#1437 ... Coco's at the Roxy

The new cafe at the new Roxy Cinema in Miramar. As well as two luxurious, state-of-the-art cinemas, go along and enjoy the elegant surrounds of Coco, take in the interior flourishes created by Weta Workshop and share in the glamour of the 1930s, the golden age of cinema.

History
The Capital Theatre was purpose built in 1928 to screen silent films. In 1932 the cinema was converted to screen 'talkies' making it the last theatre in Wellington to do so. The cinema operated throughout the 30s through to the early 60s, with the last film being screened in 1964. The building was then converted to the Capital Court, a shopping mall with a variety of small businesses operating.

#1436 ... A Biting Mural

This delightful mural has been painted on a blah wall at the upper end of Willis Street ... the alligator also has two other monsters alongside for company. A delightful quirky artwork

#1435 ... Natural Colour

Natural colours creep up the brighter man made tones. Wakefield St. IMAGE by JOSH

#1434 ... Carpark Cathedral

The carpark next to the Amora Hotel (formerly the Duxton Hotel) in Wakefield Street ... presents a cathedral like persona when photographed from an alternative perspective. IMAGE by JOSH

#1433 ... Let's Tango Baby

Rumi had the privilege of spending some time with the Argentine Tango dance community over the weekend. He attended a Tango event at the newly renovated Parade Cafe on the TugBoat ... downstairs, where they have converted the hull as a very stylish function room with a dance floor and a bar. Amongst the dancers, were Kjerstie and Grant ... two very accomplished dancers ... they stood out from the
crowd because they were dancing while holding their 8 month old baby Arlo between them ... With such talented parents to learn from, Arlo will become a great Tango master someday. THANKS RUMI

#1432 ... Operatic Art

More colourful artwork on the lane beside the Opera House. Even the artwork gets tagged. IMAGE BY JOSH .. thanks

#1431 ... Blocked Graffiti

Graffiti by the Opera House ... viewed through a "holey" block wall in the carpark ... IMAGE BY JOSH .. thanks

#1430 ... Shed 11

. Shed 11 ... one of the older wharf buildings that is used for various art exhibitions ... currently showing "portaits" ... These buildings add warmth and contrast to the more modern examples of architecture around the waterfront.

#1428 ... Dockside

Lunch at the Dockside Restaurant, Queens Wharf ... a great place to eat & meet
Anonymous left this cooment ... My female workmates call it The Dry Cleaners, because it's where they go to pick up Suits.  ... delightful humour !!

#1427 ... Portofino

Portofino on the waterfront ... white seats and reflections.
Situated in stunning Wellington just open,just over the road from the sea. Warm, stylish interior, crisp service, knowledgeable waiters and authentic Italian cuisine are all served up against the backdrop of the beautiful Wellington harbour.
The inside restaurant seats approx for 140 people and depending on the situation, some extra dining can be accommodated in the bar area. Summer time sees the outdoor area become a hive of activity.
If you are looking for a private venue then don’t forget to check out Portofino Bar which can hold up to 60 guests in a private allocated space with your own bar and entry door.

#1426 ... Rubbish Day

Rubbish day in Chelmsford Street, Ngaio

#1425 ... Yellow Green Red Black

Interesting almost primary colours on the waterfront. A sunny nearly winter day ... and time to make the most of it.

#1424 ... Puppetry - Complex + Simple

Rumi has been at it again ... roving the city with camera. These are images from the The Indonisian Puppet show at the Asian Night Market event at Shed 6 over the weekend. The left image is the behind the screen action with an amazing array of unusual musical instruments and the puppet master .... right image is what the audience can see from the front ...

SOME BACKGROUND INFO
Wayang originally meant shadow, but it has also come to mean a puppet or a performance.
Wayang kulit (kulit - leather) is the best known of the Javanese puppetry traditions and can be used to describe any puppet theatre using flat leather puppets which cast shadows on to a screen.
The puppets are carved from buffalo hide and painted. As a general rule they have jointed arms, which are manipulated with horn sticks (tuding). The puppets are supported by another piece of horn (gapit) which is split down the middle with one half extending up each side of the figure.
The most popular stories (lakon) are those based on episodes and characters from the great Indian epic poems – the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The performances follow a formalised dramatic structure and include humorous interludes featuring a number of clown characters.
A performance is given against a large screen, traditionally lit by an oil lamp. The dalang (puppeteer) is in overall charge of the performance and not only voices all the puppets, but also sings and controls the musical accompaniment by means of a variety of cues.
 THANKS RUMI ... great interesting images

#1423 ... Arbitrageur

Red outside and some lovely reds inside. This is how Arbitrageur describe their delightful wine room and restaurant ...

