Venues

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Where to go and when. All brunches, dinners, drinks, etc are optional, of course, so feel free to attend as many or as few as you feel like.

[Minor edits to follow when I figure out the new bus routes.]

1) Main venue for weekend festivities:

Seatoun Village Hall: 10am – 8pm Saturday, 10am – 6pm Sunday
22 Forres Street, Seatoun

Previously known as the Saint Christopher's Parish Hall, but still the same place. The church (no longer yellow stickered but sadly deconsecrated) is on the corner of Forres and Ventnor Streets, the hall is next door. There's plenty of parking in the street outside for anyone driving. Anyone getting the bus from town should get the Seatoun 11, and get out at the Dundas Street shops.

2) Leisurely brunch on Friday, which often involves first and second breakfast for some of us hobbit types as successive waves of people drift in from the airport/elsewhere:

Elements Cafe: 11am Friday
144 Onepu Road, Lyall Bay

Get the number 3 bus from town, or walk down Onepu Road from Kilbirnie.

3) Cocktails, where we will again start early and wait for other poor souls to finish work:

Library Bar: 4pm Friday
53 Courtenay Place, Wellington (upstairs)

Join us for after work/after flight/pre dinner cocktails. Roll up as and when you prefer. We'll head out again about 6.30.

4) Traditional "cheap and cheerful" introductory dinner:

Oaks Noodle House: 7pm Friday
71 Cuba Street, Wellington (upstairs)

Newbies be warned, this place has no ambiance, but we've been going here for fourteen years now. The food is good, and lightning fast, and they happily put up with a racket.

5) Closing dinner, another old haunt and the winner by popular (ie twitter) vote:

Siam Thai Restaurant: 7pm Sunday
64 Kilbirnie Crescent, Kilbirnie

6) Farewell brunch for those still in town and/or avoiding work:

Fidel's: 11am Monday
234 Cuba Street, Wellington

We'll malinger here until all the out of towners have wended their weary way to the airport or train station, and then that's it for another year. Remember to wear a jumper, it can be windy outside!

Food Options

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Friday:

Elements does a traditional brunch menu as well as some nice lunch options, tea and coffee and cakes.

The Library does fantastic cocktails, and some cool finger food if you're feeling peckish.

The Oaks does an eclectic mix of non-specific Asian cuisines, from tom yum to roti to Hawaiian fried rice.

Saturday and Sunday:

We usually have a one hour (tbc) lunch break scheduled on both days. The Dundas Street shops are fairly rudimentary -- the Four Square is definitely a superette rather than a supermarket, so good for snacks/sundries but not great for food shopping. There is a fish and chip shop (very nice, also does excellent burgers), and a cafe (good but slightly pricey) in the immediate vicinity. I'm told the dairy opposite the Four Square is branching out into hot food, but cannot confirm by personal experience.

If you're up for a ten minute walk then it's an easy stroll back to Strathmore (just through the tunnel) where there is a bakery/cafe, another fish and chip shop (more run of the mill, does a fairly good souvlaki though), a Chinese takeaway, and an Indian place. Obviously you can also bring a packed lunch from home if that is your preference, and we will have our usual assortment of snacks (chips and dips, crudites, biscuits, soft drinks and juices, tea and coffee) available throughout the day.

Everyone's made their Hell pizza order by now, so that's Saturday night taken care of, and we'll be following last year's innovation of setting up tables properly rather than perching.

Siam Thai has a large menu and does all the usual faves, some less common dishes, and excellent banana fritters for dessert.

Monday:

Fidel's does all the usual brunches, cafe style lunches, counter food, coffee and cake, good milkshakes, and a decent bloody mary.

NOT THAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT FOOD OR ANYTHING.