PICTON AND OMAKA AVIATION HERITAGE CENTER -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 25
Before we alighted from the inter islander ferry Kaitaki ,Tony gathered our group together and told us that there was going to be a slight crowding at departing point so we had to get down individually and take a blue line down the street and wait for him ,we could finish having our lunch in Picton
He had to meet the coach Captain of the bus coming down from south island loaded with passengers who were going to start the North Island tour and would be in Kaitaki returning from Picton to Wellington ,we had bid a fond farewell to Megan on the previous day in Wellington ,she was a wonderful woman ,ever patient ,handling all the heavy luggage effortlessly ,was proficient with Maori culture and in totality was a good sport
We gathered our bags and prepared to get down from the ferry, Tony handed over our maps over the 3 odd hours in the ferry he had diligently drawn route maps for all of us ,places we were going to cover in the South Islands and those covered in North Island
On the way out we found ourselves amidst lot of cars and other vehicles getting ready to get off, we came out of the ferry terminal and faithfully followed the blue line and viola ! we found ourselves in the centre of the town

We went searching for a good restaurant ,by then we had discovered the art of searching for small restaurants serving sea food and would order economical and filling food with a bit of spice thrown In.
On the main road  we found a small restaurant serving take away food , happily ordered fish and chips with chicken and lamb kebabs and luckily we found a counter there to eat our stuff and eventually some of our group members sauntered in for food
While waiting for Tony we went around wandering to while away time but we had a cautious eye on other members of our bus as we didn’t want to miss our bus.

 I could see and also used the wash rooms set in the garden at the wharf, were so clean and neat ,not at all like a public toilet

Tony came with the bus after a while ,he was literally sweating and flustered ,apparently the bus coming from South Island was late because of road work going on and the tourists from south island almost missed the ferry .We were introduced to our new coach captain Peter who was a South Islander and also very good
Picton is a town in the Marlborough Region of New Zealand's South Island. The town is located near the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound, 25 km north of Blenheim and 65 km west of Wellington.
Picton is a major hub in New Zealand's transport network, connecting South Island road and rail network with ferries across Cook Strait to Wellington and the North Island. It has a population of 4,360, making it the second-largest town in the Marlborough Region behind Blenheim.

Built around a very sheltered harbor, the town has an attractive seafront dotted with cafés , restaurants and various galleries. There’s also a floating maritime museum and an aquarium. Local operators can take us cruising, fishing, dolphin watching, sea kayaking or mountain biking.
Unfortunately we had just an hour to spend there and set going in the bus to Blenheim where we were going to stay for that night in Marlborough scenic hotel
On the way we stopped for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre ,an aviation museum located at the Omaka Air Field, 5 km from the centre of Blenheim

Heritage aviation interest began in Marlborough area in late 1990s and Marlborough War birds Association was formed. In 1997, a small group of aircraft owners and enthusiasts established New Zealand Aviation. A decade of collaborative activity lead to establishment of the Marlborough Aviation Cluster
 Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, which occupies around 3,000 sqm of display area was officially opened on 9th Dec 2006. Stage Two was opened in 2016
It has two sections and has separate pricing and a reduced pricing for both combined
Omaka's first exhibition, “Knights of the Sky”, presents one of the world's largest collections of World War I and rare memorabilia, including a mix of static displays along with flyable planes. The collection is on long term loan to the museum and is managed by the 14-18 Aviation Heritage Trust, chaired by film director Sir Peter Jackson

 Jackson’s got the exhibition designed by Joe Blakeley and was able to employ the talents of Wellington's finest set builders, painters and props specialists, enhanced with lifelike mannequins by Weta Workshop. Despite its complexity the exhibition took less than 10 weeks to complete from design to opening.
"Knights of the Sky" features rare memorabilia, such as an Iron Cross cut from the fuselage of the Red Baron's Fokker after he crash-landed it, having been fatally wounded by a shot to chest as he pursued enemy aircraft.
 There are personal stories of heroic individuals, including a New Zealand ace who jumped out of cockpit and onto the wing to steady and then to steer the disabled craft until he could get low enough to the ground to jump off safely.

 It was both fascinating and frightening to see the whole recreated scene, we had a close and personal" look at the guy whose steady nerves brought him back safely against great odds.