"Nestled in the heart of the Wellington CBD, Arbitrageur Wine Room & Restaurant is a taste of Europe on your door step. Located within walking distance of many of Wellington’s hotels, Arbitrageur is the ideal place to begin (and end) your weekend away. A fine dining experience without the price tag, the elegant setting is suitable for business lunches and dinners, after work drinks and tapas, or a romantic evening out. Our ground breaking Avec Menu allows you to indulge your senses with stunning wines from the cellar, matched with dishes influenced by the Mediterranean in this European style wine room and restaurant.

Wellington’s inaugural Oyster bar is open at Arbitrageur. Choose from our mouth watering display of fresh seafood including octopus ceviche, grilled langoustine,and New Zealand scallops and oysters shucked to order. A perfect accompaniment to a glass of Champagne or one of our many delicious but lesser known wine varietals.
Our wine programme marries tradition with discovery and exploration but what really sets us apart is our selection process. Everything on our list is either of great quality or great value and has been hand selected by inhouse wine expert Stephen Wong. That said, it is not a small list; the cellar exceeds 600 labels (with 85 wines available by the glass).

"One of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world"- Wine Spectator Magazine 2005 & 2010

#1422 ... Wet Midland

On a sunny lunchtime this place is usually covered with suits & frocks ... however on a wet cool Friday ... Midland Park is abandoned.

#1421 ... Backbencher Rugby

Three of the rugby player puppets ... Tana, Todd & Jonah in the Back Bencher Pub ... opposite Parliament in Molesworth Street. A great little pub and worth a visit for the intriguing and interesting artworks ... as well as for that refreshing ale and a meal. As well as sports people the other end of the pub features well known politicians and the menu has a political flavour as well.

#1420 ... Scaffold to Heaven or Hell

The Stadium Gardens Apartments getting "scaffolded" for repairs and maintenance. (The building has been plagued with leaking problems for a number of years) You can just see the Westpac Stadium to the lower left in the background

#1419 ... Mojos on the Quay

Mojos has opened up on Lambton Quay ... opposite Midland Park in the place of the old "american" branded outlet ... you will now have a much better coffee experience. Buy some beans ... give Dr Mojos' Medicine a try ... I use these in the espresso at home ... great coffee.

#1418 ... Beehive autumn shades

The shades of autumn are begining to show. Coloured leaves in front of the Beehive.

#1417 ... Queens Wharf Sails

Cross the road to the east of Post Office Square and you at Queens Wharf and the Events Centre, Chicago Bar, Dockside, Shed 7 and other places to eat and drink.

#1416 ... Post Office Square

The little space between the waterfront (Queens Wharf precinct) and the CBD (Featherston St precinct) known as Post Office Square ... the coffee cart, blue neon sculptures ... just the spot for a short break with a coffee while the city rushes past on both sides.

#1415 ... Secret Seats

The new seating outside the Government Security Bureau in Pipitea Street. Very interesting hard edge design. However I don't know many people who would wish to sit around this place!!

#1414 ... Orange

Kayaks on Queens Wharf ... rumour has it that orange is the fashion colour this winter ... and our nautical adventurers are leading the trend.

#1413 ... Covered Walk

Looking north along the edge of Midland Park ... the refurbished covered walkway ... geometrical symmetry

#1412 ... Relecting on Windows

Reflections and view from inside the No.45 bus ... window cleaners scraping old paint off the windows of Kirks ... "reflecting on reflections"

#1411 ... Aerial Perspective

Flying out of Wellington and looking back over the airport (narrow flat strip centre photo) and the city CBD... upper right hand side. Note the InterIslander ferry boat on its way to the South Island

#1410 ... Apartment Art

Apartments at the lower end of Tory Street creates a great example of some classic geometric art

#1409 ... Martinborough Panorama

A great piece of New Zealand country ... An amazing day so Rumi decided to take the Harley for a spin over the Rimutaka's.  This is the lookout about 5 kms south from Martinborough ... He have always wanted to stop here to capture the vista but never got around to doing it.  So today was the day to capture this magnificent landscape ... taken using the iPhone Panorama app. THANKS RUMI

#1408 ... Energetic

I came across these two guys sitting in Midland Park changing their batteries ... Yes Really ... they were promoting Energizer batteries and they were using them to power their "guitar" and "drum" T-shirts ... see the guy on the left playing his guitar. Unfortunately didn't get my batteries replaced so it was a slow afternoon !!