Wellington pics

Jesus! Don't jump!

2008-09-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Virgin-Mary has had enough and is about to leap into the abyss. No wonder...

Newtown

2008-08-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

NZ Loves Che Guevara

2008-08-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

At the centre of this shrine, located in the cafe,Ernesto, on Cuba Street, is our man, Ernesto "Che" Guevara : the whacky "freedom fighter" who liked to shoot political dissidents and who met his untimely demise in the Bolivian jungle at the hands of an execution squad.

It also has pictures of the Virgin mary, Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, Martin Luther King, and a few other groovy 60's cats.

Deputy Enos Strate, Rosco P Coltrane and the good ol' boys

2008-08-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

4 white guys arrest 1 black guy. Yep, gotta love the ethnic diversity of the NZ poooooolice force!

Daffodil day

2008-08-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

29 Aug 2008. Women's cancer appeal.

What we have here is a failure to communicate

2008-08-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

Stop the bash folks! Get the help you need with this handy fold-out card which fits conveniently in your wallet. Whenever you feel like giving yer missus a left hook, stop, get this card out, and locate the icon which most applies to how you are feeling, read the accompanying text and get the anger monkeys of your back. Remarkable!

Secret spot Wellington

2008-08-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

Not many people know where this was taken from. It's from the top of View road. Got that? View road! It's a pretty cool walk through the bush until you get to the top.

Time machine

2008-08-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is the amazing new display at Delux cafe. An amazing contraption full of Kiwi ingenuity which, when it's working, does all kinds of cool things!

havana coffee beans

2008-08-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Havana coffee company with beans from , wait for it, South America...

Cuba Street

2008-08-21T19:15:00.001-07:00

Today was one of those days when I wished I had a digital camera at hand. As I approached the bucket-fountain in Cuba Street I saw a large man, on the ground, being wrestled around by 3 cops : 1 male and 2 females. They pepper-sprayed the dude 3 times before he was successfully handcuffed. He was a drunk and uncooperative, but not particularly agrressive, just resistant. He wasn't lashing out from what I saw, just trying his damndest to keep from being handcuffed . A large crowd had gathered to watch the free show. A large Maori man behind me shouted at the melee : "You shoud go back to Police college to learn how to make an arrest". After approximately 5 minutes more white cops arrived. "They should go and catch some real criminals", said the women next to me. "Keystone cops", said her partner. Anyhow, eventually, the cops led the man away.

No posting no cry!

2008-08-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

OK, it's been a while since I was able to post pics because I sold my SLR. The aim of the blog : there is no aim. Just random pics taken whenever I feel like it.

In door outdoor flow

2008-05-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the evening, sitting on the couch,watching the world go by in downtown Newtown. Lovely!

Caution 1080!

2008-05-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

One of the unlucky ones...

Constable street, newtown

2008-05-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

And the med food warehouse. A great place for traditional italian pizza - justa like momma usta make!

Downtown welly

2008-05-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Early morning

Council housing Newtown

2008-05-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Council housing Newtown

House tagged.

2008-05-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Newtown villa and street.

The epi-center of downtown Newtown

2008-05-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Smoke stack lightning

2008-05-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

Ooooowwwooooo, Smoke Stack Lightening...
Take it away Howlin' Wolf!

Green cabs, Wellington

2008-05-07T00:41:00.000-07:00

Eco friendly cabs in NZ.

Newtown hall grafitti

2008-05-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

By the same guys who did the previous grafitti

The latest grafitti in newtown!

2008-05-07T00:22:00.000-07:00

Scoop! The paint is not even dry before the roving reporter catches them in the act! I think they get paid to do these and they are pretty, pretty, pretty good - if you like this sort of thing.

Wellington walk wise

2008-05-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

"We are the ears and eyes of the police - but we have no powers".

Pity the bloke has his eyes closed...

Don't want to take cheap shots, though, (ahem), because Im sure they are a valuable addition to the community. They can help with directions, phone the rozzers regarding suspect behaviour, and as they said "do what any good citizen would do - but we get paid to do it".

Majestic center and St Mary's of the Angels.

