get/together

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!

A couple of changes this year, to match the changes to the timetable. We'll be seeking feedback as to how these compare to previous staples, and revising accordingly next year. Thanks for your cooperation and enthusiasm as we try new things!

1) The main venue remains unchanged, though operational hours are different:

Seatoun Village Hall: 10am – 8pm Saturday, 10am – 2pm Sunday
22 Forres Street, Seatoun

Previously known as the Saint Christopher's Parish Hall, but still the same place. The church (yellow stickered) 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) We're officially having lunch rather than brunch on Friday, though in practice it will still involve me having first and second breakfast as successive waves of people drift in from the airport/elsewhere. We're trying somewhere new:

Basque: 12 noon Friday
8 Courtenay Place, Wellington

After our discovery of what a fantastic Build a Brunch menu Basque does during our #fataugust shenanigans, there was a unanimous call to hold g/t brunch here. They open at noon, which should give everyone coming from morning flights time to get into town. Almost any bus from Kilbirnie will get you to Courtenay Place, and we'll be lingering quite a while over our giant platters.

3) I think we met for cocktails for the first time last year, and that seemed to go pretty well, so we're doing that again:

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

Join us for after work/after flight/pre dinner cocktails. meelie and I will be heading down early, but drift in as and when you prefer. We'll head out again about 6.30.

4) We toyed, as we sometimes do, with a change here, but a chorus shouted TRADITION and I could not defy them:

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

From the sublime to the ridiculous, our "cheap and cheerful" mainstay of twelve years' counting. The ambiance is terrible but the food is good, lightning fast, and they happily put up with the racket of fifteen to twenty fangirls who haven't seen each other in months.

4a) Depending on energy levels (mine have been known to flag of late):

Olive: 8.30pm Friday
170 Cuba Street, Wellington

TBC, but night owls/late arrivals have been known to go on for dessert and more drinks after dinner. Play this one by ear!

5) The major change this year; since we'll be finishing early on Sunday, we're going to go for drinks, snacks, and more conversation before dinner:

The Cutting Café and Bar/Long Thai Restaurant: 3pm Sunday
32 Miramar Avenue, Miramar (bar downstairs, restaurant upstairs)

This amusing hybrid establishment hides a great Thai restaurant above a somewhat rustic bar. We'll hang out downstairs for a while, then venture on upstairs for dinner. Join us for either or both.

6) And finally, a farewell brunch for those still in town and/or avoiding work:

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

We'll malinger here as always, but remember to wear a jumper, it can be windy outside!

You all managed with reasonable ease last year, but to the small few who rejoin us this year after an absence we have a new main venue. It's a short bus ride from Kilbirnie, so while Brentwoodians will no longer be right next door, you're still at the best available accommodation, and will have no difficulties finding your way.

The main venue itself:

Saint Christopher's Hall, Seatoun
Corner of Ventnor and Forres Streets

There's a beautiful old church to the right, sadly yellow stickered, and a hall to the left. You want the hall! There's a fair amount of parking in the street outside for drivers.

( Assuming the absence of epic fail, this is how to get to the venue. )

Restaurants:

( Elements Cafe is at 144 Onepu Rd, Kilbirnie/Lyall Bay. )

Friday: Brunch almost certainly at Elements, Dinner TBC
Saturday: Tandoori Heritage in Coutts Street, Kilbirnie
Sunday: Siam Thai on Kilbirnie Crescent

As aforementioned, there's been a venue change this year. The new one looks lovely though, and I'm sure will be a great success. You may even love it so much you want to stay there in future! It's a short bus ride from Kilbirnie, so while Brentwoodians will no longer be right next door, you're still at the best available accommodation, and will have no difficulties finding your way. Friday Night Fangirls will also be aware that we've outgrown our old staple Olive, and now have dessert/drinks at Fidel's. Out-of-towners may remember that as the scene of many an exhausted Monday brunch.

The main venue itself:

Saint Christopher's Hall, Seatoun
Corner of Ventnor and Forres Streets

There's a beautiful old church to the right, sadly yellow stickered, and a hall to the left. You want the hall! There's a fair amount of parking in the street outside for drivers.

( Assuming the absence of epic fail, this is how to get to the venue. )

Restaurants:

( Elements Cafe is at 144 Onepu Rd, Kilbirnie/Lyall Bay. )

( Friday Night Fangirls know where to go, all others: )

Saturday: Tandoori Heritage in Coutts Street, Kilbirnie
Sunday: Siam Thai on Kilbirnie Crescent

The main venue itself:

Park Bowling Club, Kilbirnie
598-600 Evans Bay Parade

The Evans Bay Parade address is its official one, and those driving (depending where you're coming from) may prefer to come down that way. For myself I've always thought it was on Kilbirnie Crescent, and certainly that's where the bus will drop public transport takers. I can't get a number, obviously, but it's between the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre (no 63) and the Ruth Gottlieb Library (no 101).

