The Karori Sanctuary, Wellington

The Karori Sanctuary offer an opportunity to see New Zealand's rarest animal dan wildlife in its natural environment. Tucked away in a forrest-clad valley just ten minutes from Central Wellington. We can go there by hire a car or by cable car.

By bus is the cheapest choice, we can buy the day tripper ticket with five dollars New Zealand. Day tripper ticket is designed to give us freedom to go around Wellington by using one ticket. In every bus station we will able to get off and caught bus anywhere that we want by show the ticket to the driver.

The Karori Sanctuary is the place to protect original New Zealand wildlife. Kiwi is one of them. Tour provide us encounters with birds and reptiles normally just found on offshore island, and a chance to learn about unique vision to turn back the clock to the time before humans arrived.

Walking track is include a cruise accros the lower lake and change to look New Zealand's living dinosaur the Tuatara. The best time to running the tour is when darkness has settled, if we lucky we can see the New Zealand's national mascot, that is Kiwi. Over 100 Kiwi live in this park, so there is a good change of spotting one.

There are differences of price between day and night tours. We can go there in day time and the ticket to enter there only NZ$ 14, but in the night we have to pay more, Nz$ 60 to see Kiwi birds.

The Wellington Cable Car Museum

The Cable Car is another of a series of sculptures crowning sculptural signs in the city. All the signs feature Wellington street maps and show the way to nearby attractions.

The Cable Car provides a unique form of transport to the city to the suburb of Kelburn and the top of the Botanic Garden. We are situated at the end of the Cable Car Lane off Lambton Quay in the heart of Wellington's Central Business District.

There are three intermediate stops. Clifton, leading to the Terrace and the Student Accommodation at Everton Hall. Talavera, the mid point of the track, where the cars pass each other. Salamanca, linking to the Victoria University and more student accommodation at Weir House.

The Wellington Cable Car Museum is located just a few metres from the cable car's upper terminus and from a lookout with spectacular views over Wellington, this museum tells the story of the country's only remaining public cable car system.

Visit us to catch up on the service's colourful history, marvel at the machinery in the old winding room or climb aboard one of the old grip cars.

The museum shop stocks a great selection of Wellington and New Zealand gifts and souvenirs as well as a range of specialist transport books, DVDs and models.

The Wellington Cable Car Museum has Qualmark endorsed visitor activity status and was the 2006 Tourism Industry award winner for visitor activities and attractions: culture and heritage tourism.

Source http://blandforddailyphoto.blogspot.com

The Mount Victoria Tunnel in Wellington

The Mount Victoria Tunnel in Wellington is well known in Wellington as being the location of "the beeping game", in which motorists sound their horns as they go through the tunnel, often in response to the tooting of other drivers. This is particularly popular after 5pm on Friday nights. The white building above the tunnel is Wellington East Girls’ College..

The tunnel is 623 metres (slightly more than a third of a mile) long and 5 metres (16.4 ft) in height, connecting Hataitai to the centre of Wellington and the suburb of Mount Victoria, under the mount of the same name. It is part of State Highway 1.

The tunnel was built in 15 months by the Hansford and Mills Construction Company. The project cost around £132,000 and greatly reduced travel time between the Eastern Suburbs and the central business district of Wellington. Construction employed a standard tunnel-excavation technique in which two teams of diggers begin on either side of the obstacle to be tunnelled through, eventually meeting in the centre.

The initial breakthrough, when the two separate teams of diggers met, occurred at 2.30pm on 31 May 1930, and the first people to pass through the breakthrough were tunnellers Philip Gilbert and Alfred Graham. The tunnel was opened officially by the mayor of Wellington, Thomas Charles Hislop, on 12 October 1931.

Although the tunnel has been eclipsed in terms of features and amenities by more recent tunnels around the country, such as the Terrace Motorway Tunnel, the Mount Victoria Tunnel was the first road tunnel in New Zealand to be mechanically ventilated. Around 32,000 vehicles pass through it each day. The tunnel also accommodates pedestrians and cyclists, who use an elevated ramp on the north side of the roadway. In the late 1970s, a number of crime incidents resulted in an alarm system being installed based on buttons spaced along the length of the pedestrian ramp - the system was removed several years later, as it proved ineffective. Recent additions include new lighting, CCTV cameras, brighter cleanable side panels and pollution control. These have significantly improved safety in the tunnel.

