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Wellington

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FJ Noodles and Dumplings on Courtenay Place, Wellington. Image: Joel MacManus

Does FJ Noodles and Dumplings serve the best noodles in Wellington?

The Courtenay Place eatery is the perfect place to crouch low over wipe-down furniture and slurp your way through some exceptional cooking.
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By Nick Iles | 2nd May, 2025
Contributing writer
The high court sided with Wellington City Council’s decision to reduce the city’s character areas. Image: Tina Tiller/Joel MacManus

Windbag: The rise and fall of character areas

After the high court backed Wellington City Council's decision to reduce character areas, we take a look back at what shaped the city's restrictive housing policy.
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By Joel MacManus | 29th April, 2025
Wellington editor
Margot in Newtown, Wellington. Image: WellingtonNZ/Joel MacManus

Table Service: Margot is the very definition of hospitality

To arrive through the heavy red door of Margot in Newtown is to be invited to the best dinner party in town.
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By Nick Iles | 18th April, 2025
Contributing writer
Richard Taylor addressing the crowd at Vision for Wellington’s second event. Image: Joel MacManus
Opinion

Windbag: Vision for Wellington shows its blind spots

The political supergroup's event about Wellington's art scene involved lots of CEOs and very few artists.
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By Joel MacManus | 15th April, 2025
Wellington editor
Transitions in Action outlines a green transition in Wellington. Image: Joel MacManus

Windbag: Could this book be the new Green manifesto for Wellington?

It sets out a new framework for how Wellington can address a trio of socio-ecological crises. But what’s missing?
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By Joel MacManus | 8th April, 2025
Wellington editor
(Photo: Mariana’s Kitchen).

The perfect Argentinian empanadas can be found on Petone’s waterfront

Out of the little playground kiosk at Petone beach, Mariana’s Kitchen is serving up perfect, authentic empanadas. 
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By Gabi Lardies | 5th April, 2025
Staff writer
How do short-term rentals change the price of renting or buying houses for everyone else? (Image: Shanti Mathias)

Lessons for Wellington from the councils that have tried to regulate Airbnb

Lesson #1: It helps to actually enforce rules around the ubiquitous tourist platform.
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By Shanti Mathias | 4th April, 2025
Contributing writer
The CubaDupa festival inhabits the Cuba Street precinct (Photo: Ollie Crawford).
Opinion

Windbag: Why is it so hard to pedestrianise upper Cuba Street?

Urbanists who want their city to have more people-friendly streets need to face up to the biggest barrier to their goal: everything takes too damn long. 
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By Joel MacManus | 24th March, 2025
Wellington editor
The relationship between Tory Whanau and Chris Luxon has become increasingly hostile. Image: Joel MacManus

‘I don’t think he’s a nice person’: Whanau hits back at Luxon’s ‘lame-o’ comment

The Wellington mayor is sick of being the government's punching bag.
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By Joel MacManus | 14th March, 2025
Wellington editor
A vision of a bigger Wellington? Image: Joel MacManus
Opinion

Windbag: To be a world-class city, Wellington needs to be bigger

That shouldn’t be a controversial point. And yet, in Wellington, it is.
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By Joel MacManus | 10th March, 2025
Wellington editor
Vision for Wellington’s first event drew a 1000-strong crowd. Image: Joel MacManus

A vision of the 90s: James Cameron’s Vision for Wellington event, reviewed

The new political group's first event drew a large crowd whose ideas for the city's future mostly involved going back to the past.
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By Joel MacManus | 21st February, 2025
Wellington editor
Four very active community members

Review: Two weeks of being actively involved in my local community

Gilmore Girls, Schitt's Creek, even The Vampire Diaries – on TV it's normal to know your neighbours. So what's it actually like?
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By Janhavi Gosavi | 19th February, 2025
Guest writer
Have you suffered through an awkward date at any of these locations?

My 50 first dates in Wellington, ranked and reviewed

The capital city may be small but there are plenty of places to find love (or spend a painful two hours).
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By Fran Barclay | 14th February, 2025
Guest writer
A night time rendering of Courtenay Place.

A review of the new Courtenay Place design

The final designs for the long-awaited Courtenay Place revamp have been released. Here's a closer look at the good and the bad.
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By Joel MacManus | 13th February, 2025
Wellington editor
Wellington-based unicyclist Ken Looi.

One wheel drive: the Ken Looi story

Nearing the end of his career, the world’s greatest unicycle racer chases the sport's most elusive record.
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By Joel MacManus | 11th February, 2025
Wellington editor
Chris Luxon opposing a new housing development in 2020 (Image: Joel MacManus)
Opinion

Windbag: Luxon’s culture of saying no to housing

The prime minister says New Zealand has a culture of saying no to growth. When it comes to housing, he's part of the problem.
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By Joel MacManus | 28th January, 2025
Wellington editor
Joel MacManus in the Well_ngton sign.

Windbag: Why I was wrong about the Well_ngton sign

How a big shiny sign on the Wellington waterfront exposed a problem with local news.
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By Joel MacManus | 21st January, 2025
Wellington editor
A look at some of the big news stories that will affect Wellington in 2025.

Bucket fountains of news: The big issues for Wellington in 2025

With the local body elections in October, a long-awaited upgrade of Courtenay Place, and big changes for water, housing, and the economy, it's set to be another dramatic year for the capital city.
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By Joel MacManus | 16th January, 2025
Wellington editor
Inside the urgent race to solve homelessness in Aotearoa

Inside the urgent race to solve homelessness in Aotearoa

An in-depth examination of the causes, implications and potential cures for homelessness across the country.
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By Joel MacManus | 13th January, 2025
Wellington editor
James Tangitamaiti and Yanah Partsch, owners of Pepe’s Cafe. Image: Tina Tiller.

The remarkable pie shop hidden in a Porirua industrial estate

Pāua, canned spaghetti, Povi Masima and taro: Pepe's Cafe understands the nature of food as love and community.
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By Nick Iles | 12th January, 2025
Contributing writer

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