Dangerous Skies" features World War II aircraft and fascinating memorabilia from the Eastern Front as well as a gripping short film on the Battle of Stalingrad. The exhibition display about Lydia Litvyak , a female ace fighter and "Hero of the Soviet Union" is fascinating and utterly arresting when you come upon it
It was amazing to see how fragile the early aircraft were (wood, cloth and wires) and it was also interesting to note the speed at which new innovation was adopted.

The saddest part was to read that most pilots were around 20 and few made it to 23 . I have always felt that all wars have been unnecessary events which have ruined mankind and the worst affected are the young ones who either get badly hurt maiming them for life or die leaving their family to grieve for them The displays are so real and authentic,planes had bullet holes and dents. We found a plane crashed into a snowy tree, another with a soldier standing on the wing, one wired in a muddy field, another has crash landed and pilot was being pulled out of the cock pit

Whole museum was amazing, informative with rare exhibits. We saw a great 360 degree surround type video for 8 minutes, which showed WW2 bombing movie it was amazing and definitely worth the time spent .There was a cafe with a good range of drinks and food and we had an amazing coffee

We then went to the hotel to rest for the day early as we had a long distance to travel the next day

THE WONDERFUL KAITAKI - NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 24
We were about to finish our tour in north Islands and go to south islands, though there was an option of flight our tour included a ferry journey from Wellington to Picton  and it indeed turned out to be memorable.
There are two main ferry companies: Inter islander and Bluebridge,Up to 5 ferries usually start from 2.30am to 8.00pm.We were going to travel by the inter islander ferry Kaitaki
 We were instructed by Tony that our bags had to be kept out earlier that day as they had to be sent to the ferry before us

So after a hearty breakfast we said goodbye to our hotel and went in the bus to the ferry terminal located on Aotea Quay. Wellington harbour was used to be called Port Nicholson,. Cook Strait lies between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast, and runs next to the capital city, Wellington. It is 22 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, and is considered one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world.

The strait in Maori has the name of "bitter leaves" and is named after James Cook,the intrepid explorer who discovered in 1770 that  contrary to popular belief at the time  New Zealand is made up of two major land masses. The inter-island ferry connects the North Island and South Island of New Zealand travelling from Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, to Picton, a picturesque harbour town located at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound and known as the gateway to the magnificent Marlborough Sounds and the South Island of New Zealand

After a half an hour wait at the terminal which we spent picking up some material on south island ,we were checked in for the ferry ,as we had only hand luggage we could sail through easily and we saw our ferry the famous Kaitaki  meaning "challenger" It has a capacity of 1350 passengers and is the largest ferry operating in New Zealand ,it has 132 passenger berths, can hold 600 cars and crew are 60 in number

We entered the ferry in no time, though there were elevators ,most of us used the stairs and were led to a private lounge which was booked for our group, we settled down there for a few minutes initially with our hand luggage stowed safely and went to top deck to see the starting of the ferry from Wellington .

The ferry started and the scenic ferry journey offered many highlights en route and was richly supplied with local legends and myths. From Wellington, the ferry slowly made its way through the harbor offering us panoramic views of its dramatic city scape set on high hills which plunged steeply into the sea. It was very windy reminding us that we were bidding farewell to windy wellington.

Suddenly I recollected our crossing the English Channel which  is a part of the Atlantic Ocean,  separating the island of Britain (part of the UK) from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean from Dover 2003,entire bus  was taken in the ferry I still remember the rough sea that day ,about 15 years back, the English channel today is one of the busiest shipping lanes on the planet. It's approximately 350 miles long, and at its narrowest in the Strait of Dover.
 Our ferry passed past Ward Island in Wellington Harbour, which according to Maori legend is one of the daughters of the great Polynesian explorer Kupe, and then past Somes Island, which was used as a detention centre during WWII and around the point to Oterangi Bay, the North Island terminal of the Cook Strait power cable and the place where in April 1968 a land wind speed of 268 km/h was recorded, then out into Cook Strait.

