Rose Brooks

Episode 789 – Wellington: A Cable Car & A Botanic Garden

Today’s adventure took us up the hill via funicular / cable car to the Wellington’s Botanic Garden.

It’s a relatively short (time-wise) ride , rising 120 metres/394 ft over a length of 612 metres/2008 ft to the hilly suburb of Kelburn, through three tunnels and over three bridges.

The modern tramway is a funicular, but according to the signs we saw “the original 1902 tramway was technically a hybrid of a cable car and funicular; working on the counterbalance principle with the downhill car providing the locomotion by gripping a moving cable, hence the term Cable Car”.

At the upper terminal there is a free Cable Car Museum that explained how the tramway was built and originally operated, how the cars were designed, and how the two vintage cars on display were restored.

Car No. 1, called the ‘Relentless Red Rattler’ because of the rattling noise it produced when going up and down the steep incline and through the tunnels, was in use from the 1950s to late 1970s. It had inside and outside seats, and apparently brave riders might cram onto the side rails and just hang on!
Grip Car No. 3, lovingly restored.

The grip car was completely dismantled and all its components were cleaned and repaired before being reassembled. Any timber too damaged or decayed to repair was replaced with timber of a matching species, and all finishes were stripped off and reapplied.

The original, and the restoration.

We were given a glimpse into the original mechanics of how the tramway was operated. The winding machinery operated first with steam and then electricity from 1902 to 1978. It is in its original location and has been restored to working order making it a very rare example of its kind.

From the lower level of the museum, we could look up at the cable-gripping mechanism under Car No. 1.

We also got a look at the “traditional” civil engineering tools used to design the tramway – a stark reminder of life before computers!

We exited the museum for a peek into Kelburn’s quirkiest tourist attraction, Fragrifert Victorian Perfumery. It’s a real perfumery, with an unusual premise: was Gustave Fragrifert a real 19th century genius perfumer who never released a scent? Real live artisan perfumer Francesco van Eerd hopes channeling that mystery will set him apart as much as his fragrances.

Perfume is not my thing (it makes me cough), but the Perfumery space was a Victorian decorator’s delight.

Top: an essential oils distiller that looks suspiciously like a still…

Then it was time to take a walk through Wellington’s urban oasis.

There are several trails through the park, some following streams, and all lined with native New Zealand trees and the huge tree ferns that so fascinate me.

Scenes from the display and herb gardens.
Top left: the duck pond area. Bottom left: hydrangeas – invasive but beautiful. Right: two images of a Highclere Holly tree, whose leaves are waxy and sharp – the two distinct leaf colours are likely due to grafting.

There were interesting sculptures along the walkways.

Te Pümautanga : Serenity, Calmness, Peaceful.
Carved by Jason Hina from native Täkaka marble from Nelson, New Zealand.
The figure derives from the Hei Tiki, a traditional Mãori neck pendant that symbolizes life, fertility, and new beginnings. The base is Kökawa Andesite stone sourced from the Taranaki region.
“Green Islands” by Regan Gentry. Four native species are represented: wharariki (flax), ti kouka (cabbage tree), pohutukawa and toetoe. The installation’s plaque explained that “By introducing islands of greenery using replica trees constructed from No. 8 fencing wire he is commenting on both the legendary ability of Kiwis to make anything with a piece of No. 8 and the irony of constructed vegetation within the city environment -the very place greenery is needed the most.” I guess No. 8 fencing wire is the equivalent for Kiwis of duct tape and WD40 for Canucks!
“Peacemaker” by Chris Booth., of stacked and sculpted basalt boulders given by the Nati Kura people of Matauri Bay, Northland. The dedication reads: “There can be peace between human beings; we have this choice.”
“Rudder stone” by Denis O’Connor. On the near side, black mica-flecked granite alludes to the night sky, and the Old World. On the far side the New World – blue azul marble from Brazil (the sea) and white Carrara marble from Italy (the sky) together create a panorama that is in “the mind’s eye of Pacific Coast dwellers and maritime voyagers”.

The fountain in the “display garden” featured frogs just waiting to be turned into princes.

Perhaps my favourite feature of the garden was the Peace Flame Garden area, with its eternal flame and Hiroshima stone.

The huge begonia house was closed for renovation, but we stopped at the café between it and the Lady Norwood Rose Garden for afternoon cake and coffee.

While I enjoyed the geometric layout of the rose garden as seen from above, roses themselves – showy, blowsy, and quickly faded – have never been a flower I enjoy. Ironic, I guess.

Of course, we heard lots of birds, but saw very few. The song thrush and tūī made brief appearances.

It was a lovely peaceful day, with sandwiches in our apartment-hotel for dinner. Tomorrow we’re off to the Wētā Workshop!

5 comments

Leave a reply to 1027dorothy Cancel reply