** 1pm, SATURDAY 31 OCTOBER 2026 **(NOTE: Because of the popularity of this tour on Sun 1 Nov, we are offering the same tour on Sat 31 Oct. To help us manage walker numbers, please attend the one you have registered for)
Entrepreneur, entertainer, madam and mayoral candidate Carmen Rupe was based in Wellington for less than 15-years but has left us a rich legacy of memories and inspiring moments.
Join us on this free 90-minute community walk-tour as we trace Carmen's Wellington years (1967-1980). We'll visit some of the remaining inner-city business locations and imagine some of those that are no longer here: Le Balcon, Carmen's International Coffee Lounge, The Peacock, Cleopatra's Coffee Lounge, Carmen's Bazaar, The Gazebo massage parlour, The Cottage brothel and Carmen's Curio Shop.
Learn about Carmen's landmark 1966 court case, her race to become Mayor of Wellington in the 1970s, and how she supported and offered a safe harbour to Wellington's Takatāpui LGBTI Rainbow communities.
“I would more or less hypnotise all my guests like a black widow spider and trap my clients caught in my web. As people left my coffee lounge at 6am or earlier I would splash them with Carmen’s exotic juice which meant that they would be back another night for more. The scent would guide them to me. Some would hear my voice calling like an eerie whisper from the depths of darkness.” [from Carmen’s autobiography, "Carmen: My Life"]
This is an outdoors walk tour with limited shelter from the weather. We walk on public footpaths which are generally flat. Please dress for the weather conditions. The tour may be cancelled in bad weather. Tours are limited to approximately 20 walkers.
Date: 1pm, Saturday 31 October 2026
Starts: meet outside Thistle Hall, 293 Cuba Street, Wellington
Ends: Civic Square
Duration: 90-minutes
Cost: free, but please register so we can manage walker numbers: https://walktours.nz/book/
Event venue
Thistle Hall Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.