Walking the plank

File under: waterfront, Wellington

As Jo mentioned, it's rather a hot day to be sitting around in Courtenay Place waiting for the big hairy guy. It's muggy, with temperatures in the mid-20s and no wind to speak of (by Wellington standards), so you could forgive some people for seeking extreme means of cooling down.

That's where this comes in. A chunky wooden plank has been attached (firmly, I presume) to the wharf edge down by the entrance to the lagoon. It must be official, since there's a notice beside it urging caution and common sense, and it must be recent, since I walked past at the weekend and didn't notice it then. On rare sweltering days like this, there are always some people who are keen to jump off the wharf, so it's good to see that instead of trying to stop it, the powers-that-be have decided to help instead. This way, divers can jump further out from the wharf and reduce the risk of injury:


If you have to plunge into our less-than-balmy waters, then these people have the right idea. Wetsuits not only help prevent hypothermia, but they also provide a modicum of protection from jellyfish. I know that most of ours are supposed to be relatively harmless, but I don't like the look of this fella.

Now that the diving board is here, the little harbour- side shower that appeared a while ago starts to make more sense. It's good to see that among all the major waterfront projects (as important as they are), little civic- minded gestures like this haven't been overlooked. Personally, my preferred method of cooling off in summer involves mint leaves, muddled limes, bacardi, sugar syrup and a dash of soda, but for those who prefer the cold wet stuff on the outside, this should make their lives a little bit easier.

Oh, and speaking of cooling down, is anyone going to have a go at guessing the current mystery bar? Or am I going to have to let Hadyn loose on it?