Yes, it did rain and there was a howling gale for our two days in Wellington but we visited museums and had an apartment so were able to cater for ourselves. It had become a rare treat to buy ingredients and cook an evening meal! I never thought I’d be in that position. Isn’t life a funny thing!
We arrived late afternoon and, while the weather wasn’t too bad and it had stopped raining, we went up the cable car and had a pleasant walk down the mountainside, through the botanical gardens. The light was beginning to fade as we arrived at the supermarket and bought ingredients for a Chilli Con Carne. Delicious and washed down with a smooth New Zealand red!
The highlight of our two weeks in New Zealand so far was our visit to the Gallipoli exhibition at the Te Papa museum! This has been the most visited museum in New Zealand and I can understand why! The displays were magnificent! Ta Papa joined forces with Weta Workshop who were responsible for the special effects in films such as The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit trilogies and Blade Runner 2049 amongst others. The significantly larger than life models (2.4 times larger!) of eight ordinary New Zealander’s tells the story of the war through their eyes.
I cannot do justice when describing the workmanship! I was gobsmacked! There was a fan blowing gently down on a soldier and the fine hairs on his fingers were ‘tickled’ by the breeze! The detail to every aspect of those depicted was truly astonishing! I was very tearful as I took a poppy and wrote a message on it. Visitors were given this opportunity. Apparently over a million poppies have been collected to date and the number just keeps on growing. The exhibition, which enthrals all age groups, will remain open until after Anzac Day 2022! Hurry, time’s running out ………
We dropped the car off and walked back to our apartment in the pouring rain. My umbrella finally folded as the last of the spikes holding it up were ripped asunder! I threw it into the nearest garbage bin and soon looked like a drowning, miserable ‘rat’, hunched against the elements but soldiering on! We stopped at the supermarket and bought chicken pieces and found a curry mix in a bottle that was gluten free! What joy when I eventually got out of the bath and sat, warmed by the heater and a glass of NZ red, watching the sun setting on our final evening in North Island!
What an adventure and we still had another eight days before we flew to Australia to catch up with new arrivals in my sister’s family. Adding to the ambience of our little apartment was the warm glow I felt when remembering that I still had three more weeks of holidays. I didn’t have to go back to a manic catch-up at work! What joy! What bliss! Life was good! 👠
Jenny Burrell 