 Two lighthouses at  Pencarrow Head mark the entrance to Wellington Harbour. The upper lighthouse was constructed in 1859 and was New Zealand's first permanent lighthouse. Although it was a great achievement, the early European settlers hadn't appreciated how the low sea mists and fogs would render it useless. It was eventually replaced in 1906 by the lower lighthouse, which is still in use.
After we appreciated the land scape for some time we went on a tour of the ferry,it was more like a multi storied hotel than a ferry
With two restaurants, a sports bar, shop, several lounges and a deck dedicated to children, Kaitaki  was designed to entertain. With excellent food, comfortable seats, stunning views and a relaxing environment, the Ocean View eatery was a great place to settle down and enjoy the entire journey!
 For someone who likes to sit back and relax with a delicious local beer or wine, the Local Heroes bar towards the rear of Deck 8 was the place of choice. For entertainment, the Local Heroes bar had Sky Sports on TV and live bands playing on stage!

Hector's café a modern, elegant café modelled on the classic Kiwi café-bar style.  was located on Deck 7 towards the front of the ship. We had a delicious slice of cake and a strong cup of strong coffee,
Deck 2 was meant for kids aged 0 to 10 years. Down there we found a huge soft play climbing frame, baby play area and two cinemas. There was a café on a mezzanine level overlooking the play area for adults to sit and relax with an eye on their kids
Kaitaki had several large outdoor viewing areas around Deck 7 and an outdoor seating area on Deck 10. These areas were perfect for soaking up the spectacular views of the sounds

 We came to know that our Inter islander ferry trip was famous as one of the most beautiful ferry cruises in the world. The Cook Strait ferry covers 92 kilometres (58 miles) and the journey across the Cook Strait averages 3 to 3.5 hours depending on the weather conditions 

 Then our ferry started cruising through the majestic Marlborough Sounds, a series of sunken sea-filled valleys that feature many bush clad islands, hidden inlets and bays, clear blue water and native forests growing down to the waterline .

We had lovely glimpses of small wooden homes, jetties and boat sheds owned by locals, many of whom seem to be commuting via the water which was blue
 We met very helpful and friendly staff on and off board the ferry. The interior of the ferry was very comfortable with different sitting areas with big windows to take in the stunning views of the Marlborough sounds and the Cook strait.
There was a lot of space to walk around so that one doesn’t get claustrophobic .There was no dearth of activities on the ferry including a movie theatre, face painting, arcade games, food/drinks, etc.
Access to vehicle decks was not permitted during the crossing, Dogs could be left in large cages on the vehicle deck.

With the hills of Marlborough surrounding us and the sheltered waters calm and placid, sailing through the Marlborough Sounds felt to us more like cruising along a large river than a sea deceptively so calm
The ferry was being operated with  great dexterity as some of the inlets and outlets were quite narrow.
 We were offered fantastic views of the South Island’s Kaikoura Range and there were frequent opportunities to spot dolphins and plenty of sea birds.
Other animals one might spot include seals, penguins and albatross. Over twenty species of  whales have also been spotted around cook’s strait and around 300 humpbacks migrate through the Cook Strait during winter. On a reasonably calm sailing one can see also see a visible line where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet
It is said that a bit of rough weather adds to drama of this untamed inter-island passage. There are no roads or homes within kilometres of the northern coastline and the hills are as wild and rugged as they were when Captain Cook first sailed through as did the  Polynesians  long before him and it is difficult how they did in small primitive ships and canoes

The coniferous green slopes with lovely colorful flowers seen on the sound, encountering other ships ,the ferry and its comforts together made our journey very memorable. The trip across the Cook Straits was surely one of our best experiences in New Zealand's ,the coastal scenery is breathtaking and the transition from bustling and dramatically situated Wellington to the serene beauty of Picton was stunning
During the course of our ferry journey I came across a board mentioning our country which filled me immense pleasure and pride

ROSES,CABLE CARS AND GONE WITH THE WIND -WINDY WELLINGTON ,NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG  POST 23
Next on our itinerary was the Wellington Botanical Gardens which is a 25 hectare garden. The entrance had a huge board with a map of the Wellington Botanic Garden, as well as paper maps.
It had many pathways, Pukatea Bushwalk specially was actually like a real bushwalk. We had a bizarre feeling of being in a dense forest but knowing we were in the middle of the city! In fact, we could hear calls of native birds that may have flown over from the nearby bird sanctuary of Zealandia
The major conifer species which we saw prominently were planted as part of a program to import plant species from other parts of the world and assess their economic potential to the new country. The very large specimens of Pinus radiata that now dominate the landscape were grown from the first seeds of species imported from California.

