A worthwhile Venture?

File under: waterfront, entertainment, Wellington

In yesterday's Dominion Post, 10-year old Nina Harrap suggested that the Manuia (scroll down for pictures and history), which Peter Jackson transformed into SS Venture for King Kong, be permanently moored outside Te Papa as a tourist attraction. While that sort of attraction could be very tacky, the idea has some merit.

When the frigate Wellington was moored there, it showed how much livelier that stretch of promenade can be when there's something there. The F69 bar (and the frigate itself, of course) attracted activity at times when the area would normally be dead. If the SS Venture had some sort of café and bar (preferably one that's a lot better than the Tugboat) it would help fill in that long, awkward gap between Taranaki Wharf and the Waitangi precinct.

The frigate blocked views from Te Papa, but the Manuia is much smaller. If the attraction was relentlessly Kong-themed, then it could be very cheesy and lose its appeal once interest in the movie has died down, but it should be possible to give it broader appeal. What do you think?