FIND THESE STEPS – At the Wellington Civic Centre and across Jervois Quay to Whairepo Lagoon and The Boatshed and The Wellington Rowing Club.

If there is a place in Wellington that is crawling with steps this is the one.

The bridge links the harbour to the Civic Centre, the Central Library, the Town Hall, and the City Gallery.

There are many steps.

In the 1980’s Wellington Civic Trust ran a competition for a link between the city and the harbour and this became the solution in 1994. Designed by Rewi Thompson and John Grey the wood structure also holds sculpture by Paratene Matchitt.

“It’s true you can’t live here by chance, you have to do and be, not simply watch or even describe. This is the city of action, the world headquarters of the verb.”

-Lauris Edmond (1924 – 2000) She also wrote “A poem is a confrontation with experience. It’s not an idea.”

The really spectacular view of Wellington Harbour/Te Whanganui-a-Tara, also called Pōneke.

The steps descending from the south side of the bridge.

The steps on the north side.

Frank Kitts (a former mayor of Wellington) Lagoon was renamed on 17 December 2015 to Whairepo Lagoon. The name reflects the Māori name for the eagle ray in the harbour. They are considered kaitiaki (guardians). (From the Land Information New Zealand name announcement)

The view across the Whairepo Lagoon, and below, the steps of The BoatShed and the Wellington Rowing Club.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIND THESE STEPS – From 83 to 91 Sar Street, Wadestown, and at the next step from 109/113 Barnard Street, and from the top at  64 Anne Street.

These steps give you an unexpected experience – a grand, old staircase, and then spectacular views.

And I’m grateful to Robert Mosen for letting me know about them.

Looking up from Barnard Street to Anne Street.

Post- lockdown construction at the entrance from Sar Street.

Ms Irvine-Smith wrote about the ‘curiously derived S.A.R Street, commonly called Sar Street, as well as Anne Street’ as being named for Sarah Anne Rhodes, second wife of William Barnard Rhodes (Barnard Street is named for him). Rhodes has been described as one of the wealthiest men in New Zealand at the time, owning possibly a million acres of land in the North and South Islands, and was a founder of Bank of New Zealand. He built a large house, called ‘The Grange’ in  the 1860s in this area, and the drive to his house became Wadestown Road. Wellington being the small town it is, The Grange became the home of Katherine Mansfield’s father, Sir Harold Beauchamp. Mrs Rhodes presented the Mayoral Chain to Wellington City, and also left funding for the education of women at Victoria University.

After the pathway past the construction site.

Looking up to Barnard Street.

And back down toward Sar Street.

From Barnard Street to Anne Street.

 

 

 

 

The stunning views from the top on Anne Street – just turn to the left at the top of the steps and walk a bit up the street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIND THESE STEPS – From Hobson Street, beside the German Embassy, at 94 Hobson Street and at 243 Thorndon Quay, in Thorndon.

Across the Wellington Urban Motorway a few steps lead from the upper hill of Thorndon to the Thorndon Quay, and offers one of the most desolate and unwelcoming pathways in Wellington. I”m only including these steps because they are, actually, useful to get from the upper level to the street below.

The pathway starts alongside the German Embassy.

The rather dismal view looking toward the yard of Hirepool.

 

The entry way is really a terrible experience unless you imagine yourself in some sort of urban futuristic film fantasy. Even that would be grim.

But on the upper level, on Hobson Street, you can find the lovely Lday McKenzie Garden for the Blind, and a good guide to the local historic area around Katherine Mansfield’s house.

 

FIND THESE STEPS – At 24 Tinakori Road, Thorndon.

This little set of steps is remarkable for its graceful enclosure of a tree. I don’t know if the tree was possibly subject to destruction for the utilitarian need for the steps. If so, this is a lovely solution.

The building across the road has been the home of the Wellington Bridge Club since 1989; the club itself was started by an American in 1934.

 

 

 

 

FIND THESE STEPS – Beside the Riverbank Footbridge

Wonderful, wide steps giving a great view of the redone riverbank area. The bridge was completed in 2014 nd connects to the Adelaide Oval Cricket Ground and Memorial Drive Tennis Club across the river from the steps.

The Riverbank Bridge is pedestrian only, and crosses the River Torrens near the Adelaide Railway Station further up the hill.

I’m  happy to see a website dedicated to ‘step streets’ in New York!

STEP STREETS

 

And these steps are now internationally famous thanks to a little known film.

They are actually in the Bronx, connecting Shakespeare and Jerome Streets, and they are attracting quite a bit of attention.