A special feature of the gardens are major seasonal floral displays, spectacular in spring, with a massed display of 30,000 tulips. There are several key attractions in the garden that visitors can experience such as glow worms in the Main Garden, public art throughout the garden, children’s play area, Botanic Garden Café located in the Lady Norwood Rose Garden and the Carter Observatory. The information centre was located in the spectacular Tree House and nearby there was a rock garden, an extensive fern collection and a camellia walk. There were extensive, well-maintained, walking paths throughout the garden. Wellington Botanic Garden is home to several organisations, including:
• Carter Observatory, the National Observatory of New Zealand
• Wellington Cable Car Museum
• Meteorological service of New Zealand
The Garden was first established in 1868. It was initially managed by the New Zealand, The Wellington City Council began managing the garden in 1891, developing various parts of the garden such as:
• Lady Norwood Rose Garden (1950)
• Begonia House (1960)
• Tree house Visitor Centre (1990) in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund
The lantern in the Peace Garden contains a flame lit from the fires of the Hiroshima bombing, given by Japan in recognition of New Zealand's work against nuclear weapons
The stunning bushwalk took us over tiny footbridges surrounded by a colourful array of flowers and native ferns. The Rock Garden was indeed befitting its name very rocky, displaying mostly cacti.The tree house was a visitor centre with a few displays and placed very strategically
We passed a fernery and the Fragrant Garden which were filled with lovely and fragrant flowers.
As we were walking around, we had the constant clicking of cicadas in our ears. We saw the Duck Pond which was quite small but had small streams running in and out of it which gave it its  quaint charm

ROSE GARDEN
Lady Norwood Rose Garden was situated near the Botanical Gardens, only a short walk or drive from downtown Wellington. We were lucky to catch the roses in full bloom .

There were 110 beds set out in a formal geometric design with columnades on three sides and the Begonia House as a backdrop which displayed tropical and temperate plants and a tropical conservatory with a seasonal display of orchids. Victoria amazonica, the giant water lily could be found here .

The flowering season starts in November and continues until the end of April. The gardens were named after Lady Norwood, whose husband is  a former mayor of Wellington and who has donated generous large sums for the garden.
Each bed contained a different variety of rose, ranging from old favourites to recently released varieties. David Austin, patio and climbing roses were on show around the perimeter of the gardens. A trial garden on the western side monitors new varieties for three years before a decision is made on their inclusion in the gardens.
The roses are cared for using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program which uses monitoring to determine pest and disease control, with low toxicity chemicals and natural predators such as ladybirds used.
In 2015, the Lady Norwood Rose Garden received the Garden of Excellence award from the World Federation Of Rose Societies.
RIDE IN THE CABLE CAR
We had our lunch and rested for some time and went out again for the cable ride, we almost missed the booking office which was very near our hotel, fortunately we spotted the miniature cable car on the pole at the entrance to the station and took two way tickets.
The Wellington cable car is a funicular railway which runs between Lambton Quay the main shopping street  and the top Kelburn, a suburb in the hills overlooking the central city, rising 120 m (394 ft) over a length of 612 m (2,008 ft) and it is the most direct way to get from the top part of the garden to Wellington's Central Business District .
The one way trip takes approximately five minutes. The Wellington Cable Car is widely recognised as a symbol of Wellington and serves both the locals and the tourists
The line consists of 628 metres (2,060 ft) of mostly straight 1,000 mm  gauge single track with pine sleepers. The only curves are at the passing loop in the middle, at Talavera station. Except for the lowest part the line rises at a constant grade of 1 in 5.06 (17.86%), through three tunnels and over three bridges.

The lower Terminus is in Cable Car Lane, off Lambton Quay. The upper terminus is next to the Wellington botanic garden at the city end of Upland Road, Kelburn's main street. There are three other equally-spaced stations—from Lambton Quay, they are Clifton, Talavera and Salamanca (also referred to as University), all named after nearby streets
 Cable Car is used by slightly under a million people each year. In the mornings and evenings, it is used by commuters travelling between Kelburn and the city, at other times of the day, it is used by people travelling between the city and the Wellington Botanical Garden and by students attending Victoria University and living in nearby student hostels, and by many tourists, especially during summer.
The cable car was lovely and beautifully maintained .' We could get snaps of the city from the top lookout area, and good video of the cable-cars coming up from the internal viewing platform. The small tunnels en route have coloured lights in them which we found interesting Going up we sat at the very front to get the best pictures

The Cable Car Museum was just next door with free entry, so we went inside to have a look at what the Wellington Cable Car used to look like in the past .
We were stunned to see that people sat on the open outside seats and had nothing but a leather strap to hold onto. Downstairs in the museum was a slightly more sophisticated cable car where passengers can actually sit inside the vehicle. We also saw inner workings of the old wheel house, and read about the history of this beloved mode of public transport.

