Te Papa is the 800-lb gorilla of museums in New Zealand. Its reputation is so good that people from other communities recommend seeing it. Te Papa is the national museum after all. The Wellington Museum’s ad seems to take advantage of that fact with a “Getting mistaken for Te Papa since 1999” slogan. While this might smack of the “we try harder” advertisements of a second place rental car company, it may also speak to the excellence with which the Wellington Museum’s storytelling style brings out the curiosity and focused joy of children visiting a place they remember.
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New Zealand: Rotorua on a Rainy Day
We decided to walk into town this morning over going to another attraction like Te Puia or Waimangu Volcanic Valley. There were a lot of gray clouds, but we had purchased waterproof coats in Auckland, so we thought we could weather the storm.
Continue readingNew Zealand: Experience Life the Traditional, Geothermal Way at the Living Maori Village of Whakarewarewa
The Living Maori Village of Whakarewarewa in New Zealand near Rotorua sits on a geothermal site filled with mud pots, geysers, and boiling water. The people living in the village harvest the heat as they have since first occupying this space in 1325. The true name of “Whaka” is the second longest place name in New Zealand. For the ease of use, it is often shortened with a pronunciation of “waka” rather than the Maori pronunciation, which sounds too close to an English swear word.
Continue readingNew Zealand: Windy Wellington Makes First Impression (or How I got on NZ TV!)
A call went out of the PA system in Dunedin: There was a windstorm in Wellington; anyone who didn’t want to fly today would be allowed to reschedule. There would be no guarantee that the plane would arrive at its scheduled designation.
Continue readingNew Zealand: Dunedin’s Hungry Hobos Goes Easy on the Wallet without Sacrificing Flavor or Fun
When we arrived in Dunedin, we were hungry. Usually, we have to look at a few restaurants for food options and cost before we can agree on a place. We didn’t have to even discuss where we were going to eat in Dunedin. On just the sign alone, we were both in agreement: Hungry Hobos was the place we should go. And their toasties were just the right salve for our hunger.
Continue readingNew Zealand: Is the Future of Air Travel in Christchurch Already?
The domestic flight procedures in Christchurch are almost entirely automated. You check in online, bring your boarding pass to the kiosk, and scan it. If you have no boarding pass, you can use your passport or credit card to access the information. Once the system has retrieved your information, it asks you security questions and issues a destination tag for your bag. Place the tag on the bag by peeling the back off and attaching the two circles together; they give you drawings to show how its done. You then take the bag to the bag drop off.
Continue readingNew Zealand: Christchurch Gondola Tops Tourist Attraction List
The Christchurch Gondola on Mount Cavendish is rated as Christchurch’s most popular tourist attraction and offers soaring views of Christchurch and Lyttleton. You can sit above the Canterbury Plains and look at the beautiful countryside while eating at The Red Rock Café, which has an interesting assortment of menu items. The Time Tunnel is great for theme park enthusiasts that want to see something a little different than the normal fare.
Continue readingNew Zealand: ilex café at Christchurch Botanic Gardens Is for the Birdwatchers
The ilex café in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, New Zealand is a glorious combination of amazing food choices, good coffee and, if you sit outside, a personal bird experience. The orecchiette, peas and Parmesan salad was a good starter for our meal. We added the pretzel bread breakfast roll with egg and cherry hoisin. Our flat whites were decent.
Continue readingNew Zealand: Tiritiri Matangi Lets Your Spirits Soar
Tiritiri Matangi is everything a vacation tour should be. An enthusiastic, knowledgeable tour guide takes a small group into the wilderness and provides information in a fun, interesting way while making sure to point out the birds that happen to fly nearby. Tiritiri Matangi goes a step further because it provides the ability to listen to the birds as well as see them.
Continue readingNew Zealand: Aucky Walky Tours Delivers Auckland Fun, Food, and Friendships
An Aucky Walky Tour should be the first thing that everyone books when they come to Auckland. Because these tours are on foot, you get to see things that you miss in a bus or car. There are just certain locations that you can’t learn about until you experience them with someone who knows.
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Penguinate! Positive Creativity 