2008-05-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

The church on the left is St Mary's of the Angels and the building on the right is the Majestic center.

Pure Murder New Zealand

2008-05-05T18:53:00.000-07:00

I saw this on a billboard, yesterday. You are unlikely to hear anything too controversial about NZ in the media. They keep us all nicely inoculated against the big-bad-outside world. Gulf wars? What gulf wars? People starving in Africa? Never mind that, just feed the local populace more rugby stories...more inane bs on Campbell live, more "feel good kiwi" stories. Somebody landed a jumbo shrimp? Stick it on the front page! And when you get sick of the current goverment, only then focus on things which are wrong with NZ. Like food prices going through the roof. Biased media? Yep.

Wellington tea-towel

2008-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

This shows the traditional tourist spots. The harbour, the cable-car,te-papa (where are the shrunken maori heads?) and the bee-hive.

discarded shopping trolley

2008-05-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

Newtown.

Anyone for tennis, yah?

2008-05-03T23:46:00.000-07:00

Mount cook tennis courts.

Clean, green, NZ

2008-05-03T23:32:00.000-07:00

Here, we have a selection of junk-food wrappers thrown, with wild abandon, into the streets of Mount-Cook.

Wellingtons mural #2

2008-05-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

Hong-Kong style BBQ

2008-05-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

mmm, that duck looks really good!

The seige of wellingrad

2008-05-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

This is the old YMCA which is being torn down.

Street performer, Cuba Street, #2

2008-05-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Street performer, cuba street

2008-05-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

Street, downtown welly

2008-05-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

McCluthy Park?

2008-05-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

Downtown Wellington.

Down town Wellington

2008-05-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Some alley way, somewhere in Wellington.

Presumed heterosexual

2008-05-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Good to see this in the church.

Domestic violence campaign

2008-05-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

NZ has one of the highest domestic violence stats in the world. This is one of the campaigns to sort it out.

NZ tackles it domestic violence issue

2008-05-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

After Nia Glassie was hung on a washing line, dipped into an icy cold bath, beaten and spun around in a tumble dryer, the government got tough and released this ad campaign.

Steamy windows!

2008-05-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

The view from my flat this morning. I am always amazed when I hear kiwi's claim that their houses don't suffer from damp. Well here's the proof that they do. Cold at night? Colder than a witches tit, my friend. There is no insulation.

Drink Nescafe and get to know your neighbours!

2008-04-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Yep, all we need is more caffeine to make the world a better place.

This was somewhere near Cuba Street

2008-04-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Street art, Cuba Street.

Behind Cuba Street

2008-04-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

The facade behind Cuba Street.

Flate whites and Idi

2008-04-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

We the people...

2008-04-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is hanging up in Midnite Express if anyone want to take a closer look. Cuba Street.

Cuba Street - Drinking piss

2008-04-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is sort of a local hangout - at the intersection of Cuba Street and Dixon - where the local drunks congregate before moving on to a local park nearby.

Are you a skin or a punk?

2008-04-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

I asked this guy if I could take his pic and he was just great. I don't know if you can see the gold glitter around his mouth from inhaling paint. He's drinking wine as well. One of the first things he asked me on hearing my English accent was "Are you a punk or a skin?". Then he asked me how many years behind England NZ was. He reckoned on 7. Ha. His buddies, out of shot are to his right.

Leap frogger

2008-04-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

Leap frog on the water-front.

I love this city.

2008-04-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

This is a Maurice Gee passage. He got the bit about the wind correct.

Deluxe Cafe - Kent Terrace

2008-04-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ouch! $4 for a flat-white. Not a bad cafe. A little bit pretentious. The barista's belong to the : "We are too cool for this and you. We should be making movies, writing music and you don't understand what a genius I really am" school of thought. Sample music, early Bob Dylan. Sample crowd, Media, muso's, delicate geniuses and other assorted yuppies from Mount Vic - who really aren't yuppies at all they just like money.

Cuba : everything you ever wanted, and more!

2008-04-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

Not the real Cuba, but Cuba Street, Wellington. You will find 3 cafes along here selling havana coffee beans. It's good, too! The best!

