Wake up early and check phone for the Wales -Springboks score. Wales ahead 19-18 so switch on the tele. Remember it's 5:30am here. As the screen warms up SA are just attempting the conversion. oh b*****!! , wish I'd slept through.
Another breakfast another flower - it was a Poppy today.
It's off on the ferry again for a museum fest. First to the Auckland Museum, which is the furthest one away. It sits in the middle of something called the Auckland Domain, which basically means it is in the centre of a large park. We have a map, and notice that the coast-to-coast walk goes right past the museum, and is signposted in orange arrows, so we shouldn't miss it.
At first it is flat, but inevitably heads uphill. There is a small island in between the roads and steps head upwards to a grotto of trees.
Eric thinks these look like good fun for climbing on.
We pass Auckland University. Gosh, that looks rather small. Perhaps they don't have many students in Auckland.
Ah, here's another bit. Rather gothic looking. Unsurprisingly called 'The Clock Tower'.
Next is Albert Park. A very pretty garden with well planted flower beds and a fountain.
Eric wakes up and smells the flowers (or should that be coffee?)
They also have a Speaker's Corner here.
Eric pontificates on the spread of infectious diseases. The reason for this may not be immediately obvious.
Auckland University turns out to a lot bigger than first thought. We wander past the campus buildings and over the main highway to the bottom of the Auckland Domain parkland.
"What's that?"
There are many sculptures scattered around.
Eric finds more trees to climb.
The front of the museum beckons at the top of the hill.
There is a war memorial outside, with a lot of water cascading down it.
If you're an International visitor you have to pay to go in, and there is no reduction for senior citizens, outrageous!
One of the main reasons for coming is that we have been told the museum holds the best collection of Maori artefacts in NZ. Here's a few of them.
Meeting house
Canoe
Carvings - That's a Haka and a half.
All this culture is tiring. We manage to find the cafe for a sit down and some tea and cake.
Part of the exhibition shows all the bits and bobs the British brought with them to NZ - some unbelievably heavy pieces of furniture amongst them. The lighting is dim, probably to protect the artefacts. As we lean in to try and read the information panels in front of the displays we hear "Step away from the displays". This repeats a number of times as we didn't think it applied to us. But it did! If you were too close to anything a sensor would activate and you'd be told to 'step away from the displays'. It was weird!
An exhibition case shows a dead Albatross - it died because of all the plastic it ingested from the sea thinking it was food. There was an amazing amount in it's stomach.
These Nautilus Paper Shells are sometimes washed up on the Auckland beaches.
Thought this picture would show why the beaches are so sparkly on the west coast (as discussed earlier) but the glinting doesn't show up as well on the photo as hoped.
This was an artist's imaginary Island, incorporating NZ related flora and fauna
And other related items.
A carved rock like this would be good for the garden.
A model of how a Maori pa would have looked.
This is a model of an oceangoing canoe - imagine living in the shelter on the side of that as you went island hopping!
Eric wasn't allowed in the museum, but he found some friends to climb trees with in the park. Can you see them? They were cheating as they had ropes.
And waited for the band to arrive and start playing.
The next cultural place to visit is the Art Museum. It's back through Albert Park and past the fountain - there's that tower in the background again,
Eric is amazed - there are no coins in this fountain.
The art museum does not allow photos so you'll have to imagine the cultural experience. At least it's free to go in.
Next - it's off to the Maritime Museum. We have free entry to this as it was given as part of the America's Cup sailing trip.
There are some really lovely looking old boats in the harbour as you enter. Apparently you can go out for sailing trips on these too.
Eric tries his hand at a half hitch (practicing for when he needs to tie up his boat).
There's an exhibition called 'At the Beach' on.
"She looks like she has a tablecloth on her head" giggles Eric.
Eric sends an SOS signal (he wants to be rescued from all this culture).
There's no-one in the lighthouse to receive the message, so he had to carry on around the museum.
These Fresnel lenses are awesome.
Plenty of boats of all ages and varieties (as you might expect to find in a Maritime Museum).
This was one of the first jet boats - it doesn't look much, and we can't imagine the boy racers of today wanting one. But, there was a video of it being steered through the mangrove creeks at 20 knots. It could really go!
Some whale bone carving - called Scrimshaw.
The lines were etched into the bone and then they were filled in with candle black, soot or tobacco juice to reveal the picture.
There was a rather splendid stained glass window - called Seafarers Windows - it has come from a chapel in the Seafarers Memorial Centre, which had been demolished.
America's Cup wind tunnel trial yacht.
Old whaling boat.
Waiting for the ferry to Devonport (shall we tell Eric this is in the 1800s?).
All aboard.
Third class steerage on a mock up of a ship carrying immigrants to NZ in the early 1800s. Looks a bit grim.
Eric was feeling seasick with the slowly rolling motion of the ship.
Here's a real version of the ocean going canoe with the side shelter.
These coconut shells were used to call sharks, some young boys would even have to ride on the back of them as an initiation. They also used to use it as a method of catching the sharks to eat (if they didn't eat you first!)
Eric asked if he could have a life jacket and some lucky red socks as well. The bear told Eric he'd seen Ben on his travels last year but didn't know where he was now.
Museum overload at this point, plus hunger kicks in. We head to a bar for burger and chips (including a vegetarian one) before catching the ferry back.