There was a souvenir shop which had an excellent selection of things at fair prices, from  magnets to a small selection of quality locally made textiles and art, and usual postcards ,T shirts and pens.
 At the top after a look at the museum and shop we spent time at the view point.

 Fanned by the lovely breeze we spent a lot of time enjoying  nice views of the city and harbor from the cafe at the top. One  can either return on the cable car or walk back down through the Botanical gardens.

 We could see that botanical gardens and  winding hill paths of the Garden are a popular spot for Wellington residents. We saw people walking, jogging and taking children to the playground, and tourists enjoying going through the Garden'via the downhill path to the city.

WELLINGTON VIEW POINT
Rising 196m above the city, the Mount Victoria Lookout is a Wellington must-do. We headed upto the lookout after a tough maneuvering of the bus which our Megan very skilfully handled and were duly rewarded with stunning panoramic views of Wellington city and harbour, and beyond.
Located right next to the central business district, one can drive all the way up, or take a walkway through the bush-covered Town Belt.
At the top, we found a  monument to U.S. Navy Admiral Byrd, the polar explorer.

 We had to climb up few steps and could enjoy the  360 degree views of Tinakori Hill, the Hutt Valley and Eastern harbour bays, Matiu/Somes Island and the Miramar Peninsula. Beyond were Baring and Pencarrow Heads and further to the right, Wellington’s Southern suburbs and Mt Mathews, Wellington’s highest point to the East.

We saw some people enjoying their picnics on the hillside and relaxing while watching ferries and cruise ships sail into the harbour and planes fly in and out of the airport.

 We were told that this was also one of the best spots in the city for seeing a sunrise or sunset. However, as to be expected in wellington, it was exceptionally windy, though the air was  fresh and pristine.

The most interesting part of our day was our lunch, Tony had taken pains to find out an Indian restaurant which was a little distance from our hotel ,we could easily trace our way there .We saw an Indian name for the restaurant ,went in eager anticipation and found a non Indian owner sitting at the counter ,we ordered rice and chicken curries

Lo Behold! we were served by a six footer beautiful Russian girl ,so pretty and courteous ,she took care of us took a snap of us and finally we left the restaurant having eaten Indian food after a long time in  a non Indian restaurant

TE PAPA MUSEUM -WINDY WELLINGTON -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

TRAVEL BLOG POST 22
We had a free day in Wellington which is the capital of New Zealand, and is near the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it has a water front promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbor and colorful lovely timber houses on surrounding hills. Strong winds through the Cook Strait give it the nickname "Windy Wellington” and we were cautioned by our Tony to wear clothes which can withstand winds
After a sumptuous breakfast we got into our bus for a city tour,as our taste buds were yearning and begging for spicy Indian food we asked our Tony to find out whether we could find an Indian restaurant for lunch that day
We first went to the Parliament House, it is the main building of the New Zealand Parliament buildings. It contains the debating chamber, Speaker's office, visitors' centre, and committee rooms. It replaced an earlier building that burned down in 1907, and Parliament used the building from 1918, with it being fully finished in 1922.

 Parliament House was extensively earthquake strengthened and refurbished between 1991 and 1995. It is open for visitors almost every day of the year, and is one of Wellington's major visitor attractions. Parliament House is a Category I heritage building registered by Heritage New Zealand .
We had a look at the grand buildings, Parliament House and  Parliamentary Library. Outside we saw a statue of New Zealand’s longest serving prime minister, Richard Seddon. Behind him, a set of New Zealand flag was flapping proudly aided by the fiery wind of course

We next proceeded to the New Zealand’s National museum: The Te Papa Tongarewa Museum ! It is Known as Te Papa, or "Our Place", it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum and the National Art Gallery.

The five main collections areas are Arts, History, Taonga Maori, Pacific Cultures, and Natural History.
The main Te Papa building is on the waterfront in Wellington, on Cable Street a fact we could appreciate when we went to the top floors.

