Events

Previous events we have held

2017 Carols around the labyrinth - 9 December 7:45

(Bring picnic chairs or rugs – held wet or fine, indoor venue available – light supper)

MC David Dell •Take Note Singers • Avalon Tongan Choir – special guests

We really appreciate our sponsors and hope that you will support them:

Harbour City funeral Home produce the incredibly Rotary provide the verty colourful Glow Sticks
beautiful Programs.

World Labyrinth Day - Saturday 6th May 2017

Come along and be one of the first in the world to walk your local labyrinth as part of World Labyrinth Day 2017. World wide walking starts at 1pm, here at our labyrinth in the grounds of Hutt Hospital, and continues around the world at 1pm local time. Children can start at 12.45pm, with the more mindful of us starting at 1pm. Bring a friend, discover the labyrinth and join us at 1pm at Lower Hutt's first labyrinth (located behind the bus shelter on High St)

Carols around the Labyrinth

David Dell will be directing Carols Around the Labyrinth 2016, bringing Lower Hutt Soprano Lydia MdDonnell and the Take Note Singers together with a Hutt City Brass Ensemble. Glow Sticks will again feature and supper will follow another memorable evening as we bring life and meaning to the labyrinth at Christmas. Watch for further updates - planning is not yet completed!

Venue: Hutt Hospital Labyrinth (Behind nthe Bus Stop on High Street

Date: 10 December
Time: 7:45 pm

Coffee and cake in the Chapel afterwards

Matariki - The weekend of 24-25 June 2016 is going to be a big one for Labyrinth lovers!

LABYRINTH HUI

Venue: Hutt Hospital chapel
Date: 25 June 2016 from 2 pm
Afternoon tea (koha) served

An initiative so bizarre as the laying down of an 800 year old medieval pattern amongst the mature trees and garden at Frederic Wallis House, at the end of the main lawn where the sunken garden once flourished, was bound to stand out in local history. That it so completely caught the imagination of enough people for the project to be completed before the millennium was a triumph. Within two short years Lower Hutt had the most wonderfully original yet thoroughly modern and elaborate depiction of the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth.

So many hundreds of hours of volunteer time went into the tiling of the first Australasian labyrinth. Those who were attending conferences at the Frederic Wallis House Retreat and Conference Centre often came back to help. Others walked in off the street, sometimes as complete strangers, then stayed to assist. More heard by word of mouth, came to see, and then settled down under the pitiless sun to share in the action. And so the Hutt Valley came to take ownership of their labyrinth.

The grand opening became a celebration that lasted for 12 action packed hours. And it was all video taped. Now on the verge of the labyrinth's 20th anniversary, and using contemporary technology, the Frederic and Margaret Wallis Labyrinth committee will be bringing you edited highlights of the four videotapes formerly in the possession of labyrinth builder the late Peter Halford. They have never been viewed publicly before.

LABYRINTH FAMILY EVENT - CELEBRATE MATARIKI

At Johnsonville Uniting Church

Watch the Starman in the film, ‘Labyrinth’
Walk our very own LABYRINTH

Friday, 24 th June, 5.30pm onwards for a Pizza Tea, 6pm screening of ‘Labyrinth’ starring David Bowie, 7.45pm Walk the labyrinth under the stars

World Labyrinth Day

Sarturday 7 May 2016 @ 1pm

Come along and be one of the first in the world to walk your local labyrinth as part of World Labyrinth Day 2016. World wide walking starts at 1pm, here at our labyrinth in the grounds of Hutt Hospital, and continues around the world at 1pm local time. Children can start at 12.45pm, with the more mindful of us starting at 1pm. Bring a friend, discover the labyrinth and join us at 1pm at Lower Hutt's first labyrinth (located behind the bus shelter on High St)

Labyrinth from up high800x600

The March-April 2016 issue of Heritage Today is in the Wellington Heritage Promotion Councilâ€™s Online Library - click this link: http://www.wrhpc.org.nz/library/index.htm

Carols Around the Labyrinth 2015

Saturday 5 December starting at 7.30 with labyrinth walking for 7.45pm band warm up and carols at 8pm.
MC this year was Rev Dr Jim Cunningham

2015 carols 2

2015 Carols 1

Labrinth Hui

A “Labyrinth Hui” on Saturday 27 September will explore the range of in-ground, portable and knee labyrinths now available in the Wellington Region. This will be a unique opportunity for anyone interested in using, designing, creating, or developing all forms of the labyrinth concept.

Custodians of existing labyrinths will be able to engage with attendees in an informal discussion based on their experiences and offer on-going support and expertise.

For details or to register your interest contact Alison McKone at ajmckone@paradise.net.nz by 20 September.

