My Wellington: Tim Jones on life beneath the trees, where the tūī yell and the stories start
Saturday, 18 October 2025
Tim Jones lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington. He is an author and editor whose recent books include climate fiction novel Emergency Weather. His new book is a poetry collection - Dracula in the Colonies - which shines a light as the spiritual successors of Dracula put the bite on the body politic.
I live in Mount Victoria / Matairangi
… just beneath the trees. We’ve lived here for many years and seen the suburb change around us.
My favourite thing about this part of Wellington is …
… the Town Belt, where my son learned to toddle. Over the years I have walked pretty much every track there is to walk on the Mount Victoria ridge line and either side. When I first moved here, the magpie menace was ever-present – now there is barely a magpie to be seen, and tūī and kākā take turns yelling at each other. I walk a little slower now, but those views still amaze.
How I choose to travel:
My idea of a perfect trip would be to walk down the hill to the nearest light rail line stop, hop on board, and let the light rail system carry me away. But every time that vision appears within reach, decision-makers with cars in their eyes whisk it away again. So I walk wherever I can and, when I need to go further, hop on the bus - the faithful, frequent and reliable No. 2 Route, one of the city’s treasures!
If you’re looking for somewhere to eat in Mount Victoria you can’t go past …
… Deluxe Cafe at 10 Kent Tce. I especially like Deluxe in winter. The food is warm, tasty and affordable, the coffee is great. The Post is available if you want to catch up with the news, and if you’re having a breakfast or mid-morning meeting, those funny little tables bring people together. Then, as the weather improves, you can shift to the outside tables to watch the world and the Embassy Theatre patrons go by.
My favourite place to take a visitor to Wellington…
That depends on how much money they want to spend. I’m picturing a good day, sky blue, harbour gently swelling. In that case, my modestly priced option is a visit on the ferry to Mātiu/Somes Island. We’ll take our sunhats, bring food and water, and enjoy walking round the island with its regenerating bush, constantly changing sight lines, and complex history of tragedy and restoration. But if we want to keep our money in our pockets, there is no charge for walking along Oriental Parade on a fine evening and looking at the lights around the harbour, or checking out the Wellington Writers Walk along the waterfront.
If I could fix one thing in Wellington right now it would be…
…transport. Several times we’ve gathered up our courage and looked as if we’re about to step into a city that is eminently possible, a city where we prioritise trams, trains, buses, walking and cycling and leave the roads free for those who really need to use private vehicles – and then the Government changes and we scurry back to the bolt hole of building more motorways for more cars and wondering why they soon get congested. Transport is the overwhelming bulk of Wellington’s emissions, and the climate crisis won't go away just because we sing “la la la” to each other and pretend it isn’t happening. Fixing transport and getting happier and healthier at the same time? Sounds like a good move to me.
Ideas for my writing come to me when I am…
…walking! That won’t come as a surprise by now. But a writing idea popped into my head while I was working on this piece. I noted it down as “Sassy wet blanket”. On reflection, maybe I need to go for another walk.
As told to Deborah Morris