Kilbirnie, New Zealand

Story

Kilbirnie, a suburb of Wellington in New Zealand, lies to the south-east of the city centre. Travellers can reach Kilbirnie from the Wellington central business district either via the Mount Victoria Tunnel and Hataitai; over Mount Victoria; or around the coast. Kilbirnie sits on the eastern flank of the ridge which becomes Mount Victoria and on the flat of the Rongotai isthmus between Evans Bay to the north and Lyall Bay to the south . No clear boundaries separate Kilbirnie from its neighbouring suburbs, with the exception of the town belt to the west which separates Kilbirnie from Newtown. As a result, Rongotai and Evans Bay are sometimes regarded as part of Kilbirnie.EtymologyKilbirnie takes its name after the town of Kilbirnie in Scotland. It was named by Coutts Crawford, who initially owned the land. Two streets in the area are named for him.ActivitiesThe suburb features a shopping area, the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, the ASB Sports Centre, a recreation centre, a public library, and a sports field Kilbirnie Park.Kilbirnie hosts the only mosque in Wellington City. In addition, there is also a Hindu temple located in Kilbirnie, which serves as the headquarters for the Wellington Indian Association.