront network, the new service will see Wellington become the first city in Australasia to provide comprehensive free wi-fi in the CBD.

The network has cost $50,000 to set up and is expected to cost $216,000 a year, although this will be offset through sponsorship.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown will officially launch the network at Midland Park at 12.30pm today.

She said the free wi-fi network would provide a great advantage for anyone living in or visiting the city, and businesses.

"Our compact CBD means free wireless is far more manageable to install than most cities. We've got a huge number of laptop and smartphone owners in this smart city of ours, and we see this as a small step towards enhancing our digital and communications reputation."

Wellington City Council senior strategy adviser Philippa Bowron said the service did not have a time limit but a sponsor screen would pop up every 30 minutes.

It was designed to work in outdoor places and, while it was unlikely it would pass through solid walls, it could work through glass in some areas.

Legal advice had been taken surrounding the new law against downloading copyrighted material and the council was happy the new service would comply, she said.

Trade Me spokesman Paul Ford said an average of 500 people a day were logging on to its network, with numbers up more than 1000 on busier days around events and sunny weekends.

Numbers were expected to surge during the Rugby World Cup and technicians would be keeping a close eye on the network's performance.

Peer-to-peer software was banned on the network but the company would deal with any problems arising from the law change as they happened, he said.


Free Wellington Wi-Fi

______________________________________

HOW IT WORKS

  • Wi-fi is a networking system that uses radio waves to enable electronic devices to connect without using wires.

  • Wellington's central city wi-fi will allow wi-fi-enabled devices to freely connect with the internet from anywhere outdoors within the designated area.

  • These devices include smartphones, laptop computers, iPads and other electronic tablets, game consoles and digital audio players, although the system will be prioritised to prevent streaming or downloading large files.

  • It will provide free outdoor internet access in most of the CBD.

  • It will be used primarily to access emails, social networking and internet sites.

  • It will permit users to log on multiple times.

  • It will be open to users without needing to sign up for an account or give any form of personal/payment information.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5545149/Free-wi-fi-starts-today-in-Wellington-CBD



Wellington's free Wi-Fi

How do you rate our free CBD internet?

The Dominion Post | 1:26PM - Thursday, 01 September 2011

OUTDOOR BROWSING: Freddie Leckie, 20, uses the wireless internet on the waterfront in Wellington. — LUKE APPLEBY/The Dominion Post.
OUTDOOR BROWSING: Freddie Leckie, 20, uses the wireless internet on the waterfront in Wellington.
 — LUKE APPLEBY/The Dominion Post.


WITH THE central city wireless internet network finally finished, we sent a reporter out to give it a try, with mixed results.

Dominion Post web editor and former Stuff.co.nz technology blogger Luke Appleby went to the waterfront at Frank Kitts Park at lunch time to try out the network and found the coverage patchy.

"Because the wireless coverage areas criss-cross each other, there are a few dead zones and it can take a while to find a sweet spot, especially with all the concrete walls around," Appleby said.

"I did a few speed tests using the Speedtest app on my iPhone 4 and the results varied — a lot. One test gave me download speeds of more than 5Mb/s — others a measly 0.10Mb/s."

"That's not to say there won't be parts of the city which will be fine, but for the average Joe walking along the waterfront, they may get a little frustrated."

"All-in-all, it's cool that there is any free internet at all in the city. It's still fairly rare in New Zealand and I can see myself making use of it quite a bit."

Student Freddie Leckie was also at the waterfront trying to connect to a free Wi-Fi provider using his iPad 2. He said the system was not very user-friendly and it took him 10 to 15 minutes to connect.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not doing anything wrong," Leckie said.

So after months of anticipation and tens of thousands in setup costs, how reliable is our CBD's wireless network? Do we have a right to complain, considering it's free? How will Rugby World Cup visitors fare? Have you tried it yourself?


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/capital-debate/5547871/Wellingtons-free-Wi-Fi
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« Reply #92 on: September 02, 2011, 09:14:29 am »

 Sad So sad that in all his trips to Auckland KTJ hasn't bothered to open his eyes and walk around Viaduct Harbour in daylight or ventured along Tamaki Drive, which leaves Oriental Bay in the dust.

I will admit that Prince's Wharf leaves a bit to be desired public access wise but we do now have access to Queen's Wharf and the Wynard Quarter will easily rivil the Wellington waterfront when finished.

Does Wellington have a coastal walkway along the cargo terminal? Auckland does.

Let's face it Auckland has so much more waterfront to play with.
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« Reply #93 on: September 02, 2011, 09:38:05 am »

Sad So sad that in all his trips to Auckland KTJ hasn't bothered to open his eyes and walk around Viaduct Harbour in daylight or ventured along Tamaki Drive, which leaves Oriental Bay in the dust.