There's a fair amount of parking there at the park for drivers.

Walk in through the main front doors, but then instead of walking through into the bar, which will presumably be full of old folks in their bowling gear, hang left and go upstairs. Ideally there will be some sort of sign, *g*.

( Assuming the absence of epic fail, this is how to get to the venue. )

Brentwood Hotel, Kilbirnie
16-20 Kemp Street

It's super easy to get from one to the other; it is literally across the road and down a wee cul-de-sac.

( But here it is, just to be on the safe side. )

Restaurants:

( Elements Cafe is at 144 Onepu Rd, Kilbirnie/Lyall Bay. )

( Friday Night Fangirls know where to go, all others: )

Saturday: Tandoori Heritage in Coutts Street, Kilbirnie

Sunday: Siam Thai on Kilbirnie Crescent

We will be at the same location as last year, Park Bowling Club in Kilbirnie. It's spacious, central, and the neighbours are cheerful and tolerant. We've got a list of a few niggles from last year (heating, electrical sockets, boot heels, etc) so I'll be making a housekeeping post about that sort of thing later on.

We'll likely eat at the same (or similar) restaurants too -- there are others further afield, but I'm assuming those without cars would prefer not to have to make multiple journeys back and forth.

With regard to accommodation, I know there were a couple of requests from last year to look into a group booking somewhere, and China and I did investigate the Brentwood, which would have been my first choice, but unfortunately they're all booked up for a conference. More surprisingly, so is the old faithful 747. Failing either of those, there's always X-Base and Nomads, both of which have housed g/ters reasonably happily in the past, and both of which are on the direct bus route, both from the airport and to/from the venue. Please feel free to put together a party in the comments to this post as needed.

You like to keep us on our toes, y/y?

I'm 93% sure I do, indeed, know the venue. I will be calling a deaf old man to confirm in the next few days.

With regard to a prior question about whether an all-in-one venue was possible, the answer sadly is no. I *did* look, hard, and there just isn't anywhere that's big enough and cheap enough and open to porn enough, all at the same time.

I will research the accomodation options as soon as I've confirmed the venue; at the moment the same place as last year, or somewhere very similar, is likely the best option.

( One Time Offer, Open to Australians Only in Flagrant Breach of Non-Discrimination Legislation )

As you've all heard by now in fits and starts, Lex Luthor has departed Smallville for Metropolis my friend A has finally conceded he's moving permanently to the UK, and Stately Luthor Manor has been boarded up and dust sheeted sold for a princely sum such as none of us shall ever see in our life times. [/small emo tear]

The show must, shall, and does go on however, and get/together 2007 will take place, as promised, the weekend of 28-30th September. The only real change, and one which is sadly unavoidable, is that the slumber party style the Manor made possible is no longer an option. China, Vaud and I have investigated all possibilities however, and believe we have come up with the best alternative.

China has very graciously agreed to host the festivities, by which I mean make available her home here in Wellington for daytime and evening activities (the panels, the presentations, the games, the viewing etc). She has a large open plan living space, and a smaller room for breakout time. Between us Vaud and I will be able to take care of the mod cons and technology so all will proceed exactly as usual as far as the actual content of the weekend goes. China cannot, however, accomodate or fully cater for people the way that I used to.

With regard to accomodation, we are looking at a group room at the Cambridge (in Cambridge Terrace, surprise!), which will enable the band to stay largely together, which I imagine would be most enjoyable. Sort of like the convention room parties of old. They are available for six or for ten, at a rate of twenty dollars per person per night, which is very reasonable. I know some of you have family in Wellington you can stay with, though of course you're very welcome to join the mob if you prefer. Those of you coming in from Sydney for the holidays who have already made arrangements are, of course, already arranged. I will require numbers from Kiwis sooner rather than later though, so we can confirm the current provisional booking.

With regard to food, we will be making a small charge to provide lunch both days and the usual snacks and drinks. We will have the usual dinner out, and order takeaways the other nights.

I realise this makes the weekend a little more expensive than in the past, but it will still be fantastic, and I hope as many of you as possible will still come. Please do get your thinking caps on and get back to me asap though.

Tentative programme to follow shortly. Though not tonight. ;-p

Can the following please confirm time of arrival?

sethra2000: Thursday

shihadchick and the_antichris: Friday

cross_stitchery and mab_browne: Friday

Everyone else I have, and am expecting.

Just to confirm, does everyone who hasn't been here before have my address?