I love cats! You probably do too, or you wouldn’t have clicked through.

Wellington is in the midst of Mittens mania! He is the undisputed darling of social media, and deservedly so. Those looks. That sass and swagger. But Mittens isn’t the most famous cat connected to Wellington.

Meet some other Welly cats, past and present, and find out the most famous of them all.

Lola

Before Mittens there was Lola, a pussy cat whose Facebook page dates back to 2012.

I first met ‘The Queen of Aro Park’ in 2014. Lola kept my laptop bag warm while I was doing some work on a bench.

Lola could always be relied upon for cat cuddles and was known to ‘be there’ when people needed a friend.

Mittens might have made it to the 2018 Wellington Advent Calandar but Lola has her own Garage Project beer! She’s also been imortalised in a mural.

In 2017, Lola had an incident with a dog in which she lost a leg but she recovered well and will be turning twelve in 2019. If you want to send cake or a card, her birthday is November 9. The best address is c/- Aro Valley Community Centre. 48 Aro St, Aro Valley, Wellington 6021.

Floyd

Floyd was a tabby rescue cat. He was Wellington’s celebrity in the nineties. Carol Kisby was president of the Wellington Cats Protection League. She also ran the Penthouse Cinema where Floyd would greet you at the box office.

According to Carol, when movie-goers were seated, Floyd would wait for the lights to go down, then choose a lap to curl up in. “He used to scare the hell out of people. People did not expect a cat to hop on them in a darkened cinema. He was a nice boy, quite the entertainer – a drawcard in his own right. “

Like Mittens, Floyd would saunter around his hood, sunning himself in shop windows and popping into the deli for a snack.

Floyd’s reign as King of Brooklyn ended in 1996.

Monty

Monty is an older gentleman who resides in Thorndon. He may not be known Wellington-wide but he’s a hit with the
gym rats at City Fitness and the ladies of Wellington Girls’ College.

You’ll find him at ‘Monty’s Corner’ at the bottom of a well-trafficked set of steps which takes students to the buses on Thorndon Quay. Monty was reliably there when I went to grab some photos of him for this blog. But it was his nap time so here’s a sleepy snap.

Someone has added ‘Monty’s Corner‘ as a place of worship on Google maps. You can even get an Uber or pizza delivered to the location.

Monty’ is an all-weather cat. He’ll happily stay out in the rain, but in February 2019 someone placed a little house at Monty’s Corner to keep him warm and dry.

Chickadee

Chickadee is a cafe cat. You’ll find her at Scorch-O-Rama.

She used to live in a few doors down. When the owners moved, Chickadee didn’t. The new residents had dogs. Chickadee didn’t approve.

Scorch-O-Rama took her in. They feed her, worm her, and keep her flea-free. Chickadee gets TLC 7 days a week from customers and she’s the most popular member of staff.

After hours, Chickadee flits between the catflaps of the two flats upstairs. If you’re planning on paying her a visit, pick a quiet time. Chickadee doesn’t do the rush hour hustle.

Mrs Chippy

The true test of fame is a lasting legacy. One cat connected to Wellington has had more impact on history and the arts than any other. The honour of Wellington’s most famous cat goes to mrs Chippy.

Mrs Chippy responded to a newspaper ad which read, “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”

Well, technically, his owner responded to the ad. Did I say his owner? Yep. Mrs Chippy was a he.

On Ernest Shackleton’s dangerous expedition to Antarctica in 1914, Harry McNish was Master Shipright and carpenter. A slang word for carpenter in most commonwealth countries is ‘chippy’. In the crew’s eyes, Harry’s cat would follow him everywhere on board like a doting wife. Hence the name, ‘Mrs Chippy’.

Cats have been aboard ships since ancient times. Their main job is to control rodents which can otherwise devour provisions and chew through ropes. As Ship’s Cat, Mrs Chippy had many adventures including a fall overboard one night. Luckily, the officer on watch heard Mrs Chippy’s meows and turned the ship around to pick him up.

Sadly, Mrs Chippy was the only member of the crew who didn’t make it back from the Antarctic but he and Harry McNish were reunited in 2004 when a life-size bronze statue of Mrs Chippy was placed on Harry’s Karori Cemetary grave. A gesture from the New Zealand Antarctic Society.

So what makes Mrs Chippy the most famous? His cultural legacy, which lives on through the arts.

