Miramar
Miramar is ideal for families and sports enthusiasts, with plenty of sports fields, primary schools, shopping centres and cafés; with a significant local influence from the local Greek & Turkish communities.
It’s the epicentre of ‘Wellywood’ with Peter Jackson’s multi-million dollar film studios, sound stages and post-production facilities originally built for ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘King Kong’. It’s worth driving down Park Road to look at Jackson’s post-production unit Park Road Post, vaguely influenced by iconic US architect Frank Lloyd Wright – it’s next to California Home & Garden Centre, which is partially housed in an old gasometer.
The peninsula was originally an island, until a large earthquake created the isthmus in 1460 when (what’s now) Miramar became connected to the mainland; the land was raised further in the 1855 earthquake. Early settlers drained a large lagoon, Burnham Water, and turned the land into a racecourse (reputedly New Zealand’s first). More recently, Michael Savage opened New Zealand’s first state house, at 12 Fife Street, in 1937.
Miramar’s name is Portuguese for ‘wonderful sea’ and came from a house in Evans Bay built around 1875 which was named after Miramar Castle built in Trieste by the Ferdinand Maximilian (younger brother of the Hapsburg Emperor Franz Josef) and he named it after the Prince of Saxony’s home in Pena, Portugal.
It’s the home to Miramar Golf Links, an 18-hole golf course right next to Wellington International Airport and leading private boys’ secondary school, Scots College, is in nearby Strathmore.