Waitangi Park

Waitangi Park, a re-modelled recreation-space in Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand, dates from 2005. It lies near Te Papa (the National Museum of New Zealand) and Courtenay Place. The facilities include a waka-launching area, a children's playground, a skateboard-zone, and a large grassy space.

Events

Numerous events have taken place at Waitangi Park, these include:

* In early 2006 the Earth From Above exhibition occurred at Waitangi Park. The exhibition consisted of a series of photographs by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and raised questions about sustainable development. The "Daily Mail" described the portraits as " [t] he most amazing pictures you’ll ever see". [ [http://2006nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/visual-arts/earth-from-above.php Festival Of The Arts 2006] ]
* During the 2006 International Festival of the Arts a series of live performances, both by local artists (such as Salmonella Dub, The Warratahs, The Phoenix Foundation, Fat Freddys Drop) and by international acts selected from the festival (such as [http://www.antonioforcione.com/cgi-bin/concerts.cgi Antonio Forcione] from Italy and The Sharon Shannon Band from Ireland)

Regular events

* Waitangi Park Market. Fruit and vegetable market. Open hours: Sunday 7am - 12pm. [ [http://www.wellingtonnz.com/RestaurantsAndShopping/Shopping/WaitangiParkMarket/WaitangiParkMarket.htm Waitangi Park Market] ]
* Petanque
* Skateboarding
* Waka-launching

Design

Wraight Athfield Landscape Architecture (WALA) won the competition held to design the park. WALA saw the design through to completion in 2005.

History

Wellingtonians formerly referred to the Waitangi Park area as Chaffers Park. Prior to 1855 the park area consisted of part of a gently sloping beach (Chaffers Beach), often covered in water from harbour and stream. On the north-east side of the park, redevelopment of the former Herd St Post Office into lifestyle-apartments and into a commercial space called Chaffers Dock Apartments has commenced.

Geography

The surrounding waterway (wetlands) have become a symbolic spiritual cleansing mechanism for the Waitangi stream, recently lifted from the stormwater/sewer and caused to flow through gravel and grass. The Waitangi stream flows through Te Aro valleyFact|date=January 2008 from the hills to the sea. In 1855 an earthquake raised the stream several metres where it flowed along the marshy area now known as Cambridge and Kent Terraces.

External links

* [http://www.wellingtonwaterfront.co.nz/docs/A_100_masterplan.pdf Design Plan (pdf)]
* [http://www.wellingtonwaterfront.co.nz/development/waitangi/waitangi_park_introduction/ Wellington Waterfront]
* [https://petanque.pbwiki.com/WaitangiPark Petanque]
* [http://www.rayching.co.nz/wgtn01.htm Images of Wellington]
* [http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/venue/waitangi-park.php Festival Zone]
* [http://www.wellurban.org.nz/urbaneye/waitangi_park.html Well Urban Eye]
* [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0603/S00027.htm Scoop: Waitangi Park costs]

References