• In 1997, a novel called Mrs Chippy’s Last Expedition: The Remarkable Journal of Shackleton’s Polar-Bound Cat, by Caroline Alexander, was published by Bloomsbury.
• In 2001, Mrs Chippy was played by a cat named Mac in a Channel 4 film starring Kenneth Branagh .
• In 2011, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands issued a postage stamp featuring Mrs Chippy.
• In 2012, German band, Yellow Belly, included a track about Mrs Chippy on their album.
• In 2015, an original opera called ‘Shackelton’s Cat’ was composed by Russell Hepplewhite and performed by English Touring Opera.
• In 2016, Composer Andrew Boscardin wrote a string quartet piece titled, Mrs Chippy- Alteration of Motion.

There’s a couple of cats I’ll be adding to this story as soon as I track them down for a photo shoot. Do you know any ‘cats of the people’ that Wellington needs to know about?

If you’ve travelled through the Moa Point tunnel, you’ve passed some scattered structures by the side of the road.

Maybe you’ve walked among them.

From ground-level you’re looking at shapes and shadows.

Climb on top of these structures and a pattern emerges like a staggered Stonehenge.

When I’m at the beach I’m a swimmer, not a sunbather.

When I first moved here, I found a few guides to Wellington beaches but there’s one thing none of them mentioned. One VERY important thing- water temperature!

Wellington water is cold!

I have done the Nieuwjaarsduik (New Year’s Dive) in The Netherlands. Yet somehow, diving into the North Sea in the middle of a European winter was less excruciating than my one and only swim at Princess Bay on Wellington’s south coast.

SHOW ME THE STATS!

I wanted to know where the water is warmest in Wellington. Thankfully, Greater Wellington Regional Council provides open source data with water temperature stats dating back about 20 years.

I’ve crunched the numbers. First I calculated the average summer water temperatures at our various coastal swimming spots. Then I weighted those numbers with the highest recorded water temperatures. Now I can tell you where you’ll have the best chance of the warmest summer swim in Wellington.

So have a guess. Go on. Where do you reckon the Wellington Region’s warmest water is? Hint: It’s not Princess Bay!

I didn’t realise how many swimmable beaches and bays Wellington had until I set out to photograph them all. Here’s 24, ordered from coldest to warmest, but you can skip straight to the Top 5 if you like.

24. Owhiro Bay
Average: 16.53°C
High: 21°C

23. Island Bay
Average: 16.86°C
High: 21.3°C

22. Titahi Bay
Average: 17.18°C
High: 21.3°C

21. Onehunga Bay
Average: 17.29°C
High: 20.4°C

20. Lyall Bay
Average: 17.38°C
High: 21.2°C

19. Breaker Bay
Average: 17.44°C
High: 21.1°C

18. Princess Bay
Average: 17.46°C
High: 21.4°C

17. Plimmerton Beach
Average: 17.82°C
High: 22°C

16. Scorching Bay
Average: 18.15°C
High: 21.5°C

15. Balaena Bay
Average: 18.24°C
High: 21.3°C

14. Worser Bay
Average: 18.26°C
High: 21.4°C

13. Freyberg Beach
Average: 18.25°C
High: 21.5°C

12. Taranaki Street Wharf
Average: 18.33°C
High: 21.2°C

11. Pukerua Bay
Average: 18.04°C
High: 23.8°C

10. Paekakariki Beach
Average: 18.23°C
High: 22.4°C

9. Hataitai Beach
Average: 18.44°C
High: 21.5°C

8. Oriental Bay Beach
Average: 18.52°C
High: 21.8°C

7. Days Bay
Average: 18.56°C
High: 22.3°C

6. Raumati Beach
Average: 18.65°C
High: 23.3°C

Now that you’ve seen 19 beaches, want to take another guess at Wellington’s warmest before you see the Top 5?

Wellington’s Top 5 Warmest Beaches

Counting them down, from 5 through to 1. Here’s Wellington’s warmest summer water temperatures.

5. Point Howard Beach
Average: 18.58°C
High: 25.3°C

4. Waikanae Beach
Average: 18.89°C
High: 23.4°C

3. Paraparaumu Beach
Average: 18.99°C
High: 22.7°C

2. Petone Beach
Average: 18.86°C
High: 24.2°C

Before revealing Wellington’s warmest beach, let’s get some context. The water isn’t much warmer around Auckland in the summer months. Their temperatures average 17.5°C in December and 19.5°C in February.