Carols Around the Labyrinth 2014

Saturday 6 December starting at 7.30 with labyrinth walking for 7.45pm band warm up and carols at 8pm.

A special guest this year from the Hutt Valley. You voted for her last year, now is your chance to participate in carol singing with Renee Maurice, the 2013 winner of NZ’s Got Talent.

Renee will be singing two of her own compositions and assisting with the Take Note singers under the baton of musical director and MC for the evening, David Dell.

Saturday 3 May at 1pm

Back by popular demand, Taiko drummers of Taikoza will precede this event by playing for 15 - 20 minutes prior to the 1pm start time for the labyrinth walk. The hypnotic drumming rhythm of the taiko drums has a similar effect on the listener to that of labyrinth walking. The setting is peaceful and the event meditative and peaceful.

Each year on the first Saturday in May, at 1pm local time, people all around the globe gather at their local labyrinths to walk. In doing so they join within a circle of labyrinth walkers around the globe. Thanks to our position relative to the international date line this all encompassing labyrinth walk begins here in NZ.

Well that was the plan but the weather was not cooperating and the drumming had to be cancelled. At the time of walking the labyrinth the drizzle stopped and it was pleasant to be out on a complentative walking meditation.

6 December 2013 - Carols around the Labyrinth

Friday 6 December 7.45 - 9pm

4 May 2013 - World Labyrinth Day

World Labyrinth Day 2013 saw a new format introduced by the labyrinth committee. Three members of Taiko Drumming performed prior to the 1pm start of the worldwide walk of peace.

Members of Taiko Drumming, led by Nedra Fu and coached by Murray Macdonald, had visited the labyrinth site prior to the event and were delighted with the ambience and setting of the labyrinth as it fitted so well with their own focus and philosophy. A perfect mid autumnal day helped!

Those attending appreciated this prelude to their World Labyrinth Day walk. Afternoon tea in the chapel afterwards saw over thirty people enjoy the warm hospitality that has become a feature of our events.

2012 Carols around the Labyrinth

Peter Glensor, deputy chair of HVDHB, MC'd the evening which included the renowned choir The Festival Singers were accompanied by an ensemble from Hutt City Brass, a Celtic band and other instrumentalists. A highlight was the soloist Jonathan Berkahn walking the labyrinth while singing and accompanying himself on piano accordion.

Again, dance and light was a feature and everyone attending were given both a glo-stick and a song sheet.

Hutt Cityy Rotary are the proud sponsors of this years event.

2012 September - Heritage Month

"Our Heritage - Our Stories"

We displayed ten photographic posters depicting heritage stories within the Chartres Cathedral design of the Frederic and Margaret Wallis Labyrinth and showed how this pattern has been made into a truly unique New Zealand concept. Visitors viewed a concealed star around which the pattern is based, learnt how to read a medieval calendar, and discovered how many ancient Roman labyrinths are incorporated in the design.

2012 Sunday 8 July - Matariki Meditative Walk lead by local Buddhists

Matariki is a time of celebrating and learning. It is also the traditional season for reflecting on the past while examining the present and planning how to move forward into the future.

Ajahn Kusalo, Abbott of the Bodhinyanarama Buddhist Monastery in Stokes Valley, will lead an exploration of these issues on the Frederic and Margaret Wallis Labyrinth at Hutt Hospital. He will teach us about and lead us into the art of meditative walking.

Buddhism founded hospitals and hospices several hundred years before Christianity. Ajahn Kusalo consequently has a sound understanding of the labyrinth pathway as an effective healing tool during meditative walking. This is an opportunity to walk the labyrinth with renewed understanding.

This event is not weather dependent and afternoon tea (koha please) will be included in the programme.

2011 14 December Carols around the Labyrinth

We will continue with the very successful format of the past couple of years, singing Christmas carols both traditional and from New Zealand, in twilight to the glow of light sticks.

Here are some photos from 2011 Carols around the Labyrinth

Young helpers at the gate being organised by Alison McCone (Labyrinth Committee members) to hand out the programme to arriving members of the public. Photo: Phil Griffiths

The Take Note Choir preparing themselves. Photo: Phil Griffiths

The Hutt City Brass Band Ensemble warm up in preparation. Photo: Phil Griffiths

The St James Liturgical Dance Group add a visual dimension to the carols with several choreographed dances to accompany carols. Photo: Phil Griffiths

Fire Spinners – Emma Necus & Polly Maru adding another exciting visual dimension to the proceedings. Photo: Phil Griffiths

An outline of The House will be touched on, the project to build the labyrinth explored and a panel of experts will discuss the use of labyrinths within the current world value systems. All while we enjoy our afternoon tea, served by the committee (koha please). The tapes will run continuously between 2 - 4pm with no formal start time.