All stories about "Wellington"

An unidentified 33-year-old Somalian woman attempted to hijack a regional Air New Zealand flight today by stabbing both pilots with a knife and claiming there were two bombs aboard. She demanded the plane be redirected to Australia -- well beyond the small two-prop plane's range. The woman was subdued after wounding one pilot in the hand and the other, improbably enough, in the foot. The flight, which was en route from the regional south-Wellington city of Blenheim to Christchurch, was able to land safely at the latter airport. A search on the ground found no explosives on the plane. New Zealand currently requires no baggage searches for such regional flights. [AP]

A baby red panda was born at the Wellington Zoo just after Christmas and the first picture has been released. The cub (they won't know if it's a boy or a girl for another two weeks) is no Zhen Zhen and doesn't have its own cute video like the new polar cub, but it gets extra points for being so rare and fragile. [via]

[Pitch Your Burg invites residents of cities worldwide to convince Gridskipper readers that their city deserves more coverage. Awhile back, Wellington, New Zealand, defeated Baku, Azerbaijan, for the privilege of a long post on Gridskipper. If you'd like to see your own city covered more/better/at all here, send in your own pitch -- with at least one image, as many links as you can, and targeting the Gridskipper audience specifically -- to tips@gridskipper.com.]

Firstly -- and despite the statue above that once graced Wellington International Airport -- Wellington is well over all that Lord of the Rings crap. Er, except for renaming one of the filming sites "Rivendell." And those tours, complete with hobbit ears. And no, you cannot buy Wellington (and the rest of New Zealand) for $2,330. Wellington has a real city's worth of real appeal, all waiting for you after the jump.

Thought I forgot about this, didn't ye? Oh no. The fine city of Wellington has thrashed its opponent Baku, and thus will get the full, close-up treatment in these pages directly. Meanwhile, if you'd like to particularly recommend things Wellingtonian, or even contribute to the victory post, by all means send in your kiwiphilic thoughts to tips@gridskipper.com. And if you want to nominate your own under-covered city as a future Pitch Your Burg candidate, email us your city pitch -- 200-300 words, one good image, and packed with as many local links as you can stand, all in aid of selling your city as cool to Gridskipper readers -- and we'll put you in the races.

[Photo: liquidhotmagma]

Previously: Pitch Your Burg: Wellington vs. Baku, Round 2, Pitch Your Burg: Baku, Pitch Your Burg: Wellington, Pitch Your Burg: Wellington vs. You, Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids Victorious

What were the chances that the contenders for this first head-to-head Pitch Your Burg would both originate in foreign countries with the letter "z" in their names? I'm no technician, but I figure that's the likely reason our poll servers disintegrated last night and subtracted all but 1 vote from Baku's total. Of course, it could also be Kiwi sabotage, but please, let's not strain New Zealand-Azerbaijani relations to the flashpoint. Nobody wants a war, or at least, not until we get some cameras in position. In any case, we're going to try what in electioneering circles is referred to as a "do-over." Below is a whole shiny new poll that asks the same question. Read up on Wellington and Baku once more, then vote again. How often will you be asked to do that, in good conscience and not at gunpoint? No, that's not a gun in my pocket; I genuinely am happy to see you. Check back with this post -- we hope -- for current totals, assuming no further assaults on the democratic process.

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Pitch Your Burg: Baku, Pitch Your Burg: Wellington, Pitch Your Burg: Wellington vs. You, Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids Victorious, Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids

[Pitch Your Burg challenges residents of cities given the short shrift on Gridskipper to convince you, the educated reader, that their metropoli indeed deserve more (or any) coverage. Unedited pitches from city residents or fans of same are presented for your review, followed by a poll. Vote to determine whether the city gets special survey post and subsequent coverage, or the cold, cold shoulder of permanent rejection. If you think your city deserves a shot on Gridskipper, send in your pitch -- 200-300 words, with at least one good, punchy image and as many local links as possible -- to tips@gridskipper.com.]

Now that you've read, considered, and evaluated the pitches from Wellington and Baku, it's time to choose which city is worth investigating and celebrating, and which city shall be consigned to the dustbin of history. Vote below, and check back in a week to see results, with coverage of the winner following shortly thereafter.

UPDATE: Yes, that blogpoll.com survey blew chunks, so we're returning to our glorious in-house polling, which has improved a bit. Vote anew below if you did so with the blogpoll krep, and check back with this post for current results.

UPDATE 2: The polling got effed up due to tech problems. New, restarted poll can be found here.

Previously: Pitch Your Burg: Baku, Pitch Your Burg: Wellington, Pitch Your Burg: Wellington vs. You, Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids Victorious, Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids

[Pitch Your Burg challenges residents of cities given the short shrift on Gridskipper to convince you, the educated reader, that their metropoli indeed deserve more (or any) coverage. Unedited pitches from city residents or fans of same are presented for your review, followed by a poll. Vote to determine whether the city gets special survey post and subsequent coverage, or the cold, cold shoulder of permanent rejection. If you think your city deserves a shot on Gridskipper, send in your pitch -- 200-300 words, with at least one good, punchy image and as many local links as possible -- to tips@gridskipper.com.]

Challenger 1: Wellington, New Zealand
by WellUrban

In the words of one of the poems displayed as typographic installations along Wellington's famous waterfront , this is "the city of action, the world headquarters of the verb". As further evidence, even our sculptures can't sit still: they whirl and sway and glow. Further from the public eye, underground galleries rock with experimental music nights and the alleys are full of street art.

After appearing in the debut episode of Pitch Your Burg last week, the city of Grand Rapids quadrupled in population, opened six restaurants with 18 Michelin stars between them, and issued coupons for free plastic surgery to all its escort services. Phenomenal as that experience was for us all, we're going to make Pitch Your Burg 2.0 a little more competitive. In the first installment, readers simply voted yes or no for whether we should pay more attention to a city that had previously flown under our radar. From now on, you'll be evaluating pitches from two different burgs -- and choosing which city gets the nod, and which city gets razed, the ruins plowed under, and the earth salted with bitter tears of fleeing former inhabitants.

And I'm pleased to announce our first contender: the bucolic burg of Wellington, New Zealand, shown above, whose pitcher proudly notes that his town boasts "a world record for the number of Oscars per head of population." If you think your heretofore unmentioned or shortchanged city can kick that kiwi ass, then send in your pitch to tips@gridskipper.com ASAP. Shoot for 200-300 words, pack it with as many links as you can, and include one good, representative image of your city or something cool in it. Remember, you're trying to convince the Gridskipper audience, so you must appeal to our most cerebral and base instincts simultaneously. When the second challenger pitch is in, both will be posted along with a reader poll to pick the winner. Get to it.

[Photo: Glutnix]

Previously: Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids Victorious, Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids

The Guardian has a solid survey of New Zealand nightlife, listing the usual suspects in Auckland and Wellington but making a few commendable suggestions (mostly restaurants) in Christchurch and Dunedin. Of particular note is the stalwart Galatos in Auckland, an immense three-level venue drawing the best in local and globetrotting rock, punk, dance, hip-hop, and most any other act you care to absorb (international DJs too of course). No hobbits allowed.

The great indoors [Guardian]