It’s a different story in Invercargill with summer water temperature maxing out around 13°C!

New Zealand’s northernmost beach at Spirits Bay is probably the warmest with summer water temperatures regularly reaching 21°C.

1. Dolly Varden Beach
Average: 18.86°C
High: 26.4°C

Dolly Varden Beach? I’d never heard of it! It’s right next to the Paremata Bridge on the Pauatahanui Arm of Porirua Harbour. It’s perfect for families because the water is quite shallow. That’s also probably why the water is warm. If you want to catch a train there, get off at Paremata station and follow the walkway which takes you along Mana Esplanade.

In a future post I’ll give you the rundown on swimming holes that only the locals know. But first, I’ve got to find them!

You’re looking at the best spicy chicken wings in Wellington!

This story starts with me justifying why I ate spicy wings at 21 Wellington bars, cafes and food trucks. It ends with you eating the crispiest, juiciest, tastiest spicy wings in town.

Want to skip the story? Here’s the gold, silver and bronze medalists.

“Aren’t food reviews the usual Wellington stuff?”

Yep. But this is not a usual food review.

I wasn’t going to do food-related stories. There’s plenty of good coverage of the Wellington foodie scene.

Check foodiegemsofwellie for local reviews. Go to Hungry & Frozen for recipes to match your Wellington moods. Listen to Honeycombe if you love a podcast. Read Beth Brash and Alice Lloyd’s 2018 book, THE CUBA STREET PROJECT: Place, Food, People.

“Best of lists. Isn’t that the usual Wellington stuff?”

I wasn’t going to do ‘best of’ lists either. When I read a ‘Top 5’ list which doesn’t state the judging criteria upfront, I feel like maybe I’m actually reading “The 5 we got some nice photos of” or “The 5 who purchased ads on our website”.

I’s easy to be cynical and it’s easy to be a critic. What’s hard is doing it better. So here I am, writing a Top 3 the way I’d like to see it done.

Why Wings?

Right now, Wellington is a burger town. Just check out the #BurgerWelly hashtag.

When I want a burger, you’ll find me at Burger Liquor, every time. But a website which boasts “Not the usual Wellington stuff” has got to zig while everyone’s zagging, right? So wings it is! Oh, and I’m addicted to Hot Ones on Youtube.

There’s different preparation and cooking methods for spicy wings. Some are slow-cooked, some are baked, some are fried. Some are tossed in a sauce, some come with the sauce on the side. Others are dusted with spice. Regardless of how they end up on my plate, what I want is crunch on the outside, succulent meat on the inside, and the level of spiciness promised on the menu.

For me, there’s good heat and bad heat. Bad heat means I’m not enjoying the food. I want to be challenged but I don’t want to be distressed. When the spice is just right, my left eye sheds a single tear. True story!

In case you’re wondering, the wings I tried fall into the loose category of ‘American style’. Korean wings are a whole other thing and worthy of their own Top 3.

Starting to wish you skipped straight to the medal winners? That’s cool. Click here.

The Methodology

Here’s the 21 wing joints judged, in the order I visited them:

If you only counted 18 on the list, that’s because there was drama! One judging session was abandoned. The wings were that bad. One venue was disqualified for controversial business practices. One business has now permanently closed.

The scoring system I used is weighted towards the wings but the dining experience forms part of the final score. Here’s what I was judging:

If you really want to geek out, here’s the official scoring sheet. Kudos to The Great Chicken Wing Hunt whose own scoring system inspired mine.

Spicy wings often come with accompaniments; ranch or blue cheese sauce, celery, sometimes carrot. These weren’t part of the judging.

I was sober for every scoring session. I always judged appearance and aroma before taking a bite. I always ate 3 wings before judging taste and spiciness.

I wanted to be able to score the wings discretely so that I didn’t attract any attention from the venue. I developed an eating technique of keeping one hand clean so I could enter scores into a spreadsheet on my phone. No photographs were taken during scoring sessions.

When all 21 had been judged, I returned to the 3 highest scoring wing joints to judge them again. Could they consistently deliver an amazing wing experience?

FULL DISCLOSURE: After being an anonymous, full-paying customer twice, when scoring was complete, I contacted the top 3 venues, explained what I was doing and asked if I could return to take some official photographs of their wings. I also gave them the option of providing those wings for free. 2 of them did.