I will admit that Prince's Wharf leaves a bit to be desired public access wise but we do now have access to Queen's Wharf and the Wynard Quarter will easily rivil the Wellington waterfront when finished.

Does Wellington have a coastal walkway along the cargo terminal? Auckland does.

Let's face it Auckland has so much more waterfront to play with.


In fencing terms that would be a "touché " 
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« Reply #94 on: September 02, 2011, 09:19:49 pm »


The problem with Auckland is that it is full of JAFAs and Asians.... 



Anyway, to change the subject, if any of you JAFAs have some free time tomorrow (Saturday) evening, and can still get tickets, go to the NZSO National Youth Orchestra's concert in the Auckland Town Hall. I've just attended their concert in Wellington Town Hall and they are superb. Also superb is their soloist, vituoso American organist Cameron Carpenter who featured in a major work for orchestra and organ by the American composer, Samuel Barber, then he played a solo transcription of one of Franz Liszt's piano works on the Wellington Town Hall Organ and really blew the cobwebs out of it. I imagine he will do the same in Auckland tomorrow evening. Cameron Carpenter is a very unconventional character and his footwear was off the planet (as was his pedal playing on the organ). The final orchestral work at the concert, Rachmaninov's Symphony No.2, was brilliant too. If any of you go to the Auckland concert, you are in for a real musical treat from the best of NZ's up & coming young musicians, along with Cameron Carpenter.

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« Reply #95 on: September 05, 2011, 02:28:37 pm »


Little capital gets big apple tick

The Dominion Post | 12:10PM - Monday, 05 September 2011

CAPITAL COOL: The New York Times describes Wellington as a “must-stop” in New Zealand. — RICHARD COSGROVE/The Dominion Post.
CAPITAL COOL: The New York Times describes Wellington as a “must-stop” in New Zealand.
 — RICHARD COSGROVE/The Dominion Post.


THE coolest little capital in the world has received a rave review from one of the biggest newspapers in the world.

The New York Times has described Wellington as a "must-stop", even comparing it to the big apple itself:

"It is already the country's cultural hub, with excellent museums, a thriving music scene and more bars, cafes and restaurants per capita than New York City."

The review starts with a typical lively night out on Cuba Street and after touring through capital institutions such as the Matterhorn, Te Papa, and Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, writer Ethan Todras-Whitehall declares: "Wellington is cool. We get it".

Last year the Lonely Planet named Wellington fourth in its list of top 10 cities for 2011, describing the capital as: "Cool-with-a-capital-C".


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/5565696/Little-capital-gets-big-apple-tick
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« Reply #96 on: September 05, 2011, 02:30:06 pm »


from The New York Times....

Wellington, New Zealand’s Flyover Capital, a Must-Stop

By ETHAN TODRAS-WHITEHILL | Friday, September 02, 2011

The WELLINGTON waterfront. — Photo: Lisa Wiltse for The New York Times.
The WELLINGTON waterfront. — Photo: Lisa Wiltse for The New York Times.

IT was a Saturday night in Wellington, New Zealand, and the denizens of Cuba Street were proving that the ’80s aren’t dead. A performance group decked out in unitards, Lycra G-strings, leg warmers and fluorescent wigs was dancing almost in rhythm to tunes like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Like a Virgin,” occasionally inspiring the crowd to join in. Farther down Cuba Street, clutches of the young and restless spilled out along the pedestrian mall on their way from bar to restaurant to cafe, many ending up at nightspots like the Matterhorn to catch the latest hot D.J. from Ireland or Ethiopia. In the middle of the mall, one of the city’s signature landmarks, the Bucket Fountain, dropped water from one bucket to another and onto passers-by, causing them to shriek and jump into one another’s arms to dodge the spray.

All in all, a pretty lively evening for a city that only two decades ago was seen, said David Perks, the chief executive of the local tourism organization, Positively Wellington, as “a gray, dull capital city that even the people who lived here wanted to get out of on the weekends.”

Once a flyover city for tourists as they jetted between the thermal regions of the north and the cloud-scraping mountains of the south, or at best a pass-through destination for those taking the ferry across the Cook Strait to the South Island, Wellington has become a tourist draw in its own right. It is already the country’s cultural hub, with excellent museums, a thriving music scene and more bars, cafes and restaurants per capita than New York City, yet with so much green space and water that nature is always nearby. Now, for two months this fall, Wellington will also become an international sporting hub as it hosts the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which begins on September 09 and is expected to draw more than 80,000 visitors from across the world. Together, all of this was enough to earn Wellington the No.4 spot on Lonely Planet’s “Top 10 Cities for 2011”.