There has been a long standing designation for a second parallel tunnel to the north, in order to relieve peak period congestion resulting from lane merges at both ends of the tunnel. A pilot tunnel was bored through in 1974 to investigate the technical feasibility and still exists, although the eastern end has been bricked up and the western end lies on private property. Plans to build the second tunnel paralleled the original plan to complete the Wellington Urban Motorway to the tunnel to provide a motorway bypass of the whole of central Wellington. The second tunnel component was shelved indefinitely in 1981 when budget cuts meant that a scaled-down motorway extension was proposed that would terminate at the existing tunnel.

The tunnel currently is a traffic bottleneck in the morning peak from around 7.30 to 9.00am on the Hataitai side with traffic sometimes backing up over 1 km and in the afternoon peak between 5 and 6pm on the city side with queuing back around 0.5 km. Buses to the eastern suburbs bypass this congestion by using the much older single-lane Hataitai bus tunnel.

Some interesting stuff

During World War II, the government planned to use the tunnel as an air raid shelter if Wellington were attacked. However, the plan was scrapped as the tunnel was thought to be too vulnerable to assault from either side by hostile troops.

A murder occurred during the construction of the tunnel. A young woman named Phylis Simons was murdered by her lover, who buried her in the fill from the tunnel. Police ordered workers to excavate the fill in order to find the victim's body.

Source http://blandforddailyphoto.blogspot.com

Wellington, Four Seasons in One Day

Wellington is very unique city. It is known as "Windy City", because the wind blows strongly and every time. The weather also terrible, four seasons can happen in one day, winter, summer, spring and autumn. Very cold at the night, little bit cold in the morning, hot and sunny at noon and very shower or heavy rain in the evening.

We have to read the weather forecast every day that is published in newspapers, website and telephone. The forecast usually is provided for two or three days. We can use the forecast if we want to arrange activities.

In spring season, summer and autumn are the most interesting season in Wellington. Most of the restaurants, cafes, accommodation agents also offered open space to service the customers. The Cuba Street and and The Courtenay Place are the busy places in summer. There are many tourists and citizens spend much money in both of the places.

In winter, open spaces are not too busy. Many people do not like spend their time outside the restaurants and cafes. They will choose inside them to enjoy their lunch or dinner inside because it is warmer and more comfortable than outside.

However, some restaurants and cafes provide heaters outside in the open space. They install heater outside to service the customer if inside very full and busy. Wearing warm clothes and jackets are the most important thing to eat our dinner outside the restaurant or cafe.

The Weta Cave and Lord of The Ring

Wellington was Production Central for the making of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Weta Cave is one of the place that was used as Wellington City film location and spellbound by the creative genius at the Weta Cafe.

Stunning views of the harbour and Wellington city from the top of Mount Victoria and the first filming location site used in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Visit Weta Cave in Miramar and take a video tour of Weta. Weta workshop and Weta digital created special effect for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and many other movies.

Sources: www.lordoftheringstour.co.nz

Walking in Butterfly Creek, Wellington NZ

From Heritage walks to river trails and rugged coastal walkways, Wellington offer some wonderful opportunities for walkers.

Walking arround Butterfly Creek is about 2 hours return. The Kowhai track in Eastbourne take walkers over a ridge with spectacular views of the Wellington Harbour, to be peaceful bush-clad valley of Butterfly Creek. The picnic spot in a clearing by the creek is a popular stop-off point for walker.

Wellington Scenery

Wellington's Citizen very enjoy their sport. They like Rugby, cricket, and dragon boat. These pictures show the atmosphere when Dragon Boat Festival held on Sunday, 22 March 2009 in Wellington Harbour.

Although the weather was not good because very cold about 9 degree Celsius the spectator didn't recking of the weather. The participants of festival were very enthusiasm.

Botanic Garden, Wellington

The Wellington Botanic Garden features 25 hectares of unique landscape, protected native forest, conifers, specialized plant collections, colorful floral displays, and views over Wellington city.
It is classified as a Garden of National Significance by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture and is an Historic Places Trust Heritage Area. Entry is free. So we can invite go there with our family.