OK. Ready for the reveal? Follow the wings!

Wellington Hot Wings Olympics: The Medalists

GOLD MEDAL: The Pickle Jar

Behold! Wellington’s gold medal winning wings!

The Pickle Jar’s wings look spectacular, smell sublime and have the perfect amount of sauce.

There’s 2 spicy options: Hot Buffalo, and the addition of a shot of Carolina Reaper hot sauce. On both my visits I chose and judged the Hot Buffalo option with the Carolina Reaper shot on the side. The spiciness of Buffalo Hot is at the high end of medium but having the Carolina Reaper on the side allows you to take it up a level.

The Pickle Jar serves their wings by the pound for $17. On my first visit, that amounted to 17 wings. On my second visit; 14. That’s an average of $1.10 per wing which makes them the third cheapest I tried.

Eating wings is fun, but messy. To help you out, the Pickle Jar serves their wings with a finger bowl. Fancy!

The Pickle Jar is a neighbourhood pub with a fun atmosphere. They cater for a good cross-section of the Karori community and their service is friendly and professional.

Their wings are free range, gluten-free and available 7 days a week.

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SILVER MEDAL: The Rogue & Vagabond

Deliciously, I could smell spicy wings as soon as I set foot inside The Rogue & Vagabond for my first tasting. Their wings are well-cooked and very tasty.

There’s 2 spicy options: Smokey Chipotle (Hot) and Dragon’s Fury (Extra Hot). Dragon’s Fury hot sauce is NZ-made and has won multiple international awards in the ‘ultra hot’ category. I judged the Smokey Chipotle, which I would rate as medium-hot, but also tried the Dragon’s Fury which was over-the-top hot.

At 77 cents each, Rogue’s wings are the best value for money in town but they’re only available on Wednesdays. The photo above shows the $19 deal featuring 5x Smokey Chipotle, 2x Dragon’s Fury and 5x mild BBQ plus a pint of whatever tickles your fancy on tap.

The Rogue & Vagabond are an accredited living wage employer and their wings are free range. That combo probably makes them the most ethical wing joint in Wellington.

You can enjoy Rogue’s wings in one of the best atmospheres of all the venues I visited. Laze on the lawn or soak up their ecclectic interior. Stick around for live music most nights. You can bring your dog too!

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BRONZE MEDAL: Tequila Joe’s

Tequila Joe’s wings are wonderfully juicy and the spice is just right.

There’s 4 types of spiciness on offer: Buffalo Classic (Medium), Spicy Sriracha (Hot), Garlic Fire (Hot) and Damn Hot (Extra Hot). I chose Damn Hot and found it to be perfect. I shed a single tear.

Tequilla Joe’s wings are available Tuesday to Saturday. The menu states 6 wings for $15 but I got a surprise 7th wing on both tasting occasions. Wednesday is all-you-can-eat wing night at $24 for orders before 5:30, $29 after 5:30pm

Tequila Joe’s has a buzzy vibe. It’s small so it fills up quickly but I always felt the service kept up with the crowd. I was lucky to get a stool at the end of the bar, both times I visited. Book in advance if there’s more than 2 of you.

Apart from great wings, Tequila Joe’s specialise in Mexican beers, cocktails and tequilas.

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Shout-outs to The Green Man Pub, The Butcher and Brewer in Petone and Soul Shack. They all scored well and deserve a mention.

The Green Man Pub does tender, tasty wings and has 3 serving sizes depending on your appetite: ¼kg, ½kg & 1kg. A heads-up for hipsters, Green Man’s sauces are the kind of buttery that sticks around in a beard. They do have the best-named extra-hot option; Total Molecular Disintegration!

The Butcher and Brewer‘s wings win on texture and flavour. They’re coated in a secret recipe dry rub for 24 hours. Next, they’re slow-smoked for another three and a half. When you order them, the wings are crispy-fried and tossed in The Butcher and Brewer’s own-recipe hot sauce.

Soul Shack‘s Nashville wings are among the crispiest and juiciest in town. They offer 4 levels of spice. If you want the indisputably hottest, spiciest, meanest and most unforgiving wings in Wellington, go see Soul Shack. Their Level 4: Nightmare Chicken is pure evil. It will punish you. It will hurt you bad. It will mock your tears and laugh in your purple, dribbling face. Nightmare Chicken will haunt you forever. Write a will and enjoy responsibly.

