|
Local attractions
 |
 |
Petone |
Wellington City |
Petone
Petone, a suburb of Lower Hutt, extends along the foreshore of Wellington Harbour.It is known for it’s mix of quaint and historic residential streets centred around the Jackson Street shopping area with cafes, restaurants and trendy shops.
History
The settlement of the Petone area began in 1840 with the arrival of the first Europeans on the Aurora and Cuba ships. A township called Brittania was founded but soon abandoned because the Hutt River flooded frequently. Many re-settled across the harbour on what is now the Wellington City waterfront.Petone was still populated however, and it became a thriving industrial town. Many people still remember the car assembly plant, woollen mills and meat processing factories. These closed in the 1980′s and a period of gradual economic decline ensued until recent years when it has become a popular destination for the trendy shops, restaurants, and cafes in Jackson St. Now designer outlets sit side by side with second hand shops, hardware stores and bookshops to create an eclectic and interesting shopping experience.
Petone is also well known for it’s picturesque housing. Richard Seddon created some of the first state houses in NZ to ‘help the working man’. There are many examples, and indeed several streets with these houses preserved in their original form.
Midway Pacifica Lodge is ideally located close to the Jackson Street shopping area and near to all local amenities. Leave the car at the Motel and walk (5 minutes) to:
- Trendy restaurants and cafes in Jackson Street for relaxed dining
- Te Puna Wai Ora marks the unique artesian water fountain
- The Petone Working Men’s Club for convivial hospitality
- The Petone Recreation Ground and sports fields
- The Hutt Valley Polytechnic (Weltec) for continuing education
- The Petone Railway Station –trains to Wellington depart every half hour
- Strike Indoor Bowling – 500 m down Hutt Rd
- Train station– 500 m down Hutt Rd
Attractions 1-2 km from Midway Pacifica Lodge include:
- Petone Esplanade, beach and wharf with fabulous views across Wellington Harbour to the city and airport.
- Bowland Petone – twenty fully automatic lanes, bar, café, big screen TV, gaming and amusement machines, pool table. Open 9 am to 12 midnight, seven days.
- Huia Pool – nationally acclaimed 25 metre indoor pool plus indoor children’s and teaching pool with a beached area,
outdoor toddlers fun pool and playground. - Shandon Golf Course – a superbly presented and challenging par 70, 18-hole course with practice chipping and putting
greens and practice fairways. Excellent Clubhouse facilities – Cafe, Bar, Pokies, Pro Shop and Resident Professional. - HangDog Indoor Climbing Centre – Climbing Centre with a 14 metre high indoor climbing wall, 10 lines of lead climbing
anchors, a bouldering room, video and pinball games, and a pro-climbing shop. - Petone Settlers Museum – the Story House of Petone providing a window into the history of the people of the lower part of the
Hutt Valley including interesting stories of migration and settlement. - The Dowse – is an art museum that is highly regarded both nationally and internationally with a constantly changing mix of
exciting and innovative exhibitions.
Other options include fishing from Petone Wharf or in the Hutt River; horse trekking; 4-wheel driving; swimming at one of the Eastbourne bays. Perhaps take the walking track or mountain biking track from the end of Eastbourne to the lighthouse where you can get a wonderful view to the South Island and over the harbour to Wellington City.
Central Wellington
Why not spend the day in Wellington? See below for suggestions of places to visit.Wellington is famous for its theatre and performing arts, street-side cafe’s entertainment and nightlife. Consult Wellington Events to see what is currently on offer.
- Beehive and Parliament Buildings
Tour the home of government in NZ.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/AboutParl/Visiting/ - Cable Car
Ride the cable car past Kelburn Park and the University to the Lookout, Carter Observatory, Planetarium and Cable Car Museum. The extensive views cover the Wellington city and harbour to the Hutt Valley.
http://www.wellingtoncablecar.co.nz/ - Botanic Gardens
- Wellington Zoo
- www.wellingtonzoo.com
- Zealandia
A beautiful sanctuary for wildlife in NZ as it used to be.
http://www.sanctuary.org.nz/ - Te Papa
This interactive museum is located on the edge of Wellington Harbour,
www.tepapa.govt.nz - Wellington Waterfront
A lovely place to stroll and admire the harbour or have coffee in one of the cafes. - Courtenay Place
This area is famous for its bars, restaurants and vibrant nightlife. - JohNZ Tours
See all of Wellington with a sightseeing tour. Or customise a package tour to include the wine trails of the Wairarapa.
www.johnztours.com
|
|
|
Contact UsPhone: +64 (0)4 569 3735Fax: +64 (0)4 569 8166  Email: info@midwaypacificalodge.co.nzLOCATION MAP |