Miramar Peninsula
Encyclopedia
The Miramar Peninsula is a peninsula
at the southeastern end of the city of Wellington, New Zealand.
The peninsula is 800 hectares and contains the suburbs of Miramar
, Maupuia, Strathmore and Seatoun
. The isthmus
connecting the peninsula to the rest of Wellington separates Evans Bay to the north from Lyall Bay to the south, and is the location of Wellington International Airport
. The peninsula was an island until an earthquake in the fifteenth century.
In Maori legend, Miramar was formed by the corpse of the taniwha
Whaitaitai who died as he tried to escaped the harbour.
To the east of the peninsula is the entrance to Wellington Harbour
, which opens into Cook Strait
at its southern end. The notorious rocks of Barrett Reef
lie close to the shore of the peninsula.
The peninsula was originally called Watt's Peninsula. In 1872 the first settler in the area, James Coutts Crawford, changed the name to Miramar - which means "behold the sea" or "wonderful sea".
Miramar Borough was formed on 18 November 1904.
Film director Peter Jackson
has built a multi-million dollar series of studios, sound stages, pre- and post-production facilities in Miramar
. The famous Weta Workshop
that is involved in many movies directed by Peter Jackson, such as The Lord of the Rings
film trilogy and King Kong
, is also in Miramar.
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
at the southeastern end of the city of Wellington, New Zealand.
The peninsula is 800 hectares and contains the suburbs of Miramar
Miramar, New Zealand
Miramar is a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand, south-east of the city centre. It is on the Miramar Peninsula, directly east of the isthmus of Rongotai, the site of Wellington International Airport.-History:...
, Maupuia, Strathmore and Seatoun
Seatoun
Seatoun is an eastern suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is on the east coast of the Miramar Peninsula, close to the entrance to Wellington Harbour , some seven kilometres southeast of the CBD...
. The isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
connecting the peninsula to the rest of Wellington separates Evans Bay to the north from Lyall Bay to the south, and is the location of Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is a secondary hub and focus city for Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries...
. The peninsula was an island until an earthquake in the fifteenth century.
In Maori legend, Miramar was formed by the corpse of the taniwha
Taniwha
In Māori mythology, taniwha are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers...
Whaitaitai who died as he tried to escaped the harbour.
To the east of the peninsula is the entrance to Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour is the large natural harbour at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is on the western side of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current name in the 1980s.In Māori the harbour is...
, which opens into Cook Strait
Cook Strait
Cook Strait is the strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the west with the South Pacific Ocean on the east....
at its southern end. The notorious rocks of Barrett Reef
Barrett Reef
The cluster of rocks that is Barrett Reef is one of the most treacherous reefs in New Zealand.It lies on the western side of the entrance of Wellington Harbour, on the approaches to the city of Wellington, at coordinates . The reef is named after Richard Barrett , a whaler and trader. Its Maori...
lie close to the shore of the peninsula.
The peninsula was originally called Watt's Peninsula. In 1872 the first settler in the area, James Coutts Crawford, changed the name to Miramar - which means "behold the sea" or "wonderful sea".
Miramar Borough was formed on 18 November 1904.
Film director Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
has built a multi-million dollar series of studios, sound stages, pre- and post-production facilities in Miramar
Miramar, New Zealand
Miramar is a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand, south-east of the city centre. It is on the Miramar Peninsula, directly east of the isthmus of Rongotai, the site of Wellington International Airport.-History:...
. The famous Weta Workshop
Weta Workshop
Weta Workshop is a special effects and prop company based in Miramar, New Zealand, producing effects for television and film.Founded in 1987 by Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger as RT Effects, Weta Workshop has produced creatures and makeup effects for the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...
that is involved in many movies directed by Peter Jackson, such as The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
film trilogy and King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, is also in Miramar.