There’s still spicy wings around town I haven’t tried. Did I miss your favourites or do you disagree with mine? Let me know, below.

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 bay 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, along 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. Click 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. Enthusiasm 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.

What is it about caves and tunnels?

They’re dark. There’s critters. They’re claustrophobic. They’re scary!

You don’t know what’s going to be in there but something inside you wants to find out. That means overcoming the monsters in your mind.

A tunnel says, adventure. It’s something primeval. Maybe it’s the ancestral cave-dweller in all of us. Maybe it’s the modern day urban explorer looking for something lost.

Wellington lives on top of rock known to mountaineers as ‘Weetbix’. Geologists call it Torlesse Greywacke. It’s structurally weak which means it’s not so good for creating caves but great for cave-ins!

Breaker Bay

There is a man-made cave at Breaker Bay.

It was chiseled into the rock at the water’s edge by retired bus driver, Ross Collins. In 2006, Ross was of no fixed address. A car was his bedroom. The cave was his living room.

The cave had a sitting room, a storage area and a mezzanine snoozing area. It took Ross a year and a half to build but he saved up enough money to buy a campervan and abandoned the cave. That was over a decade ago.

The cave’s interior was a shambles last time I was there. A lot of bugs and bird shit but it’s still a kooky place to check out.

The view from inside the cave is pretty spectacular.

Island Bay

There was a natural cave near Island Bay but it had to make way for what is now The Esplanade.

In the late 1800s, the cave’s inhabitant was a famous Hermit. Apparently he was quite a tourist attraction. Wellingtonians weren’t happy with his home having to make way for road construction. Read this letter to the editor in the Wellington Evening Post in 1894.

OK. Tunnel-time.

Where there’s hills, there’s tunnels.

Before writing this, I deliberated over how much detail to include. Too much and there’s no treasure hunt or adventure. Not enough and those that are keen may never find them. I won’t be telling you exactly where the lesser-known tunnels are, or what’s inside, but there will be enough clues for the curious.

I’m also not telling you what is legal and what is safe. Those assessments are up to you.

I’m going to order these underground locations by obscurity, starting with some you might know, then moving on to those you probably don’t.

Wrights Hill

The Wrights Hill Fortress tunnels are reasonably well known but they’re only open to the public 5 times per year. “Oh yeah. I really want to check them out but I always forget, or miss the Open Day” said most people I know. Put it in your diary, people!

Johnsonville.

This tunnel gets a mention on the official Skyline Walkway Map.

Head uphill from the end of Truscott Avenue in Johnsonvile. Keep your eyes open and you’ll find a tunnel built in 1912 as part of the Johnsonville Waterworks scheme. The entrance to this tunnel is lush and green.

The tunnel runs at least 50 metres but it’s straight so you never lose sight of the entrance. Good for scaredy cats.

Karori

The Morning Star Mine is at Zealandia.

Apparently, the mine is often open on weekends and public holidays but that is dependent on volunteer guides. No guides when I visited but it’s still possible to walk about 10 meters into the mine.

Percy Scenic Reserve

If you’re a bit apprehensive about plunging into dark underground confined spaces, the short tunnel at Percy Scenic Reserve is a good start. This photo was taken from the furthest point inside which is maybe 10 meters at best.

Apparently there are weta inside this tunnel but I can’t say I saw any.

Te Ahumairangi Hill

Thomas Tunnel is at the other end of the claustrophobia spectrum. The tunnel stretches for about 35 meters. The further you go in, the smaller the diameter of the tunnel gets before hitting a cramped dead-end. There’s a fair amount of dripping water.

Thomas Tunnel is at the old Te Ahumairangi Hill quarry site. it was a trial tunnel dug to prospect for gold and silver in 1906. I was glad to finally exit this one.

Trelissick Park

*UPDATE: The entrances to both Trelissick Park tunnels have been secured by Wellington Water. It is no longer possible to enter these tunnels. For serious safety reasons, entry should not be attempted under any circumstances.

I’ve explored two tunnels in Trelissick Park. The entrance to one is near the fish ladder. Google it. You’ll see a metal gate which looks locked* but it wasn’t when I was there last.

The gate at the other end is, though.

