Category: Uncategorized
Amritsar Street Steps
FIND THESE STEPS – At 38 Rangiora Avenue and at the top at 102 Amritsar Street, in Khandallah.
Hidden away, and a little out of the way, these steps hold the distinction for having the most steps – 473, and a grand view of the Wellington Harbour along the way. A series of zigzags at first, then several levels of straight-ahead steps.
Khandallah features plenty of streets named for cities in India, and Armistar is a city in Punjab, near Pakistan.
About half way, two mail boxes. Imagine the stamina of the postie assigned to these deliveries.
Incredibly, Wellington City Council looks after these steps, and the repairs are impressive.
Victoria University
Find these steps – All around the university! (More updates to this to come)
As Ms Irvine-Smith wryly commented, in 1948, ‘a stiff ascent for the may thousand students who have travelled hopefully up the Kelburn heights for the past forty years in the effort to arrive.’ (‘Streets of My City’, page 225)
More to come on this page.
From Living Streets Aotearoa –
Click to access shortcuts_to_victoria.pdf
Katherine Mansfield’s Zigzag
FIND THESE STEPS – Just beyond 267 Thorndon Quay, and on the upper level at the intersection with Cottleville Terrace, at 2 Tinakori Road.
Katherine Mansfield lived at 11 Tinakori Road, in a house open now to the public, so this little set of steps and pathway was close by and appears in one of her stories, ‘The Wind Blows’.
‘They cannot walk fast enough. Their heads bent, their legs just touching, they stride like one eager person through the tow, down the asphalt zigzag where the fennel grows wild, and on to the esplanade. It is dusky – just getting dusky. The wind is so strong that they have to fight their way through it, rocking like two old drunkards. All the poor little pohutukawas on the esplanade are bent to the ground.’
(www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org; The Wind Blows (1915).
The Esplanade has become Thorndon Quay, and now no fennel appears in the area, but all else could be the same, including the warehouse at the bottom of the path.
Further along Tinakori Road is Premier House, at 260 Tinakori Road, the official residence of New Zealand’s prime ministers.
Fairview Crescent to Upland Road Steps
Find these steps -At 129 Upland Road, across from Kelburn Normal School, and from the top at 20 Fairview Crescent.
This is just a very nice short cut between the two streets.
Plunket to Norway Steps
Find these steps – at 48 Norway Street and at the top at 5 Plunket Street, Kelburn.
Just around the corner from the Kelburn shops, at Plunket Street.
At the bottom, 48 Norway Street.
And going back.
It is a long way.
Unexpected art along the way.
Almost there – back at the top.
Literary Steps – and Film Appearances
As could be expected, Wellington’s steps appear in literature – poetry, a novel, and a short story. This is the list so far….
Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield made famous the short zigzag not far from her family home, in her story ‘The Wind Blows’:
‘They cannot walk fast enought. Their heads bent, their legs just touching, they stride like one eager person through the tow, down the asphalt zigzag where the fennel grows wild, and on to the esplanade. It is dusky – just getting dusky. The wind is so strog that they have to fight their way through it, rocking like two old drunkards. All the poor little pahutukawas on the esplanade are bent to the ground.’
(www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org; The Wind Blows (1915).
Over-grown weeds, painted white fence, a steep pathway, but a short flight of steps at the top.
On Thorndon Quay
Brannavan Gnanalingam – ‘A Briefcase, Two Pies, and a Penthouse’ (Lawrence & Gibson Publishing Collective, 2016).
Gnanalingam’s brilliant satire of intelligence agencies includes references to the Dixon Street steps and the Hood Street steps (although the latter aren’t named in the book) – the title is a sly reference to the contents of a briefcase mislaid by a SIS spy in Wellington.
The Dixon Street steps from a distance – and hidden by plenty of trees and bush.
Along Oriental Parade near the Waitangi Park.
Big Weather Poems of Wellington (Selected by Gregory O’Brien & Louise White; Mallison Rendal, 2000)
Two step streets appear in Jenny Bornholdt’s poem ‘We Will, We Do’ – the Oriental Terrace zigzag and McIntyre Avenue.
Oriental Terrace ZigZag
McIntyre Avenue
Denis Gover’s short poem ‘Wellington at 5 o’clock’ describes people on the way home ‘up steps, or go through tunnels’.
Some manage to do both – Woodward Street features both steps and a tunnel.
