Wrights Hill Fortress facts for kids
Wrights Hill Fortress is a large underground fort in Karori, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. It was built between 1942 and 1947. This fort was designed to protect Wellington from attacks during World War II.
Most of the fortress is hidden deep underground. It has many tunnels connecting different parts. These include war shelters, places for guns, storage rooms for ammunition, and even an engine room. Some parts are more than 15 meters (50 feet) below the surface!
The fort was meant to hold three huge 9.2-inch guns. However, only two guns were ever put in place. The fortress never actually fired its guns in a real battle. After World War II ended, the fort commanders tested the guns. They fired them in 1946 and 1947. The tests were successful, with the shots landing in Cook Strait.
In 1960, the two large guns were sold for scrap metal to Japan. This was a bit ironic, as the fort was built to defend against a possible attack from Japan. Wrights Hill Fortress is similar in design to other forts built around Auckland, like Stony Batter and Whangaparaoa.
Visiting Wrights Hill Fortress
Today, a special group looks after Wrights Hill Fortress. You can visit this historic place on certain public holidays. These include Waitangi Day, ANZAC Day, the King's birthday, and Labour Day. If you want to visit at other times, you can arrange a special tour. The fortress is a very important historic site in New Zealand.
Wrights Hill on Screen
Wrights Hill Fortress is a popular spot for making movies and TV shows. Its tunnels and gun pits have been used in several productions.
For example, the sound designers for The Fellowship of the Ring used the tunnels. They recorded echo effects there for the famous Mines of Moria scenes.
Also, the New Zealand horror film The Devil's Rock was filmed inside the fortress. The tunnels and gun pits were used to look like a German bunker from World War II.
