Not a question , just some details about a guy who I find inspiring .

In Wellington ( New Zealand ) are two brothers who are both involved in the hopitality business ( and way more ) . I am guessing both are around 70 years of age -- I have met both socially .

Peter Parkin has owned numerous bars and nightclubs around Wellington , over the last 40 or so years . It has been jokingly said he has owned most bars at one stage or another . He also used to race cars , so I know him reasonably well .

Chris Parkin is his brother -- he was more into racing motorbikes . He has sponsored numerous top riders over the years , and various races and events . But there is way more to him than that .

Wellington portrays itself as the Cultural centre of New Zealand , and Chris and his wife sponsor New Zewalands premier writers prize ( which gets over 500 entries per year ) . He sponsors art awards . He sponsors the orchestra . He sponsors fashion parades .

He is heavily involved in hotels , owning several .

In Wellington up until the 1980's , the wharves and rail yards were essentially on prime downtown land , on Wellington Harbour ( obviously ) , but by the end of the 80's , these had been moved 3 or 4kms , so it was vacant , unloved land , on the waterfront , owned by the Government and the Council .

The Government decided to build Te Papa ( N Z's national museum ) on part of this land . Chris Parkin stepped in too , and bought some of the vacant land around it .

About 3 blocks ( 600 metres ) away was quite a new hotel ( the Kensington from memory ) sitting on very valuable land . Chris Parkin did a deal and bought the hotel -- 200 rooms , 4 or so stories tall , probably 40 metres deep and 150 metres long .

He did a deal with the Railways . He had already bought some land off them , and somehow managed to talk them into lending him 96 rail carriages , and some old track . He got Council on-side too .

So in 1993 , they jacked the hotel up , put 96 railway carriages under it , and using huge hydraulic rams , they moved the whole hotel , in one piece , 600 metres ( 3 blocks ) . It took 3 days , working 24 hours a day .

This is it today -- now called the Museum Hotel . Opposite the museum , not surprisingly . Initially , after they first reopened it , it was called Hotel de Wheels . Pretty amazing IMO .

Oh , and did I mention he likes colour ? And art ? and culture ?

What do you think his house looks like then ?