#Wellington
Local Wellington stories, local culture, and a regional SEO anchor, the best places to eat, where to find craft beer and decent coffee, and what genuinely fills a few days here when friends fly in from overseas to visit.
Who you gonna call? Espresso tech support?!
A smart plug wakes my espresso machine at 4am, hours before I do. This is the story of how a jar of instant coffee, a mate in Perth, and one life-changing French press turned into a four-shots-a-day habit I still can't shake.
Best things to see & do in Wellington, New Zealand
When friends and family fly in from overseas, this is the list I actually send them, the best places to eat, where to find good craft beer and a decent coffee, and what genuinely fills a few days in Wellington, New Zealand.
How to brew the perfect cup of tea
Boil water, add tea, wait, done. It should be simple, but watch how differently people actually make a pot of tea and you'll quickly see it isn't. Here's the step-by-step French press method a good friend taught me years ago.
Where to buy vinyl records online & in-store in New Zealand
Twelve places I actually buy from, big Auckland institutions, one-person operations run off a Facebook page, and a few worth knowing about for the rare stuff. What each is good for, and the shipping deals worth waiting for.
How to use Discogs to build your vinyl record collection
I just finished adding my entire record collection to Discogs, the largest online music database where collectors buy and sell with each other. A look at the collection itself, my home listening setup, and how it all came together.
How to make the perfect Espresso Martini
I met Angus while we were both working at HazardCo back in 2020. Little did I know he'd end up giving me his go-to Espresso Martini recipe, equal parts vodka, espresso and Kahlúa, shaken hard for the best result every time.
Two months off work over the NZ summer school holidays
Every school holidays, I take at least a week off instead of putting the kids into holiday programs or after-school care. Here's how Molly, Charlie and I sit down together and plan what we get up to. No holiday programs, just time actually.
Victoria University: Designing a police dispatch dashboard
Whenever I meet people about new roles, they ask me to explain my process. This university paper is where I first properly wrote it down, a week-by-week UX breakdown designing a police dispatch dashboard from brief to prototype.