Mount Eden and the Museum

John woke early (6:00am) as he has been doing since arriving in Aotearoa/New Zealand It is the result of changing time zones that John has not quite switched but it works out nicely. Hans and Pris always go for a morning walk and John is up and able to join them.

Breakfast was great in the natural area where Hans and Pris have their home. It is high on a ridge, surrounded by native bush. The views are magnificent and the entire scene idyllic - quiet with nothing much more than the songs of the many birds who live or visit. Harriet, the cat, has been as friendly as she gets with strangers. She came around to gently sniff at me and I wondered if she could smell Jack.

Pris had a job to do in the big city so John, Hans, and Pris set out together along the motorway to Auckland. After getting a coffee at a little shop on the Great South Road, Hans and John let Pris off and went sightseeing.

They went to the Epsom Campus of the University where the Faculty of Education is now housed. It used to be the Auckland College of Education. After walking about a bit, they drove up Mount Eden, the highest point in the Auckland area. John saw the bronze plaque at the summit that shows the direction and distance to various places. He knew that Toronto was one of the places on the plaque. It is over 13,000 kilometres away. It made John think how things are so different there - short, cold, days, snow perhaps, people all bundled up, Christmas things fitting the weather. Here the days are long, the temperatures in the high 20's and Santa Claus looks distinctly out of place amongst the men and women in shorts and sandals.




John was overwhlemed by the beauty of the city, sitting like a carpet resting against the feet of the volcanic cone. He took a LOT of video, including a shot of Mount Victoria that he had visited and taken video of the harbour earlier in this blog. It looked so low from Mount Eden.

Next, they headed off to the Auckland Museum that is situated in the Domain, a vast green park in the centre of the city. The museum has classical architecture but inside you can find so many different things. John especially wanted to see the Maori exhibits - the long war canoes that can hold a hundred men, the marae (spiritual meeting house), the storehouses, the war clubs. He also enjoyed the exibits that feature New Zealand wildlife both present day and extinct - like the giant moa, a bird that would dwarf an ostrich.

John and Hans also visited a special exhibit on the rose. Yes, the flower. It was amazing. It was quite interactive. You could put your nose into a cone and press the button the smell the different varieties, or detect which perfume contains rose oil. There was a game for kids in which you had to pollinate enough flowers to keep the garden alive. Both John and Hans failed. There were so many other aaspects of roses from decoration on cups and clothing, through their history, to their characteristics and genetics that it is impossible to describe them all. Hans realized that this would be a perfect exhibit for Pris to see.

They then ate lunch in the museum cafe. John had a bowl of roasted vegetables that were delicious but it was such a big portion he couldn't finish. Hans had a quiche. Then it was back to pick up Pris and head for home.

On the way home they stopped at Silverdale to see a gift shop owned by a friend of Pris. John realized that, due to his own foolish packing, he had NO room to take souvenirs with him. His only choice would be to throw away clothes. He will probably buy souvenirs and send them home after the Christmas rush.

Hans cooked an amazing chicken stir fry, which they once again were able to eat at the table outdoors and afterwards watched a funny video while eating a dessert Pris had made - little round chocolate cakes topped with whipped cream and fresh raspberries and chocolate chips. John said to himself that he won't be losing weight this week!

Once again they ended their day in perhaps the most civilized way possible - in the spa pool, listening to the silence and looking at the stars, planes, satellites. and shooting stars.

TRB