FILMS AND VIDEOS
New Zealand On Screen Collection
Wellington in 1966 – ‘These hills. And all these steps,’ is the comment of a weary woman standing in front of the Dixon Street steps. And that hill-side is nearly free of trees and shrubs in 1966, and the flights are visible.
An 8 minute film in which steps make brief appearances but gives you an appreciation of the hard work done by the dusties in 1971 Wellington. (Their hard work continues in modern Wellington, working alone now in huge trucks but I don’t think they are called ‘dusties’ any more.)
A 1983 film biography of Wellington, with glimpses of steps and brief views of historic buildings, then being destroyed with the enthusiastic approval of the mayor, Michael Fowler. The city had identified 200 buildings along the Golden Mile as earthquake risk and required rebuilding or destruction within 15 years. – very similar to the situation now.
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
These films are available for viewing by booking with the very helpful staff at Nga Taonga.
Steps
1977
Production by John Pettigrew and Peter Babbett, released by the Department of Education Wellington.
Starts off at the Boulcott entrance to Allenby Tce by a shaggy haired runner in the shorts of the day, and one scene features a picnic lunch on Parliament steps with a bottle of wine, teapot, soup and French bread.
A screen grab below of unknown steps – possibly Plimmer Steps before they were renovated.
(The Wellington Department of Education)
The Steps
1977
From an idea by Peter Coates and Ian McDonald, by Stanley Roberts.
The film opens with a shot of kids taking a hand made scooter down unidentified zig zag steps – possibly Church Street steps before the modern build – and becomes a fantasy where the steps become musical and are played by walking on them. A mother with a pram, fire fighters and police all step on the stairs to create music, led by an elderly band conductor on Plimmer and Parliament steps. It ends with a long shot from the Band Rotunda of Oriental Parade steps Great fun.
Youtube
A nearly silent video from the point of view of a man climbing the steps from Garden Road to the top of Orangi Kaupapa, without comment; by Wessel Egas, published Feb 12, 2017.
Stairway to Maida Vale/Wellington NZ
A two minute video by Rafael In New Zealand published around January 2019; it is just that – a video walk down Maida Vale steps.
Music
Tiny Ruins mention the Allenby steps in their song ‘Adelphi Apartments.’
Literary Steps, Film Appearances, and a Good Run
As could be expected, Wellington’s steps appear in literature – poetry, a novel, and a short story. This is the list so far….
Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield made famous the short zigzag not far from her family home, in her story ‘The Wind Blows’:
‘They cannot walk fast enough. Their heads bent, their legs just touching, they stride like one eager person through the tow, down the asphalt zigzag where the fennel grows wild, and on to the esplanade. It is dusky – just getting dusky. The wind is so strong that they have to fight their way through it, rocking like two old drunkards. All the poor little pohutukawas on the esplanade are bent to the ground.’
(www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org; The Wind Blows (1915).
Over-grown weeds, painted white fence, a steep pathway and a short flight of steps at the top. The pohutukawa trees have grown quite a bit, too.
On Thorndon Quay
Brannavan Gnanalingam – ‘A Briefcase, Two Pies, and a Penthouse’ (Lawrence & Gibson Publishing Collective, 2016).
Gnanalingam’s brilliant satire of intelligence agencies includes references to the Dixon Street steps and the Hood Street steps (although the latter aren’t named in the book) – the title is a sly reference to the contents of a briefcase mislaid by a SIS spy in Wellington.
The Dixon Street steps from a distance – and hidden by plenty of trees and bush.
Hood Street step along Oriental Parade near the Waitangi Park.
Big Weather Poems of Wellington (Selected by Gregory O’Brien & Louise White; Mallison Rendal, 2000)
Two step streets appear in Jenny Bornholdt‘s poem ‘We Will, We Do’ – the Oriental Terrace zigzag and McIntyre Avenue.
Denis Gover‘s short poem ‘Wellington at 5 o’clock’ describes people on the way home ‘up steps, or go through tunnels’.
Some manage to do both – Woodward Street features both steps and a tunnel.
Shanti Mathias – Salient
Shanti elegantly describes the experience we feel when encountering Wellington as a visitor or as a new arrival, and finding our way around.
“I love these steep stairs and passageways, sidling between buildings and streets and emerging in unexpected places.”
