Postcard from ... Wellington | Make It In Design

When we told people we were moving to Wellington a common response was ‘oh, it’s very windy!’ Yes, that can be true, but as the country’s arts and culture capital it’s also bursting with creativity, enthusiasm and passion. What really blew my mind was the variety of landscapes in such a small area – city, sea and mountains all in one place.

SEE

The city sits on a serene waterfront with loads of maritime activity and cultural goodness to enjoy, including: New Zealand’s National Museum Te Papa Museum , The Maritime Museum; art galleries; theatres including Circa, restaurants and cafes; and a beautiful timber boardwalk with sculptures, and lots more. Along the coastline, through Oriental Bay with its gorgeous art deco buildings, and past the airport lies a gorgeous rugged beachfront – great for fossicking for sea treasures.

SHOP & EAT

The city itself has some high end shopping. I really love exploring the fantastic second hand, vintage ware and thrift boutiques around Cuba Street and relaxing with a coffee in one of the quirky cafés. There are some great places to eat too, including a couple of award-winning restaurants.

Further back into the surrounding hills, but still inner city, lie the botanical gardens. When we first arrived the hydrangea gardens were in full pink and purple bloom. You can catch the cable car up through the gardens to the planetarium and Zealandia, an eco-sanctuary with leafy green walks and rare Kiwi wildlife.

OTHER TREATS

From the surrounding suburbs in the hills you can see the city, the sea and the mountains across the harbour. This is what really caught my eye when we arrived. The mountain ranges are spectacular, and as the sun moves overhead the layers peel back to reveal more mountains behind. Some have houses whose lights twinkle at night and others have rows of pine trees with floating bunches of horsetail grass. When the moon rises behind these mountains it’s stunning, and at times I’ve dropped everything and gone running outside with my camera to capture the magic.

Design inspired by Wellington:

A Postcard from Wellington by Amanda Laing

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Amanda Laing aka NeekieNoo designs is founded on the central philosophy of finding beauty in simple things. You don’t need expensive materials to make something gorgeous to wear or use. Even better to breathe new life into a material which has already had a past life and giving it a whole new purpose and life I find exciting. Likewise, with technique, by using an old style of crafting and giving it a whole new spin I find equally exciting. I also have to admit to a life-long obsession with flowers, in particular daisies, which are a recurring theme in many of my designs!

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