Doorways to Wellington’s World of Fairies.

Life can be busy. It’s easy to go about your day without noticing the little things. Little things like the fact that Wellington is crawling with fairies!

Evidence Everywhere

All around Wellington, hidden in plain sight, are little doors. Two summers have been spent tracking and mapping them. New ones pop up. Old ones disappear. The fairies are on the move.

Maybe the whole Hobbits and Lord of the Rings thing in Wellington is just a decoy dedicated to making us think the elven world is entirely fiction. But why would creatures which don’t exist need doors that do?

Migratory Patterns

Fairy settlements are documented from Titahi Bay to Wellington’s south coast. Archival records suggest the headlands of Whitireia Park as the most likely landing point for fairies in the Wellington region. Probably at Onehunga Bay. Development of the Titahi Bay Transmission Station in the 1930s may have forced the first migration, south-west, towards Titahi Bay Beach.

Titahi Bay

Ruins at the Titahi Bay colony have caused disagreement among experts. Although rare, some fairy doors do have an arch. But some scholars suggest the size and shape of the door on the left, in the photo below, is evidence of goblin activity!

Once a thriving colony, most of the fairy doors near the Titahi Beach are disused or in disrepair.

The doors that are obviously still in use are very, very well hidden.

Porirua

Fairies are not naturally coastal dwellers. Forests are their usual habitat. Harsh exposed conditions are likely to have caused a migratory branch to relocate to Porirua. Some took up residence at the library. Over time they have evolved and adapted to their environment by becoming much smaller. Children have been known to write letters to the library fairies- and receive replies!

Botanic Gardens

From Porirua, some fairies continued further south, the natural corridor which is now State Highway 1, towards the woodlands of the Wellington Botanic Gardens. The Botanic Gardens village was short-lived. The remains of foundations which a large dwelling was built upon can still be seen but there is only one intact house.

Reasons for leaving the Botanic Gardens village are unknown but this haunting abandoned tea party shows that whatever happened- it happened suddenly!

Downtown Wellington

Younger fairies headed for the bright lights of downtown Wellington and took up residence in cafes. Many remain.

South Coast and beyond

At some point, pioneering fairies pushed further south, past Berhampore, then across to Lyall Bay. Others then spread to Strathmore Park, Worser Bay and the Miramar Peninsula.

Stokes Valley

A group which broke away during the Porirua migration headed east to the forested areas of Stokes Valley. This colony is thriving and is cohabitating with gnomes!

This is the most active and highest concentration of fairies in the Wellington region. Through a culture of offerings, fairies and humans live happily together.

Find the fairies!

So far, I’ve found over 30 doors. on the map below to explore known locations of fairy activity in Wellington. This map is current as of March 2019.

Origins

This story may contain a sprinkle of fiction. Here’s some facts surrounding the origins of some of Wellington’s fairy doors.

Most of the doors in Titahi Bay and Wellington’s cafes were made and installed by tradesman Steve McEwen in 2010 & 2011.

Steve initially made a fairy door for his kids. E and encouragement from friends and family meant it eventually grew into a business named Imagination Doors. Steve and wife Karin have since successfully relocated themselves and their business to Switzerland which has a vibrant tradition of all things fairies and goblins.

Many of the original Wellington doors installed by Steve disappeared years ago. Some didn’t survive the elements. Some succumbed to more human mischief. Since I began researching the fairy doors around town in September 2017, three have met their demise via businesses changing hands. The fairy doors didn’t survive the new fit-out.

Gnome Mail

There’s a great story behind the Stokes Valley doors, too. The land which is now Horoeka Scenic Reserve was once owned by Phill Waddington; wildlife artist and inventor of the DOC Series trap. In Phill’s own words, “When I owned the property, a neighbour’s little boy couldn’t read well, so I made a Gnome House in the forest where he could exchange letters. He had to write and ask permission from the gnomes before he could do things in the forest. The boy wrote letters and learnt to read and now he’s grown up, in his 20s and works for a computer company. The original Gnome House was in a big old black beech tree next to the old historic Bridle Track. Well, when I went back recently there are Gnome Houses everywhere now!”

Nearby Tawhai Primary plays an active role in maintaining, restoring and adding to the many Horoeka Scenic Reserve doors.

More Doors

A few locations on the map are not quite fairy doors but are vaguely related. Some painted-on doors get a mention.

Gardens Magic

If you’re using the map to seek out the Worser Bay fairy door, you’ll also be in the vicinity of this well-tended fairy garden.

Do you know any doors that haven’t made it to the map? Sadly too, doors disappear. Keep in mind that even with a map showing the general location, some of these doors are very tricky to find!

I’d love your help to keep this map up to date so if you’ve got any info, let me know in the comments below.