My Wellington: Native bush, videos and side quests
Saturday, 23 May 2026
Tom Hutchison is a Brooklyn-based creative who works at the Aro Street Video Shop - the temple of all that is video in Wellington. He has performed as a live children's entertainer doing interactive 'Mad Science' workshops. He is the co-creator of the brand new reality TV series Ready Gamer Mum on channel 2 and TVNZ+.
My favourite thing about Wellington is …
Living amongst wild nature. I'm a terrible gardener. So I'm grateful when the native bush invades my backyard and stylishly swallows my clothesline. It appears like a deliberate aesthetic choice.
A hidden gem in my hood is …
Aro Video. Strangers wander into the shop every day like they've discovered a buried temple. Many haven't seen a video shop for over a decade. They go upstairs and I hear them gasp about some old film they had forgotten about. I love working there.
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I travel to work by …
Bike. I ride down from Brooklyn to Aro around the edge of Central Park. It's a 5-10 minute commute. It's a rush.
If you're looking for something to eat in the Aro Valley …
They have quality Indian takeaways at the little green dairy on the corner of Devon St. It's worth dropping in (after 4) and waiting by the pie warmer. They're a lovely young family.
I got my idea for Ready Gamer Mum from …
Watching my kids grow up. I was washing dishes when my son asked if I could play his new game with him. He had instantly become an expert at it. I was so busy with work and chores, I had no time or energy left for games. I was hilariously bad at playing this thing. I wished I could have set aside a whole day, or even a week, so that he could teach me to play, and we could enjoy it together. The show is ultimately about more than just games.
The perfect Saturday morning in Wellington is …
Riding my bike slowly around the peninsula in the sunshine and stopping for a picnic at Scorching Bay. We're very spoilt in this city.
When I need to clear my head, I go to …
The beautiful new library. I'm no good at working from home. It's essential for me to go somewhere else if I'm ever going to sort out my emails and write down that thing.
My guilty pleasure in the city is to go to …
The Tip Shop. The Tip Shop is like my own casino. Some days, I leave with a bootload of bargains, other days, it's all just junk. The staff know me by name there. I'll admit I'm addicted.
I tell people who don’t live in Wellington this one thing all the time …
'We’re safe here, we've got plenty of torches, bottled water, and tinned food.'
My nominee for Wellingtonian of the Year would be…
Darryl Alexander - President of the Wellington Deaf Society. Raising two Deaf kids could have been terrifying. I'm not Deaf. I didn't know anyone who was Deaf. Darryl and his wife Sara have put decades of hard work, optimism, and good humour into nurturing a local Deaf community that invites, engages and inspires everyone. My children are proud to be Deaf. I attribute much of their pride to Darryl's leadership.
As told to Deborah Morris