Wellington is simply buzzing this week with the Hobbit premiere coming on Wednesday. For us, well, Andy bought a shiny new toy and I went to prison.
(Not that! the old Wellington Prison had an open day. Sheesh!)
See? Awesome view over Evans Bay, Hataitai and Roseneath
Where each inmate is processed before being assigned a cell.
Quite a few people using the pump track now
In all of the prisons in NZ, this one has to have the best view. Not that the inmates got to see it.
On the hill by the sea
Ever changing graffiti, and a beautiful view over the city.
Mt Crawford Prison has now been decommissioned, so they had an open day.
Again, the room has stayed the same. Only the technology and the units of measurement have changed.
It was pretty eye-opening. A lot more run-down than what movies have led me to expect.
Off this corridor, approximately 16 cells.
And it’s premiere week in Wellington!
Sir Ian McKellan can’t come to the premiere, so Weta & The Embassy have made sure he’s still a part of the festivities.
A prison record
An extremely tiny space to speak privately with your family.
One of the more fascinating parts of the prison, the basketball court had been beautifully painted by the inmates
Run down, but with anachronistic security technology
And then some security technology that fits in with the 100 year old prison
An average two-person cell. Similar in size to a single carpark
A pretty apt view of Wellington
Andy’s bought a new toy…
Written by:Marie Armstrong