 As we were early, we could avoid the crowds. Inside the building are six floors of exhibitions, cafés and gift shops dedicated to New Zealand’s culture and environment. If tourists have heavy bags they can check in their luggage at a counter .

There was elevator facility ,however we preferred to walk up the stairs having a look at all the exhibits. The museum also incorporates outdoor areas with artificial caves, native bushes and wetlands.
Te Papa was designed by Jasmax Architects and built by Fletcher Construction. The 36,000 square metre building had cost NZ $300 million by its opening in 1998. Earthquake strengthening of the Cable Street building was achieved through the New Zealand-developed technology of Base isolation – essentially seating entire building on supports made from lead, steel and rubber that slow down the effect of an earthquake.

This was demonstrated in a building outside Te Papa entrance, after going down a short flight of stairs, we were looking at part of the earthquake proof foundations of the Te Papa Museum., the building was separated from the ground by hardcore rubber discs to absorb the shocks of earthquakes.
The site was previously occupied by a modern five-storey hotel. This was jacked off its foundations onto numerous rail bogies and transported 200 metres down and across the road to a new site, where it is now the Museum hotel.
The History Collection included many dresses and textiles, the oldest of which date back to the sixteenth century. The History Collection also included the New Zealand Post Archive with around 20,000 stamps and related objects, and the Pacific Collection had about 13,000 historic and contemporary items from the Pacific Islands.
There were significant collections of fossils and archaeozoology a herbarium of collection of about 70,000 specimens of New Zealand birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

The museum has the world's largest specimen of the rare colossal squid  It weighs 495 kilograms (1,091 lb) and is 4.2 metres (14 ft) long .The squid was brought to the museum in March 2007 after being captured by New Zealand fisherman in the Ross sea off Antarctica. The kids were hovering around it with fascinated looks ,unable to tear themselves away from it.

The cultural collections included collections on photography, Māori taonga (cultural treasures), and Pacific cultures
Te Papa had a mixture of long term exhibitions of cultural objects, hands-on and interactive exhibitions, cultural spaces and touring exhibitions. The long term exhibitions of cultural objects focused on new Zealand history, Maori culture and New Zealand's natural world. The hands-on and interactive exhibitions succeeded in engaging young and old tourists alike who were enjoying the exhibits.

Our guide told us that the museum was sometimes embroiled in controversy. The museum with its valuable collections being so near the water's edge on reclaimed land and that too next to one of the world's most active faults has resulted in concern by some people. There has been criticism of the 'sideshow' nature of some exhibits .There has also been criticism that some exhibits were not given due reverence. For example, a major work by Colin McCohon was at one stage juxtaposed with a 1950s refrigerator in a New Zealand culture exhibition.LOL!
In March 1998, a 7 cm high statue of the Virgin Mary sheathed in a condom called “Virgin in a condom” was exhibited, an art work by Tania Kovats which attracted protests by Christians.
 Papa Museum has done itself proud with its current 100 year Gallipoli exhibition.
 This is a world class effort covering the ANZAC legend in all it's horrifying glory. The Gallipoli Exhibition is so well planned, designed and the props were amazing. Credit has to be given to the curators, technicians, Weta workshops and every single person involved in this exhibition, it is phenomenal with the Weta workshop larger than life sized models, designed by Peter Jackson's team (they created the Lord of the Rings movies) ,were very difficult to capture in a single frame ,they portrayed very convincingly a touching story, the best exhibit/memorial about the horrors, sacrifices and terrible conditions of the great war.

There are 3D maps, dioramas, models and interactive reconstructions, timelines, tins of corned beef, uniforms, weaponry, diaries, audio and video ,the Anzac campaign is told through the eyes of 6 people and really brings home what they went through WW1,it strikes everyone the cruel fate of these youngsters involved in the war away from near and dear

A huge soldier was sprawled in mid-action as he falls to the ground shooting a hand gun. It is rare to see a sculpture look so impeccably lifelike! Everything is detailed: the facial expression, the real fabric of his clothing, the fly that has landed by his side, the hair on his arms, even the hair follicles on his skin, and the beads of sweat dripping from under his hat. Lieutenant Spencer Westmacott was the first sculpture. It felt as if he would get up and come alive,it was so life like

One section displayed the beginning of New Zealand – how New Zealand came to be due to tectonic plate movement. Dinosaurs, Earthquakes and volcanic rocks were displayed in simulators or other interactive displays.