There are steps at the start then a roughly 100 meter curved tunnel.

The other tunnel at Trelissick Park is my favourite for four reasons: It’s the tunnel where I had to battle my mind the most. What’s that sound? What’s that smell? What’s that slime?! I imagined things far worse than are probably in there. Probably. It’s one of the few tunnels where I can walk upright without bumping my head. It’s the tunnel with the most mysteries to discover. The fourth reason is big — GLOW WORMS!

Access this Trelissick Park tunnel from the Ngaio Gorge track which starts from Kaiwharrawharra Road and runs beside Kaiwharrawharra Stream. You’ll see a large locked* gate at the entrance. It gets dark but about three-quarters of the way in, turn off your torch and you will see the glow worms. Then spend 20 minutes unsuccessfully trying to photograph glow worms. This was the best I could do.

Although I don’t know how long this tunnel is, it’s the longest one I’ve walked and the longest on this list. It takes between 10 and 15 minutes to carefully walk to the end. The ground is uneven and the further you go, the deeper the water gets. You can avoid wet feet by rock hopping or some creative side-stepping but if you’ve got waterproof boots, you should be all good. There’s no way out but walking to the end is worth it.

I’ve avoided telling you too much about what you’ll find inside these tunnels but you’ve got to see this work of art now. It might not be there if you visit*.

Miramar

There was a lake in Miramar prior to 1846. The land was owned by James Coutts Crawford. He wanted to free up more land for cattle farming so he drained the lake into Evans Bay by tunnelling through Rongotai Ridge near where the ‘Wellington’ sign is. These underground rooms are part of that drainage system. You’ll find them near the start of Shelly Bay Road.

Sadly, their current use is as a random rubbish dump. The first one is quite small and you’re not missing much by not going inside — except maybe tetanus.

The second entrance takes you into a larger space with a couple of big rooms. Far more exploring and photo opportunities in here.

Location X

I was contacted by Wellington Water and asked not to encourage the exploration of this tunnel. I have removed any reference to its location. It should also be noted that exploring any underground tunnels — particularly those containing water, comes with dangers you may not be aware of. Do not enter such tunnels.

Both ends of this tunnel are in close proximity to private property and dwellings so respect that. Once you enter, you’re about 250 metres from the other end. This tunnel has a few twists and turns so you will be in complete darkness for at least half its length.

Eastbourne

The last tunnel is a wildcard! A boy started digging it at age 11. Now it’s a network of tunnels leading to a central cave and spiral staircase. It even has electricity! This is on private property in Eastbourne so your chances of seeing it are slim. I took a sneaky look during a home-open when the property was for sale. The tunnel network and cave was technically off-limits during the viewing. These are the best photos and blurry video I could get.

Bunkers

Half-way between cave and tunnel is bunker. Check out Tim Dorian’s guide to exploring Wellington’s historic bunkers. Tim mentions the bunkers you can easily enter but there are some other interesting ones worth a look, and the adventure of locating them.

Khandallah

The most accessible of these is hidden in plain sight next to Khandallah Pool.

It’s been bricked up for years but you can still peek through a slot in the wall.

Botanic Gardens

There’s a bunker under the Dominion Observatory in the Botanic Gardens behind this red door.

‘Gardens Battery’ was built in 1896 as a response to the ‘Russian Scare‘. The naval forces of Russia were considered to be a real threat to New Zealand. There’s nothing inside now but its former military purpose is evident.

Gardens Bunker is rarely accessible to the public. Your best chance of seeing inside is by keeping an eye on Heritage Week events.

Maupuia

Of all the sites mentioned in this list, another military installation built to fight the Russians is the hardest to locate. After it was decommissioned, it was buried!

It’s on the Miramar Peninsula. I could give you the map coordinates but then you’d miss the fun and detective work of finding it for yourself.

There’s evidence at the site, and online, that people have been inside in the not-too-distant past but now there’s a solid metal door preventing entry. You can still see inside.

I recommend going with a buddy. The structural integrity of the dug-out entrance is questionable.

Before anyone gets all dictionary definitions on me, I know, some of these tunnels are technically culverts. Culverts carry creeks, streams and rivers under roads and buildings. Wellington is crisscrossed by streams you never see. More about Wellington’s secret streams in a future post.

There’s more to explore on my Wellington underground to-do list. Maybe you know some places I don’t. If so, let me know.