Manners Mall 4 Tops

2008-04-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

One way to fundraise. Sing songs.

You too can save a rain forrest!

2008-04-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

Mural, downtown Wellington.

Maori statue at the waterfront

2008-04-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Maurice gee gets all gooey

2008-04-28T19:16:00.001-07:00

Not words which spring to my mind, nevertheless this lady was so enthralled that she didn't hear me say hello.

Civic Square CBD

2008-04-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Wellington water feature

2008-04-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

rear view

Wellington Boat shed

2008-04-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

CBD from the waterfront

2008-04-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Water front

2008-04-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

Taken near the boat-shed

Crane at the waterfront

2008-04-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Crane...what can i tell ya?

Wellington Waterfront

2008-04-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

Entrance to the wellington waterfront

Water front : water feature

2008-04-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

A water feature on the water-front.

Berhampore,Wellington

2008-04-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

Lots of tin shacks crammed together in perfect harmony. Extremely quiet, (and pricey!) neighbourhood, except for the odd student party and mugging. Har, har. Taken 9am Tuesday Morning.

Kiwi Experience

2008-04-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

This is the Xbase backpackers with the 'kiwi experience' bus sitting outside on kent terrace, next to Courtney place.

Stop, Look, Live.

2008-04-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Good advice. Here's our man in downtown Courtney Place. Monday, 11am.

Courtney place's vibrant cafe scene - groovy man.

2008-04-28T00:23:00.000-07:00

So, here's our man on Courtney place at 10:30 am on a Monday. Yup, gotta love the vibrancy of this place.

Stickers on my eco friendly fridge

2008-04-28T00:14:00.000-07:00

Yep, we live in the nuclear free pacific! Yay, for us! No pollution. No civil unrest. We're all clean, green and dolphin friendly.

How I sometimes feel in NZ

2008-04-28T00:09:00.000-07:00

Sort of like R.Crumbs little man, gibbering alone in a tiny room slowly rocking myself in the foetal position. Pic taken from Deluxe cafe, Wellington.

2008-04-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

And people are concerned!

One in four fear the can't pay mortgage.

2008-04-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

This caught my attention as I was walking through Courtney Place, today.

Friends garden #1

2008-04-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

A midget 's climbing wall?

2008-04-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

Discarded Alien space dominoes?
Giant's brail?

Or just weird and whacky street art? I sort of like it.

Tripping the light fantastic

2008-04-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

This mural at the Newtown flats shows what can happen when you give a black-power member a paintbrush and strong acid.

Majestic center

2008-04-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

One of the few modern buildings in Wellington I really like. It sorta reminds me of superman, New-York and/or a space-station. I like the geometry of the windows, and for once im not being sarcastic!

What do these people know about "reality"

2008-04-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

I love these kind of ads. They provide ample opportunity (should I wish to indulge myself) to take sneaky pictures of local whack-jobs who normally only come out after dark - when the Earths "gravity grid" is fully operational, jamming any harmful Alien mind-control deep 9 tactics

I like this guy

2008-04-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

What is he thinking? He is deep in thought listening to the busker play bebop on her sax. I didn't have much time to take this as there are quite a few disturbed people in Newtown - and you never quite know if they are in touch with alien space craft via tin-foil communication devices or are harmless and friendly.

Lambton Quay

2008-04-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Another pic of Lambton Quay. I bought a coat from Keith Mattheson, which is absolutely to die for darling, a few years ago. I am a complete sucker for pretty sales staff who utter the immortal phrase "suits you sir!" Better believe it baby, grrrr!

Contempory Street Art

2008-04-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

This just works on so many different levels. The blending of traditional squiggles and dots into a coherent whole, leaves the viewer gasping with appreciation. Bravo!

Title : Squiggles and dots on rusty garage door. By Newtown posse (yo mutha).

Bird!

2008-04-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

You don't often see buskers in Newtown - mainly because they have their instruments stolen by local black-power members! hawhaw. No, seriously, not sure why there aren't more buskers.

Newtown bowling club

2008-04-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

If you think the building is in disrepair, wait till you see the green! Kidding...don't want any crazed 70 year olds sending me abusive mail. Behind this building is the local RSPCA.