Open Hours
Garden: Daily Dawn to dusk
Treehouse Visitor Centre: Monday - Friday 9.00am - 4.00pm
(Closed weekends and public holidays)

Begonia House Gift Shop:
October - March Daily 9.00am - 5.00pm
April - September Daily 9.00am - 4.00pm
(Closed 1 and 2 January, Good Friday, 25 April until 1.00pm, 25 and 26 December)

Location
The Botanic Garden is minutes from downtown Wellington, and is easily accessed. There are many entrances to the Garden including from Tinakori Road, Glenmore Street, Salamanca Road, Upland Road and the Cable Car. Its only 10 minute from Wellington Central if we go there by Cable Car.

If you interested to visit you able to download The Botanic Garden Map (Pdf) and download Location Map.

Wellington Dragon Boat Festival

One of the biggest Festivals in New Zealand. Renowned world wide as a great festival venue, Wellington harbour can sure throw a mean party for the competitors when it wants to.

Wellington, March 21, 2009

Seven Rugby, Wellington New Zealand

Rugby seven was held on Friday-Saturday, 6-7 February 2009. Accommodations in Wellington were in strong demand over the weekend of the sevens, so if in the next year you want every visitors and tourists have to book early.

Rugby Sevens Tournament was very interesting. More than 30,000 supporters descend on Wellington every year for the annual two days Rugby Sevens Tournament. There are 16 international teams that take part in this tournament.
Opening of Rugby Sevens Tournament is very busy year to year. The atmosphere made many tourists that visit this tournament happy. Kinds of costume and great rugby teams have turned the Wellington Seven into one of New Zealand’s leading sport events.

As such event always a sold out, with tickets sold out well in advance of the tournament. So if you are planning on going to the Wellington Rugby Sevens plan well in advance and book tickets and accommodation as early as possible.

Wellington Harbour, New Zealand

Wellington Harbour is interesting place in Wellington. Every weekend we can find many people hang out at the harbour, jogging, some people ride their bicycle, restaurant and cafe busy, and exercise.

Wellington Harbour also close with another interesting place, such as Te Papa Museum, Museum Hotel, and Michael Fawler. Views around the harbour very beautiful.

Travel to Cuba Street - Wellington NZ, The Revenge of Pedestrian

Download map of Cuba Street, click here.

When Wellington's Cuba Mall opened in 1969 it was the first New Zealand to be transformed by the removal of traffic. Cuba Street had once been a popular shopping area, but after World War (1939-1945), spreading suburbia drew people away from central city.

In 1965, the street suffered a further blow with the withdrawal of tram service. However, while the street was closed to remove the tram tracks, retailers soon notice that the lack of traffic was an attraction. Sales increased and letters to newspaper showed the public liked the temporary pedestrian mall. The Cuba Street Businessman's Association presented a petition signed by more than 5000 people to The Wellington City Council requesting that the mall become permanent. The City Council agreed.

Since the mall has been revamped. The prominent signs that marked each and have been removed, but the mall's most controversial feature, the Bucket Fountain, has survived. Critics detest the icon, but intrigued tourists and children love it.

Cuba Street and Courtenay Place - Wellington, New Zealand

Cuba Street and Courtenay Place in Wellington is the famous and interesting places. You can download the map by click this link (software) and this link (map in pdf), download here.

If Courtenay Place is the heart of Wellington's entertainment sector, then Cuba Street has to be its soul. An ‘alternative melting pot' , Cuba Street is known for its entertainment spots and watering holes, as well as the trendy dining and shopping in the area.

The personification of this spirit is seen in the hugely popular Cuba Street Carnival that saw more than 156.000 people. Cuba Street has long been ‘interesting’ in a bohemian sense, but it has now stamped itself with a certain style that is very attractive to people who seek something a little different. Students and people of all ages love to shop or converse in the many cafes and bars, away from speeding traffic. By day it’s a great place to find a special book, CD or item of clothing, and by night it's just the place to dance or be entertained.

In Cuba Street you can enjoy your lunch time or dinner at Big Kumara, Comfort Hotel, Flying Burrito Brothers, Good Luck, Scopa, Mr Bun Bakery and Coffee Shops, Hallensteins, Havana Bar, Hotel Bristol, JJ Murphy’s Iris Pub, Logan Brown Restaurant, Motherhorn, Manners Mall, Olive Café, San Fransisco Bathouse, Southern Cross Restaurant, The Oaks Satay Noodle House, Tulsi Cuba Street, Wasabi Sushi Bar, and Zeal.