We arrived in Wellington last night during rush hour. It took us one hour to get to our b n b which was only about 4 miles from the ferry. We took two wrong turns, coupled with the incredibly steep hills, one way streets, and the rush hour......we did note that when we finally found the correct street how the neighborhood had deteriorated....and the housing....and the lawns or lack there of because there were NONE. Our entry hallway was blocked by a bicycle...the innkeeper's friend just parked it in the hallway while they were sharing a bottle of wine....This was our view, but did not bother with a picture of the sorry room....I knew already that we were not staying the two nights which were reserved. When I went downstairs to ask about the dinner suggestions, she was nowhere to be found, but had left us a note with the entry code to the front door (she was off to see a sick friend). How I wish I had taken a picture of the common area, the kitchen and her bra and dirty clothes lying on the floor of the dining area where we were to eat in the a.m. A notice in our room told us that if the windows rattle, "close them"! (There is no air conditioning in most buildings here.) We dumped out bags and walked out to find a place to eat....her literature had mentioned two "down the hill".....one was a rowdy, lousy pub, the other a nearly deserted thai place with no one in it.....we were the oldest people on the street by about 45 years!!! Kids hanging out of windows...obviously a university area...
We walked some blocks beyond previous suggestions and found a very warm, inviting Thai restaurant....good food, cheap and quiet. I told Tom that the innkeeper would not show up for breakfast....she did not....When I noticed blood stains on the sheets, which had been washed, we paid the cook and left. I double checked the website and the trip advisor....all 5 star and lovely pics of the property.....duped!
We spent a fascinating day in Wellington, totally within the confines of this remarkable museum....Te Papa (our place). We had been reading about it for some time and were not only NOT disappointed, but overwhelmed by the beauty, presentation, magnitude and wealth of knowledge....one day was not enough!
Each guide book we read, each website we visited rated Te Papa the number one attraction in NZ....and that is saying a LOT given what we have seen!
One of the largest museums in the world, Te Papa is, according to Frommer's guide, "redefining the word museum". Hope you enjoy this journey....
This gateway or totem has many of the Maori traditional figures. The one with the tongue hanging out is the traditional warrior pose to frighten the opposition.
As most of the younger readers know, the Hobbit film(s) were made in New Zealand.
Okay!!!
We start in the natural history section because the hundreds of school kids on field trips didn't.
A nice intact fossil that looks like a giant nautilus. Wonder if it is mathematically perfect from 140 million years ago?
A star map. Showing the Southern Cross (below) that was so important to the Polynesians in finding NZ about a thousand years ago.
New Zealand is a great birding spot -- lots of seabirds. We have not seen the elusive and nocturnal kiwi yet -- still hoping. The oyster catcher is pretty much the same as in South Carolina.
Here is the Weka which we mention earlier....and the fact that the poor thing was most often found dead in the road....perhaps this is why...it is attracted to "flashy" objects, pictured here with a spoon in its mouth....would suppose that the shiny car bumpers attract it at night..
This dude was caught on a fishing line in NZ waters -- would't let go of the real catch that became its bait. The fishing boat froze it quickly. The eventually moved it to better facilities, preserved it, and now display it at Te Papa.
We arrived at this marvelous place on the "free Wellington" day!!!! Hundreds, if not thousands, of students.....we manage to dodge them by going to the top floor first and working our way down.
A moving, thoughtful film which interviewed various NZlanders about their district.....having visited many of the districts on this trip, we could identify with their attachment....where is that spot for you?
We find the dreaded SLOAT mentioned earlier on the blog....after seeing this, we are certain that Tom did not find one in the trap...
A canoe with the traditional carvings that depict the spiritual journey back to the ancestral homelands.
One of the memorials....made to resemble the spiritual canoe.
A replica of the boat that brought the Polynesians to Aotearoa, the Maori name for New Zealand. They were amazing navigators and seamen to sail those waters with only the sun, stars, and their knowledge. This replica is one third the actual size.
The early Maori were separated into tribes across Aotearua. They were warring tribes that settled many disputes in battle. At first the meeting houses as shown below were used to settle disputes within the particular tribes. Later they learned to settle disputes between tribes more peacefully and would negotiate the disputes in these meeting houses. We were requested to remove our shoes before entering the meeting house.
Also a ceremonial room with the traditional carved figures.
The treasure house was use to store the wealth of the tribes -- tools, seed, weapons, stores of food, jade, etc. The house would protect the valuables from rival tribes. As you can tell the tribal cultural pride of the Maori lives on. Many artifacts and replicas were presented by the tribes to Te Papa.
Again with the tongue and bug eyes to frighten the opposition.
This pays homage to the mothers. It is a depiction of a birth....note the baby at the bottom. Still with the tongue thing though. The early Maoris were rumored to eat their vanquished rivals.
This stone says it all, put the final line on the story. Amen
New Zealand has supported Britain for many decades in global and regional conflicts. Britain has reciprocated by giving NZ favored trade relations until they joined the European Union. Then the UK suspended the favored nation status of NZ. NZ has gone on to fair very well economically on their own. Please read the second two paragraphs above. We first learned about this problem when doing some reading before this trip. How many Americans are even aware of this problem. Most Kiwis are very aware. And most are proud of their nation's stance. At least one, Roger from the cruise down, believes that the US would still honor Anzus in the case of attack on New Zealand. It is interesting to hear what Kiwis think about the effect of this conflict. Those in business say there are trade sanctions. Those in intelligence say that there was only withheld intelligence data. Others say it is only the withheld promise to defend in case of attack. We are still not sure what the effect is. We were told that both Condoleeza Rice and Hillary have been to NZ to try to convince the NZlanders to get back in bed with the US. Not yet.
Seems like a big anticlimax. But there was a great lunch after Te Papa.