I first visited the city in 2002 on a backpacking trip and returned this past December with my wife. I found the city much like I remembered, a walkable, antipodean version of Seattle, but with one difference: then, the locals had to point to the changes as evidence of how cool Wellington was becoming; now, the city’s atmosphere speaks for itself — “Cool-with-a-capital-C,” according to the Lonely Planet list.

“Windy Welly” has always been known for the powerful gusts that rifle through the Cook Strait, the body of water that divides New Zealand’s North Island from its South, but if the weather is nice, there are few prettier cities for a stroll. To get your bearings, start with a cable car ride up the hill to the Botanic Gardens and then meander back down. The path passes through patches of native plants like silver beech and hinau trees and foreign species like California redwoods and Australian kangaroo paw flowers, then skirts around fields of children playing cricket and a rose garden with fiery species with names like Tropical Skies and Holy Toledo. Finally, the path slopes through a serene graveyard to wind up at the colonnaded houses of Parliament. From there, it is a brief stretch along the commercial district of Lambton Quay to wind up back at the funicular.

There are other walks that can provide an overview of the city’s geography, but only one that gives insight into New Zealand’s national identity: a stroll through the national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, or Our Place, on the waterfront. On our recent visit, we were struck by the earthy, yet spiritual feel of the museum, from the Bush City of native plants at ground level to the top level’s working marae, or meeting place, a traditional structure updated for the 21st century by contemporary Maori artists with whorls of pastel color.

Afterward, we headed to the Trawling Sea Market, a barebones traditional fish and chips shop, for dinner. As at the finest British “chippies,” the batter there was light and the chips crisp, but the fish was pure New Zealand: succulent tarakihi and meaty warehou instead of the standby cod and haddock. But Wellington is a city filled with restaurants of every ethnicity and philosophy. For instance, we could have gone much higher brow at Arbitrageur, with its French bistro feel and huge wine cellar. Arbitrageur is the latest Wellington restaurant to win an NZ Restaurant of the Year award from Cuisine magazine, joining the previous Wellington winners Logan Brown (2009) and Matterhorn (2008). For a city less than a third of the size of Auckland, Wellington punches above its weight on the culinary front.

Many of those we met cited Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, the Peter Jackson-affiliated, multiple Oscar-winning special-effects companies that did the effects for not only the “Lord of the Rings” films, but also “Avatar,” the “Chronicles of Narnia” films and the 2005 remake of “King Kong,” as one of the main reasons for Wellington’s blossoming cultural scene. Combined with the other special-effects companies that have grown up around Weta, “Wellywood” employs thousands of artists in Wellington.

The accessible part of Weta, the Weta Cave, doesn’t offer visitors much: a short film on the company’s history and its movies, a gift shop and a small museum. But for fantasy geeks like me, it was a must-see for items like the shards of Isildur’s sword Narsil and the two versions of Frodo and Bilbo’s trusty sword Sting used in the films (one to appear big in hobbit hands, one to seem small in humans’).

You never feel far from nature anywhere in Wellington, but you never feel closer than a few miles outside the city center at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. Karori represents a new idea in conservation: rather than keeping vulnerable wildlife in, they are keeping predators out by means of a pest-proof fence. The fence is not so much a cage but a fortress from which the (flighted) birds can fly in and out, their nests safely tucked inside. It was completed in 1999, but a boost in interest came in 2010 with the construction of the sanctuary’s Zealandia exhibit and Visitor’s Center.

During the day, visitors come to see the dinosaur-era tuatara lizard and the giant weta (the monster-size cricket after which Peter Jackson named his company) in addition to the saddlebacks, kaka and other endangered birds. But the guided night tours offer the real prize: a chance to see a kiwi, the country’s national symbol, in the sort of wild, a rare feat even for native New Zealanders.

The beginning of our tour seemed promising. Despite the persistent spring rain, the tour leader, a retired landscape architect named Desmond, seemed upbeat. Kiwi calls came from the forest on both sides of our group of a dozen, ascending screeches in the darkness. And indeed, within the first hour of the three-hour tour, my wife had spotted one, a football-size bird that skittered into the brush as soon as her red flashlight beam fell on it. Unfortunately, she was the only one who caught a glimpse, and the kiwi cries went silent; our good fortune ended there.

Back on Cuba Street while the dance troupe was still shaking those leg warmers, we struck up a conversation with a truck driver who paints and a construction worker who makes films. (In the less-modest United States, they’d be a painter who drives a truck and a filmmaker who works construction.) Both avowed that Wellington was by far the most avant-garde city in all of New Zealand, and to prove it, they decided to find us the kind of cool bar that could be found only here.

