Wednesday, November 24, 2010

#1274 ... Maranui Cafe

Maranui Cafe ... the servery and no the piece of boat in the background is not real ... a fiberglass replica ... but it does look the real deal.

Maranui Cafe is a quirky, 1940s-style cafe situated in the clubrooms of the Maranui Surf Club. Delicious meals and counter food served, with great views out across Lyall Bay. The Cafe was badly damaged by fire in August 2009 but is now back in business. The Maranui Surf Club is nearly 100. It was established in 1911 and is the second-oldest surf lifesaving club in New Zealand. Its distinctive white wooden clubhouse on Lyall Parade was built in 1930 and a second storey was added in 1956. It is not on the Historic Places Trust register but is listed as a heritage building by Wellington City Council. According to its heritage listing, the clubroom building is "moderne in style, its strong cubic form and narrow horizontal weatherboards making it a prominent structure on the sweep of Lyall Bay".

The club is one of New Zealand's most successful surf lifesaving clubs and has won many national, provincial and local titles. Several members have completed Cook Strait crossings, including Brien McCrea, who in 1972 became the first person to make the crossing on surf skis.

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