Art and About

Hiding below seawalls or twisting and turning in the wind, sculptures pop up everywhere around you when wandering through the city. Wellington loves to embrace its famous windy days and to celebrate Wellington, artists have made a series of wind sculptures all around town. The most photographed man in Wellington has to be Solace in the Wind – a Max Patte sculpture that looks set to dive into the city’s harbour just outside Te Papa – and the Wellington Writers Walk literally sets words about the capital of cool in stone.

The Wellington Writers Walk was opened during the NZ International Festival of the Arts in March 2002; and is a project of the New Zealand Society of Authors’ of Wellington Branch. It consists of a series of 19 text sculptures located along Wellington’s beautiful harbour. Each one contains a quotation about the city from a poem or piece of prose by one of the many talented writers who have made Wellington their home at some point in their lives.

The writers in the walk include Katherine Mansfield, Robin Hyde, Pat Lawlor, Denis Glover, James K. Baxter, Bruce Mason, Lauris Edmond, Maurice Gee, Patricia Grace, Vincent O’Sullivan, Fiona Kidman, Barbara Anderson, Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, Eileen Duggan and Bill Manhire.

The Wellington Cable Car is a funicular railway in Wellington, New Zealand between Lambton Quay, the main shopping street, and Kelburn, a suburb in the hills overlooking the central city, rising 120 m over a length of 612 m. It is widely recognised as a symbol of Wellington.

Wellington Zoo is nestled in the green belt of Wellington, New Zealand. Now over 100 years old, it was the country’s first Zoo and has 13-hectare (32-acre) dedicated to over 100 different species of fauna from across the globe. Wellington Zoo is a significant contributor to conservation efforts including breeding programs for endangered species such as the Sun Bear and Sumatran tiger, as well as spreading conservation and sustainability messages to the wider community.

Local swimmers are now enjoying the benefits of our $12 million investment drive in aquatic facilities around the city.

Just last month two new pool facilities were opened in the Capital - a dedicated hydrotherapy pool at Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie and a new learner facility at Karori Pool.

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the funding reflects the high value we place on learning to swim and staying active, fit and healthy.

" Our new and improved facilities provide health, safety and fitness benefits for Wellingtonians of all ages."

The $2.4 million hydrotherapy pool is expected to be heavily used. The warmer water in hydrotherapy pools can provide pain relief for conditions such as arthritis and can also help people recover from surgery or muscle injuries.

" There's been a real need for a dedicated hydrotherapy service in Wellington since 2005 when the existing facility at Wellington Hospital was decommissioned, " says the Mayor.

At Karori Pool, the new $600, 000 7m x 4m learner pool has been installed in an area which was previously an under-used outdoor courtyard. Councillor John Morrison, Sports and Events Portfolio Leader, says the pool will provide a dedicated, quieter environment for learners - which will help improve the quality of lessons and open up more space for swimmers in the main pool.

" Now we've got more Wellingtonians than ever taking swimming lessons, which is terrific both for fitness and water safety. Our approach is to free up space for lessons and allow our pools to cater for more people."

Two local school pools have also recently been upgraded with the help of a Council grant from our contestable School Pools Partnership Fund, which helps schools maintain and improve their pools for wider community benefit.

A $55, 000 grant to Berhampore School helped to complete an upgrade last month that included new pipes, filters, pumps, a heater, paint for the changing sheds, and hot showers. A further grant of $69, 000 assisted with a roof for the pool.

TASKS

I. Practice the pronunciation of the following proper names:

Wellington, Wellington Harbour, New Zealand, the North Island, Cook Strait, the Rimutaka Range, the Kapiti Coast, Wairarapa, the Hutt Valley, Thorndon, the Edwardian neo-classical Parliament House, the Victorian Gothic Parliamentary Library, Beehive building, Te Papa Tongarewa, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and the biennial Festival of the Arts, the Aro Valley Heritage Trail, Courtenay Place, The Dowse Art Museum, Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, Kilbirnie and a new learner facility at Karori Pool, Wellingtonians, Khandallah School, Berhampore School.

II. Answer the following questions:

1. What city is the capital city and second most populous urban area of New Zealand?

2. Where is Wellington situated?

3. What is the population of Wellington?

4. Is Wellington city's population young?

5. What cities does the urban area include?

6. What is the average hourly wage in Wellington city?

7. Do property and business services provide the greatest number of jobs (21, 819), followed by government administration and defence (12, 699)?

8. How many dwellings are there in Wellington?

9. Are all the dwellings owned?

10. Would a visit to the Capital City be complete without a visit to NZ's beautifully refurbished Parliament Buildings?

11. What city is a leading centre for creative industries, such as film and computer technology?

12. Is Wellington the home of the New Zealand Stock Exchange or Coal Exchange?

13. What is a major contributor to Wellington’s economy, injecting approximately $1.3 million into the region annually and accounting for 9% of total FTE employment?

14. What is Wellington's largest international visitor market Australia?

15. What tourism to the capital is experiencing a major boom, in line with nationwide development?

16. What tourist attractions is Wellington home to?

17. What do you know about the Museum of Wellington City and Sea?

18. Why is Wellington known as Wellywood?

19. What building is one of the jewels in Wellington’s art crowns?

20. Where can you enjoy live theatre?

III. Complete the following sentences:

1. Wellington is New Zealand's centre of …….

2. Wellington city has a steadily growing population which increased …….

3. Wellington city is the largest of a number of closely linked cities and districts …….

4. Wellington city has higher proportions of Europeans (76.8%) and Asians (12.7%) than …….

5. Over one-third (33%) of Wellington residents have …….

6. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and …….

7. About half of Wellington's population - Porirua on Porirua Harbour to the north is notable for …….

8. Incomes in Wellington city are well above the average for New Zealand with …….

9. The average house value in Wellington city is …….

10. Nearly half (46%) of Wellington city workers are employed in …….

11. Located in the historic suburb of Thorndon, the complex of Parliament Buildings is made up of three architecturally distinctive buildings …….

12. In 2008, Wellington was classified as a Gamma World City in …….

13. In 2011 Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011 named Wellington as fourth in …….

14. The city is home to many museums, theatres and arts festivals, including …….

15. Wellington is marketed as the 'coolest little capital in the world' by …….

16. In the decade to 2010, the city saw growth of over 60% in commercial guest nights. It has been promoted through …….

17. The city is consistently named as New Zealanders’ favourite destination in …….

18. New Zealanders make up the city’s largest visitor market, with …….

19. Wellington is a popular conference tourism destination due to …….

20. Popular tourist attractions of Wellington include …….

IV. Explain the meaning of the following word combinations and make up sentences of your own:

Dedicated hydrotherapy pool, safety and fitness benefits, provide pain relief, under-used outdoor courtyard, investments in the community, significant contributor, vibrant local music scene, internationally acclaimed musicians, captivating art, hands-on classes and programmes, multi-media vignettes, gorgeous art house theatres, tourism’s themed itinerary.