“Finding a Way”, Salient, March 2, 2020
Maurice Gee
Maurice Gee appears to also be a steps admirer – and has several mentions in his books. In an interview in 1993 talking about Wellington he says “it’s got wonderful levels, you go up steps and down steps and you can drop out of one world an into another.”
Crime Story – A burglar flees down Allenby Terrace from Kelburn into the city.
Going West – The narrator meets his future wife on Allenby or Dixon Steps,
and a character dies falling down steps, likely at Upland Road.
Live Bodies and Blindspot – Both include steps in Wadestown.
THANK YOU, Alasdar, for these references!
FILMS AND VIDEOS
New Zealand On Screen Collection
Wellington in 1966 – ‘Those hills. And all those steps,’ is the comment of a weary woman standing in front of the Dixon Street steps. And that hill-side is nearly free of trees and shrubs in 1966, and the flights are visible.
An 8 minute film in which steps make brief appearances but gives you an appreciation of the hard work done by the dusties in 1971 Wellington. (Their hard work continues in modern Wellington, working alone now in huge trucks but I don’t think they are called ‘dusties’ any more.)
A 1983 film biography of Wellington, with glimpses of steps and brief views of historic buildings, then being destroyed with the enthusiastic approval of the mayor, Michael Fowler. The city had identified 200 buildings along the Golden Mile as earthquake risk and required rebuilding or destruction within 15 years. – very similar to the situation now.
These films are available for viewing by booking with the very helpful staff at Nga Taonga.
Steps
1977
Production by John Pettigrew and Peter Babbett, released by the Department of Education Wellington.
Starts off at the Boulcott entrance to Allenby Tce by a shaggy haired runner in the shorts of the day, and one scene features a picnic lunch on Parliament steps with a bottle of wine, teapot, soup and French bread.
A screen grab below of unknown steps – possibly Plimmer Steps before they were renovated.
(The Wellington Department of Education)
—
The Steps
1977
From an idea by Peter Coates and Ian McDonald, by Stanley Roberts.
The film opens with a shot of kids taking a hand made scooter down unidentified zig zag steps – possibly Church Street steps before the modern build – and becomes a fantasy where the steps become musical and are played by walking on them. A mother with a pram, fire fighters and police all step on the stairs to create music, led by an elderly band conductor on Plimmer and Parliament steps. It ends with a long shot from the Band Rotunda of Oriental Parade steps Great fun.
Youtube
A nearly silent video from the point of view of a man climbing the steps from Garden Road to the top of Orangi Kaupapa, without comment; by Wessel Egas, published Feb 12, 2017.
Stairway to Maida Vale/Wellington NZ
A two minute video by Rafael In New Zealand published around January 2019; it is just that – a video walk down Maida Vale steps.
Music
Tiny Ruins mention the Allenby steps in their song ‘Adelphi Apartments.’
A Good Run
Thank you, Shanti Mathias, for this unexpected, and very challenging, jaunt –
run up the steps fro Kelburn Parade to Rawhiti Terrace. Run down through the Botanic Gardens and across Glenmore Street, then up Garden Road. Run up the Garden Road-Orangi-Kaupapa Road steps (my favourite steps) and then down Orangi-Kaupapa Road. Run up the Glenmore Street-Upland Road steps, towards Kelburn Village. Run along plunket street and take the pathway down to Norway Street. Run up to the base of Norway Street and up the Thule Street steps. Run back along Raroa Road to Kelburn Village, and take the steps from Rawhiti Terrace back to Kelburn Parade (behind the Hugh McKenzie and Von Zedlitz buildings). There are various adaptions to this involving the Allenby Terrace steps, the Plunket Street-Norway street steps, and the Mount Pleasant Road steps. Altogether there are at least 500 steps.
Northland Road Zigzag
Find these steps – Just before Northland Village, at 51 Northland Road.
This very impressive zigzag is actually a pathway, but there are steps- yes, although they are abandoned, there are steps. Truly.
So including this one is a bit dodgy, but the view is spectacular.
Northland is named for Viscount Northland, writes Ms Irvine-Smith, and he was killed in World War I. His father, Earl of Ranfurly, was New Zealand’s Governor from 1897 to 1904.
From the top, the view of the Northland Tunnel, and a stunning day in Wellington.
Kelwyn Terrace Steps
Find these steps – At 38 Rintoul Street on the lower entryway, and at the end of Kelwyn Terrace at the upper level.
Wellington Steps 