Driving Miss Karen

A blog about our travel

Wellington New Zealand – Last Stop North Island

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We stopped at Wellington for a few nights before our ferry crossing to the south island. It is a nice city but a little too big for us. It does have Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand which is really great. Wellington also has lots of food choices and some cool quirks. It’s not bad for a city.

The highlight of our time in Wellington was the Museum of New Zealand and the highlight of the museum for us was the Gallipoli exhibit by Peter Jackson’s group WETA. The incredibly realistic figures are 12 or 14 feet tall and so detailed. Each tells a story of an individual who was part of the Gallipoli invasion during the first world war like Lieutenant Spencer Westmacott who survived the battle
The pose is just beautiful and expressive
The messiness of grief is captured, Snot, tears, spit
This staff nurse was on the hospital ship near Gallipoli and just received a letter informing her of her brother’s death. The poses and detail are incredibly moving\
Maori ceremonial building
Different Kiwi species. Such a weird ecosystem
Replica of the oceangoing Wakas used to colonize the entire Pacific. One theory is that Polynesians originated in Taiwan and spread south and east as far as NZ and Hawaii
The museum also has nicely done exhibits on Maori culture, Polynesian exploration, and local flora and fauna
We tried Malaysian food (really good!) and I finished my third beer of this trip (and my life), a ginger beer this time
Wellington’s Cuba street has nothing to do with my birth country but is named for a settler ship named Cuba
The street signs show Maori figures in Haka poses. I guess this one means don’t Waka (I’m so sorry for that)
Wellington is a nice quirky city with lots to do. The Kiwis are so nice, they even make cities bearable

Jose

AKA Alfred

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