A spate of "recent" burglaries in the local cop shop window

2008-04-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

Yep, these tough-to-solve crimes have the local constabularly baffled, so they've closed shop and gone awol - they are probably in the bush eavesdropping on civilians.

Police : Closed for business

2008-04-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right folks. In Newtown there is so little crime the local cop shop will remained closed until further notice. (Perhaps, when he wakes up, or gets back from the donut run?)

Local indian shop, Newtown

2008-04-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is the place to come for all manner of fabrics from India. Very colourful inside.

Lambton Quay - down town Wellington

2008-04-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

This is the epi-center of Wellington. From here you are equal distances from the train-station, Cuba Street, the terrace, Courtney place, the Waterfront etc. The building in front is called the old bank arcade and has a selection of boutique type shops. Satori is quite good - if you have some major dosh.

Wellington Samoan Assembly of God

2008-04-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

And they're on a mission! In the background is the hills of Brooklyn. (taken from Newtown)

Or Hell?

2008-04-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

My fascination with the Newtown flats continues with this pic.

Anzac day old timer

2008-04-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

I met Bill, aged 86, at the bus-stop in downtown Wellington. He is originally from England. The picture he is holding is a photo from his war days when he was in the navy.

Yours for only 400+ K

2008-04-24T15:51:00.000-07:00

This is a typical villa in the ultra-trendy happening burb that is Newtown. You can pick these up for around 400K. Bargain! (Free guitar lessons included)

Newtown flats in the early morning

2008-04-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Bathed in early morning sunshine and the iridescent glow from 40 watt bulbs - minus curtains- the Newtown flats really sparkle at this time of the day! I love ya New Zelund!

New york style apartments - downtown!

2008-04-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

This is the sort of thing which passes as a new-york loft in wellington..ok, just kidding. But these little beauties will set you back over 300K no problemo. Ick!

Almost into Wellington city

2008-04-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

What can I tell you about this inspirational piece of photography? Well, for starters notice how both the sign post AND the van next to it are both tagged? Also, notice a distinct lack of people walking around. They are all in cars!

The Mexican cafe - Newtown

2008-04-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

In this pic is the local Mexican cafe (left). Again, as Gene simmons recently commented, Wellington looks like the day after the atom bomb went off! Harhar, good one Gene!

Salvation Army

2008-04-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the Newtown, Salvation Army offices and the gambling addicts annonymous office.

Cheap accommodation

2008-04-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Another grey, depressing building in the heart of Newtown. One thing I really noticed on my travels (90% of the pics on this blog up to this point were taken in one day) was the lack of decent architecture in Wellington.

Another street, Newtown

2008-04-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

A lot of Newtown suburbia is like this. You can wander the streets for weeks without seeing many people or anything else, except the odd bit of grafitti here and there. The odd discarded bottle of beer etc.

Adelaide Road, Newtown

2008-04-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

The thing I like about this street is the lack of people. There is no chance I will bump into anyone on my way into Wellington city. On the left is the local Motel. I hear it's really something...

Newtown WINZ

2008-04-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is where you come for your shopping vouchers before you hit the boutiques of Newtown! Sweet deal! There is a little coffee shop two doors down which serves reasonable coffee - pity the coffee makers are totally up themselves, but I have come to expect to be served by petulant ,dismissive , 'delicate geniuses' who work as barista's in Wellington.

ps - what IS the big deal with coffee in NZ? Hello, people, it's only coffee. Remember Larry David in Curb your Enthusiasm?

While ordering coffee at Starbucks.
Larry David: I'll have a vanilla... one of those vanilla bullshit things. You know, whatever you want, some vanilla bullshit latte cappa thing. Whatever you got.
Awhile later...
Larry: What's in this latte?
Starbucks employee: Milk and coffee.
Larry: Oh my god. Milk and coffee. I never would have thought of that. That's so brilliant.

local hobbits nest

2008-04-24T04:01:00.000-07:00

Hobbit spotted entering suruptitiously at 10:35 am. Fantastic retro styled abode, giving a lived in look.