The ghosts of Wellington’s most atmospheric street
The Spinoff Daily, Monday December 16
Ahiahi mārie, welcome to The Spinoff Daily.
Today on The Spinoff: Successfully avoiding one of this year’s most viral phrases; all the TV news we lost in 2024; fish poo and the push to discover the secrets of the sea floor
But first: What is it about Holloway Road? The ghosts of Wellington’s most atmospheric street
Claire Mabey explores the past and present of Holloway Road, one of Wellington’s most mysterious and storied communities.
“A pair of long-eared goats graze high on the verdant hillside. There’s a near-constant shriek of kākā flying overhead, passing over like fantastical creatures. The Lilliput library is stuffed and sits like an elven den, wooden and soft on the ledge beside the bright yellow house that used to be a post office. A heavy, fruity scent of roses hangs in the air. A skeleton in a magenta wig is draped over a wooden fence beside a hand-painted Toitū te Tiriti sign; foxgloves bloom pinkly in the grassy berms; another skeleton hand thrusts out of a front lawn to give a bony thumbs up. Three small Cruella de Vils trip down the footpath with their vampire dog, and behind them a fairy walks a cat-bat on a lead. A green-faced witch and a fortune teller oversee a table laden with lollies, corn chips and guac, a skull and a box of wine and are cackling at every cluster of trick-or-treaters who venture near. A single black cat treads silently down the middle of the road with the distinct air of owning the place.”
An update on the response to our open letter
It’s been a fortnight since we published our open letter outlining our current reality.
We revealed that only 2% of our audience support us financially and shared the real need to double the number of members who support us with monthly or annual payments. As of today, we are over one third of the way towards that target.
The response to our letter has been encouraging. Thank you to all our existing members who responded by donating or increasing their contributions. We’re grateful to all who also decided to sign up again. Welcome to our new members. We’re delighted to have you.We still have a way to go, but the support has made us as determined as ever to get there. Please continue to spread the word and share the letter. You can also gift someone a membership for Christmas or donate as an organisation or company.
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To all the TV news we lost in 2024
Carbon credits, fish poo and the push to discover the secrets of the sea floor
What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
I see hundreds of ads for togs so why is it so hard to find a decent pair?
I made it to the end of 2024 without finding out what ‘hawk tuah’ means
As soon as a new viral moment started circulating six months ago, Alex Casey made a choice to avoid it for as long as humanly possible. This is her story.
A love letter to my five friends
‘I’m very happy about that’: Frankie Stevens on being the voice of Christmas
The joint winner of this year’s Landfall Essay Competition: Wasteland: A response to a university restructure
‘A great song is one you can dance and cry to’: Elliott Dawson’s perfect weekend playlist
Get the best of The Spinoff sent to you over summer
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