First, they tried Havana Bar off a side street in two connected colorful, Cuban-style shacks, but despite its lively atmosphere and available tables our friends immediately pronounced it “dead.” We finally ended up at a place called Mighty Mighty, where the band was playing psychobilly rock. We perused the drinks menu, which was hidden in a vintage record sleeve, and observed the wildly decked-out patrons, some dressed in afro wigs and others in lederhosen.

My wife and I looked at each other, and then at our impromptu guides, their point well and truly made: Wellington is cool. We get it now.


______________________________________

IF YOU GO

At Home Wellington, 181 Wakefield Street, (64-4) 802-0858, AtHomeWellington.co.nz, with doubles from 149 New Zealand dollars (about $124 at 1.21 New Zealand dollars to the United States dollar), and Museum Hotel, 90 Cable Street, (64-4) 802-8900, MuseumHotel.co.nz, with doubles from 195 dollars, are good values in a central location near the water.

A much cheaper but eminently serviceable option is the YHA Wellington, 292 Wakefield Street, YHA.co.nz/Hostels/North+Island+Hostels/Wellington, (64-4) 801-7280, with doubles for 80 dollars, a huge hostel near the end of the night-life strip of Courtenay Place that caters to more than backpackers.

For meals, the Maranui Surf Lifesaving Cafe, 7 Lyall Parade, MaranuiCafe.co.nz, (64-4) 387-4539, in Lyall Bay is a local favorite, a great place for breakfast or lunch with its big views of the ocean. Breakfast: 10 to 18 dollars.

The Matterhorn, 106 Cuba Street, Matterhorn.co.nz, is a Wellington institution that has changed owners and faces over the years and wins local and national awards both as a restaurant and as a night-life haunt. Mains: 32 to 38 dollars. Next door, Mighty Mighty, upstairs at 104 Cuba Street, MySpace.com/MightyMightyBar, is a good bar for live music performances.

Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand’s national museum, 55 Cable Street, TePapa.govt.nz, is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (9 p.m. Thursdays), and admission is free.

Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (VisitZealandia.com) is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is 28.50 dollars, and the big gamble is going for the two-and-a-half-hour night tour (76.50 dollars per adult) in which you might see a kiwi in the (sort of) wild.


______________________________________

Wellington Travel Guide

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

What to Do

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/travel/in-wellington-new-zealand-a-new-life-for-flyover-country.html
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« Reply #97 on: September 06, 2011, 02:00:32 am »


Record number of Aussies visit Wellington

By JAMES WEIR - The Dominion Post | 3:34PM - Monday, 05 September 2011

OZ VISITORS: Australian tourists spent about $281 million in the March year in Wellington region. — Photo: The Dominion Post.
OZ VISITORS: Australian tourists spent about $281 million in the March year in Wellington region.
 — Photo: The Dominion Post.


A RECORD NUMBER of Australian visitors came to Wellington in the past year, up 8 per cent to more than 110,000, helped by a promotion campaign in Australia, according to Wellington tourism promotion group.

Australian tourists spent about $281 million in the March year in Wellington region.

Positively Wellington Tourism's latest annual report showed Australian visitors helped offset a slump in long-haul tourist numbers because of the economic slowdown in many markets and the high New Zealand dollar, as well as the impact of quakes in Christchurch and Japan and floods in Australia.

Australian tourist numbers almost stopped dead in early March after the Christchurch quake in late February, but aside from that, most months have seen arrivals well up on the same month last year.

PWT chief executive David Perks said the past year was "extraordinary and challenging", with recession still prominent in many key markets overseas and a high New Zealand dollar had slowed tourism numbers.

Despite that, hotel rooms sold grew for all but one month, October, during the year.

Commercial visitor nights held steady, while a rise on Australian visitors offset the falls in long-haul markets.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5567275/Record-number-of-Aussies-visit-Wellington
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« Reply #98 on: September 06, 2011, 08:20:10 am »

How many Aussies visited Auckland - oh that's right - there are so many that we don't bother to publish the stats.
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« Reply #99 on: September 06, 2011, 01:17:29 pm »

I just heard an ad suggesting that the best way to get to a RWC at Eden Park from the central city is .....to walk.

A brochure arrived in the letterbox that details the suggested route complete with distance. 4km.

I am not saying that it isn't fesable or doable for many rugby fans but it is a bit too much for my 70 yo Dad with angina. He is going to have enough trouble climbing up the temporary stands to his seat.

It seems that trains from the CBD will not be going as far as Kingsland, that is reserved for trains from South Auckland so the way to get there with the least walking for him is for us to drop him off at Akoranga Station on the Northern Busway.

Before any bright Wellingtonian starts in about the waterfront stadium that the government offered to build in Central Auckland I would like to point out that since there are only 2 lines into Britomart that would not have solved the problem.
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