Miramar Peninsula, New Zealand – March 12, 2016
Going back through my older photographs, I noticed I had not shared a drive along one of our favorite places in Wellington; the Miramar Peninsula. On this particular trip, I decided to stop and capture a photograph of the “Windy Wellington” sign. The sign is on a hillside shortly before one can turn onto the seaside road that encircles the peninsula.

“Windy Welly” is a moniker that many may have heard, but just how windy is Welly? Is it windier than the “Windy City”; Chicago? From all sources I have checked, it appears that Wellington is, in fact, the windiest city. The table below makes a comparison, including several of the cities in which we have lived. These statistics are from Wind Finder. Try the site to check on other towns of personal interest.
City | Average Annual Wind Speed | |
mph | km/h | |
Wellington, New Zealand | 17 | 27 |
Chicago, Illinois | 12 | 19 |
Islamabad, Pakistan | 12 | 19 |
Colorado Springs, Colorado | 10 | 16 |
Dallas, Texas | 10 | 16 |
Georgetown, Guyana | 10 | 16 |
Grand Junction, Colorado | 8 | 13 |
La Paz, Bolivia | 7 | 11 |
Madrid, Spain | 7 | 11 |
The average annual wind speed seems so insignificant. So, what is the record wind speed in the same locations? Now, these are some numbers! Bear in mind a category 1 hurricane begins at 74 mph or 119 km/h. Based on that, the record wind speed in Wellington equates to a category 2 hurricane! The records are from the almanac section found on My Forecast.
City | Record Wind Speed | |
mph | km/h | |
Wellington, New Zealand | 101 | 163 |
Chicago, Illinois | 76 | 122 |
Islamabad, Pakistan | 47 | 76 |
Colorado Springs, Colorado | 71 | 114 |
Dallas, Texas | 91 | 146 |
Georgetown, Guyana | 75 | 120 |
Grand Junction, Colorado | 78 | 126 |
La Paz, Bolivia | 70 | 113 |
Madrid, Spain | 73 | 118 |
Luckily our day was not blustery in the least. It began as a bit overcast but cleared to a beautiful day.
The first community one passes through is Shelly Bay, a collection of World War II-era buildings. Some are in disrepair while others have found new life as a café or an art gallery. Other than taking photos, we did not stop on this trip. It has a lovely charm.



Our next stop on this trip was Point Halswell and the lighthouse. Lighthouse seems a rather grandiose term. It is a small, automatic beacon. At the point there were several seagulls around, periodically diving into the water. As I got closer, I could see there was a fish carcass just under the surface near the shore. The seagulls plunged in grasped the body, and with the whip of their head, they tore off bits of flesh. It was fascinating to watch.





Kau Bay was our primary destination that morning. After finding a place to park, we walked down to the beach with our folding chairs. We had never been to that beach before, but we were up for some beachcombing. We found a surprising amount of sea-glass on the pebbly beach. When we had our fill, we sat in the folding chairs and observed the world. We are so fortunate to be able to live in such a beautiful country.




Our next stop was the beach at Scorching Bay. It is a lovely public beach. At the beach is a small café, the Scorch-O-Rama. Other than stopping once for some bottled water, we have never sampled the offerings. Before we depart, we need to try breakfast there just once. Some friends go frequently. They say it is terrific.


We were not the only people out that day. We saw joggers, bicyclists, people fishing, scuba divers, and surfers. The peninsula seems to have something for everyone.


When we stopped at Moa Point, we were very near the south end of the runway at the Wellington International Airport. I heard a jet taxiing. When I looked up, I saw a jumbo jet from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The plane was a huge Airbus A340, no wonder it looked so big.

Other than the occasional aircraft distraction, we busied ourselves with beachcombing. At Moa Point, we are always assured of finding paua shells. The shells we found range in size from about one-inch to nearly eight inches. Neither of us knows what we are going to do with these when we leave. Regardless, it sure is fun to collect them!
































Thanks Terry, you get better and better. Love your stories and trips. 😊☕️
I appreciate your kind words! This blog keeps me busy and off the streets at night!