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Posts tagged ‘miramar peninsula’

Dec 27

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Christmas in pics and summer road trip preview

Christmas marks the start of the main holiday season in NZ where most people look forward to a break, be it short or long, in beautiful summer weather. (Though as many will attest, the weather doesn’t always hold up its end of the bargain.) Mike and I don’t have a regular holiday routine at this time of year, as I’m often blatting up the North Island to see my family while he stays in Wellington to be with his, plus there’s usually other trips planned during the year that we need to save our leave days for. This year things are a little bit different and we are going away – and ‘keeping it Kiwi’ as the saying goes. This is our fast and furious plan of attack:

  • Take our car on the ferry across to Picton at the top of the South Island.
  • Drive to Nelson. First time visit for me there! A quick scramble of sights and will also catch up with friends. One night.
  • Drive down the fabulous West Coast to Fox Glacier. Haven’t been there in donkey’s. Weather permitting, we’ll see the glacier. One night.
  • Drive to Queenstown-Lakes District down in my favourite part of the country (and world for that matter!). One night in the Cardrona Valley, which in winter is one of the big places to go for skiing, boarding etc.
  • Carry on through to Queenstown. Here we’ll do a mix of outdoor activities and catching up with friends. Two(!) nights.
  • Early start – better not overdo New Years Eve – to get to Manapouri for a cruise on Doubtful Sound. Really looking forward to this. One night.
  • We head to the Catlins in the far south-east corner of NZ. Another first for me and also the furthest south I’ll have been to in my own country. Two nights there, albeit in different places.
  • Then a blat straight up the east coast to catch the ferry, pausing overnight near Christchurch.

Unfortunately the forecast has not been very promising. For this we can thank, at least in part, the remnants of Cyclone Evan, which battered Samoa and Fiji recently and which has blown and piddled its way onto our fair shores.

So far it hasn’t amounted to much so we might be in luck. I’ve been looking forward to going down south for months and I’ll be disappointed if it’s going to be a wash out. But it will still be great visiting my favourite island.

Meanwhile here in Wellington we were very lucky to have a superb Christmas Eve and Christmas Day days. Here’s a summary in photos.

To regular readers of this blog, thank you, and I wish you a fantastic 2013.

Dec 9

36 Comments

Inside Wellington Prison

Until very recently, Wellington had three main correctional facilities: Rimutaka Prison for men, one of the largest in the country; Arohata Prison for women; and the oldest, Wellington Prison, also for men.

We live near Wellington Prison. For about 85 years, this facility (aka Mt Crawford Prison) has sat on what is now one of the most desirable hill-top parcels of land in the city. As well as it being a familiar – if tucked out of sight – local landmark now that I live in Wellington, I had an awareness of it on account of my ex-husband, who may have gotten to know the place quite well before I met him.

It was built in the 1920s to replace an inner city ‘gaol’. At the time its construction reflected evolved thinking around more humane applications of penal policy. However, this thinking has marched on further still and the focus within prisons now on rehabilitation and reduced re-offending meant that Wellington Prison was no longer a viable facility. The buildings were also not earthquake strengthened – a factor which is receiving a lot of focus across Wellington.

So the prison had to close. It actually closed for the first time in 2008 because of the ageing buildings, only to reopen the following year because of a rise in prisoner numbers nationally. But on 30 November 2012 it closed permanently.

Before this happened, the Department of Corrections did a brilliant thing and ran an open day, within a few days of the last prisoners being transferred out. Mike and I were keen to go. We rolled up around opening time and for the price of a gold coin (proceeds to local charities) we joined throngs of other visitors.

Armed with a pamphlet, we began our self-guided tour.

The prison can't have seen many days where crowds of people were chomping at the bit to get inside

The prison can’t have seen many days where crowds of people were chomping at the bit to get in

Smi-ile!

Smi-ile!

Wellington Prison

Razor wire

Razor wire was installed in 2009 after the prison re-opened

Razor wire was installed in 2009 after the prison re-opened

Wellington Prison

Four executions by hanging took place here in the 1930s. The small door was used to remove the bodies

Four executions by hanging took place here in the 1930s. The small door was used to remove the bodies

Reading graffiti in one of the rooms where prisoners were assessed upon arrival

Reading graffiti in one of the processing rooms

Prison graffiti

Prison graffiti

A convincing reenactment by Mike

A convincing reenactment by Mike

Prison window

Unit One, where higher security prisoners were kept

Unit One, where higher security prisoners were kept

Horrible damp walls - this cell was next to the shower block

Horrible damp walls – this cell was next to the shower block

Trying out a cell for size (this was in Unit Two but the cells were very similar)

Trying out a cell for size (this was in Unit Two but the cells were very similar)

On a noticeboard

On a noticeboard

In one of the large rooms a few displays included a table of old criminal records. These two chaps were 'gaoled' in 1907 in Auckland, one for forgery & altering, the other for vagrancy

In one of the large rooms a few displays included a table of old criminal records. These two chaps were ‘gaoled’ in 1907 in Auckland, one for forgery & altering, the other for vagrancy

Wellington Prison padlock

A four-bed cell in Unit Two where lower security prisoners were held

A four-bed cell in Unit Two where lower security prisoners were held

Boots left behind

Left behind

One of the last menus before the remaining prisoners were relocated

One of the last menus before the remaining prisoners were relocated

Wellington Prison

The laundry walls were one big mural

The laundry walls were one big mural

Wellington Prison Issue

Before 1984, when the chapel was established, this had been a shower block

Before 1984, when the chapel was established, this had been a shower block

Toilets in one of the outside yards - and, delicious, a drinking fountain nearby

Toilets in one of the outside yards – and, delicious, a drinking fountain nearby

mike

One of the all-weather exercise yards

One of the all-weather exercise yards

In another covered exercise yard the walls were covered in murals. I chuckled at this one

In another covered exercise yard the walls were covered in murals. I chuckled at this one

Reference to Mt Crawford, the hill on which the prison is located

Reference to Mt Crawford, the hill on which the prison is located

Wellington harbour and CBD

Wellington harbour and CBD

We could hear music and eventually we found the Salvation Army Band in one of the yards

We could hear music and eventually we found the Salvation Army Band in one of the yards

Wellington Prison open day

When we left there was still a steady stream of people heading in. I heard that later on some had to be turned away and the money collection boxes had been filled to capacity, proof that thousands of people were intrigued to get a rare glimpse into not only a jail but a significant part of Miramar Peninsula’s history.

And what is the land to be used for? That hasn’t yet been confirmed.

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