A Maori archway welcomed us to the Mountains to Sea exhibit crammed with all earthly animals, ceiling also had sea creatures hanging from above.

We were specially lucky that day as there was a meeting of different Maori tribes who came dressed in their special dresses and hair styles,it was like looking at a colorful movie

We came back to the bus feeling that at least 2 days would be needed to have a look at the museum thoroughly

HUKA FALLS - NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 21

We left the exciting Rotorua and went on our way to Wellington along the Thermal Explorer Highway ,which ran from Hawke’s Bay through centre of North Island Sometimes described as the Lakes District of the North Island ,Rotorua has picturesque waterways, including 16 lakes of varying sizes, formed by the volcanic activity of the Central Plateau.

The lakes range from magnificent Lake Rotorua, formed in a volcanic depression or 'caldera', to Lake Rotokawau, a small crater lake.
The most magnificent example of bodies of water being volcanically sculptured is Lake Taupo, the largest lake in the North Island, the second deepest in New Zealand, a beautiful leftover of a large scale eruption
 It was a pleasure watching crystal clear lakes and streams, natural spas, ski fields, geothermal activity, Maori culture and wineries along our way. It indeed was an eclectic and enticing combination of beautiful, captivating landscapes.
The Thermal Explorer Highway was well sign posted along entire route which allows for safe navigation through some of most dramatic landscapes of  Central North Island ,many people in fact prefer to hire a car and go around leisurely taking their  sweet own time

Lakes everywhere the country were stunning ,our guide told us that some were 600 to 800 metres deep , in some places we could see people boating and in some ,people  camping and fishing by lake side, 15 of the region's lakes boast trout of three varieties, rainbow, brown and brook,
 Finally we were reaching the spectacular Huka Falls and we could hear the roar becoming more louder and clearer as we approached it.
The Waikato River, New Zealand's longest river, moves gracefully north from Lake Taupo between banks 100 metres apart and just before Huka Falls, it narrows to just 15 metres as it enters a shallow ravine of hard volcanic rock.

This causes a huge volume of water to collide and funnel through the rocky gorge, forming the spectacularly powerful Huka falls and rapids
The effect of this is nature's large-scale equivalent of a fire hose feeding into a very fine nozzle. We parked and walked to the falls
 Huka Falls is a thundering 11-metre high waterfall and the most visited and photographed natural attraction in New Zealand The sheer volume of water flowing over the falls amounts to 220,000 litres per second enough to fill one Olympic sized swimming pool in 11 seconds !

The previously calmly flowing and placid waters roared and rumbled at great speed along the ravine before bursting into space over Huka Falls to crash into turbulent pool below.
 A foot bridge right at top of falls put us in a prime position to get up close and witness the frightening display of more than 220,000 litres of water blasting by us every second. The colour of water was beautiful and crystal clear. The water was so fresh it literally sparkled in the most amazing aqua blue colour and as it was filled with air bubbles gets the name from Maori "the foam"

 We learnt that if we wanted to see the power and fury of falls closer, we could try a jet boat ride but time didn’t permit us to do so. There were several great vintage points and viewing platforms around to see the falls at different angles and capture the awesome waterfalls,the sheer volume of water coming from the falls is awe-inspiring.

 We finally reached Wellington ,our coach driver asked us all to pray for her so that she would get the best parking place at the hotel ,we all did and viola ! she could manage to get the parking right where she wanted
James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor Wellington's iconic 4.5 star hotel , was in the heart of New Zealand’s handsome capital, set against the green hills that surround the city, it was very convenient for sightseeing, had a number of dining options and provided relaxing accommodation.
We drove straight to the hotel entrance Car With two restaurants & bars, the dining choice was exceptional, especially the well renowned Whitby's Restaurant and its international buffet dining.

Due to the nature of the city which is hilly, to take the quickest route from the hotel to the shopping area one needed to go from the reception / bar area at a rear entrance via a lift down three floors to Lambton Quay, one thing we noticed was that, as a result of this, people were using the hotel lobby as a cut through and this led to lot of crowding at the elevators and people walking through the hotel for use of the elevator
 Lambton Quay was one of Wellington's main shopping areas and we had a 10-15 minute walk from Cuba St for plenty of restaurant choices, and a similar distance down to Wellington's waterfront, where it was an easy walk through to the Wellington Museum, Te Papa museum and Wellington's Cable