New Zealand 2018 Part 4. Wellington to Rotorua, Days 8 to 10
These three days mainly revolve around Wellington and Rotorua with a couple of stops in between.
Q: Why so many photos of churches??? A: I use the churches as reference locations so I can find out where I am in Google's Maps and Street View when I'm working out where some of the other photos were taken.
There are Videos to be watched on this page and click / tap on photos to enlarge.
Outside our Ibis Hotel in Featherston Street, Wellington.
Victoria University of Wellington School of Law.
Parliamentary Library
New Zealand Parliament Buildings.
The 'beehive' shaped 1960s designed building housing Prime Ministerial and cabinet offices.
(PbL)
The Clan gathers under the statue of Richard John Seddon PC,
the 15th Premier (Prime Minister) of New Zealand.
'The Beehive' is the common name for the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings.
New Zealand Parliament Buildings.
Mahatma Gandhi, by Gautam Pal (2007)
"The Albatross" by Tanya Ashken.
Carving in the Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand).
(PbL)
Gallipoli - The Scale of Our War, in the Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand) , which was put together in collaboration with the Weta Workshop (the special effects company founded in part by Peter Jackson).
Spencer Westmacott
The detail was fantastic.
Percival Fenwick
In the trenches.
Jack Dunn
Much larger than life.
The machine gunners trio. Rikihana Carkeek (top right)
Sad news.
Being New Zealand's national museum, there were displays covering many subjects.
Wellington Waterfront with the statue, Solace in the Wind (The Naked Man), near the center of photo (see insert).
Taken from the walkway to the 'Bush City' display.
This is the 'Bush City' open air display at the museum.
Still not the 'Silver Fern'.
Someones' handy work.
Yes! Finally found a Silver Fern (Cyathea dealbata).
Other Worlds by Ruth Watson.
The red and white building is Circa, a performing arts theater.
Wellington Waterfront
Museum Hotel's Hippopotamus Restaurant.
FIN END OF THE WEDGE:
BMD's mural in central Wellington highlights the practice of shark-finning,
which was still legal here (as in 2013), despite being banned in nearly 100 countries.
First Church of Christ Scientist, Wellington.
The only reason, I can think of, why I took this photo is that our
driver must have said something about the church.
Victoria Street's Sunday Market site.
St Peter's Anglican Church memorial, opened 1926.
Entrance to the Accommodation Service of the Victoria University of Wellington.
The bus's Kiwi ventilation grille.
Wellington Botanic Garden's Begonia House.
(PbL)
Wellington Botanic Garden.
(PbL)
Flowers of the garden.
Honky Tonk Blues Rose (bottom right)
The garden's little bird stalker.
Turnbull House on Bowen Street, built in 1918 by Alexander Turnbull in Scottish baronial style.
Not related to the old Farmers store in Sydney.
‘Woman of Words’, a sculpture commemorating
the life and work of Wellington and New Zealand’s
most internationally recognised literary figure,
Katherine Mansfield, by Auckland sculptor Virginia King.
‘Woman of Words’ off to do some shopping.
Shells, by Jeff Thompson (2003)
Public Trust Building.
Opened by Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward in June 1909.
Ruaumoko, by Ralph Hotere and Mary McFarlane.
The earth mother Papatuanuku had an unborn child, Ruaumoko.
Ruaumoko stayed in his mother’s womb to keep her warm.
When he moves, the earth shakes.
Wellington Cable Car.
The Cable Car is a funicular rather than a true cable car.
Early cable car. ‘Grip Car No. 3’ was used in the early 1900s.
Early cable car.
‘Relentless Red Rattler’ – so called because of the rattling noise it produced when going
up and down the steep incline were used from the 1950s to the late 1970s.
Lynn in the ‘Relentless Red Rattler’ .
"Whoops, I knew I should've replaced that old cable last week"
Wellington Cable Car. Construction began in 1899, and was opened to the public on 22 February 1902.
The Krupp Gun, built in Germany in 1907, was captured by the
New Zealand Division during the First World War and brought back to NZ as a war trophy.
The Carter Observatory (top), which officially opened in December 1941, it is now the Space Place Museum.
The Dominion Observatory was built in 1907, it is now used by private businesses.
Hillside houses.
Entering one of the tunnels on the way down.
(PbL)
Wellington Cable Car. (video)
Please
A random building shot turned out to be
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade.
The former MLC (Australian Mutual Life and Citizen’s Assurance Company)
building was completed in 1940 and in 1996 it was converted into apartments.
Ran out of material?
Protoplasm sculpture by Phil Price.
Protoplasm sculpture by Phil Price and the MLC Building.
Old Bank Arcade
Wellington Waterfront
Saint Gerard's Catholic Church and Monastery, built in 1908.
The Water Whirler, a sculpture by Len Lye.
In October 2018 a local man, Hunter MacDonald, climbed the Water Whirler
bending it until it broke. (smaller photos from news reports)
Wellington Waterfront from the Water Whirler.
'War ot the Worlds' come to the Wellington Waterfront.
The water must be bad..........that's a defibrillator in the box on the wall.
Abstract Reflection.
Ventilation outlets.
Kumutoto Toilets
That night, Lynn and I joined up with Barb and Chris for a most enjoyable Chinese dinner.
Saturday 17th
Today we leave Wellington and head for Rotorua.
We stop for coffee at Levin (well it was actually 9:20) and lunch was at Taupo.
Our Hotel at Rotorua will be the Sudima Hotel, beside the lake.
It's St Patrick's Day and we are on the road again.
Coffee stop at the Levin Adventure Park.
A lot of colour in the park.
Lynn going on an adventure.
This mural, in Levin Adventure Park, was a combination of the three designs from Horowhenua College students Alexa Bryant, Monique Lang and Hannah Wedlock. They worked alongside Auckland artist Jonny Wartmann.
Part of the Levin Adventure Park Mural.
Part of the Levin Adventure Park Mural.
Part of the Levin Adventure Park Mural.
Even though it's St Patrick's Day it's still too early for O'Malley's Bar & Grill, Levin, to be open.
More basic street art in Levin.
Levin Uniting Church
All heads turn to look at Bull's Bakery, why?.................................
..............................the 'Bull' signs. Social-a-Bull, Read-a-Bull, Indispense-a-Bull etc etc.
The town slogan: Herd of bulls? It's a town like no udder.
The Makohine Viaduct was constructed between 1896 and 1902, across the 228 metres
of the bush-clad Makohine Stream valley, approximately two kilometres south of Ohingaiti.
Kiwi Rail locomotives 9285 (built in 2013) and 9106 (built 2011).
The Chinese built DL class locomotives are the most powerful diesel-electric locomotives in service in New Zealand.
The Majestic Theatre, 'NZ's Finest Country Cinema', Taihape.
Originally built in 1917 as The King's Picture Theatre, it was renamed in 1926.
The Bank of New South Wales were evicted by the present owners of the
Tui Street Chambers, Ryan Thomas and Co, after their lease expired in the 1940's.
The winner (Chris?) of the St Patrick's Day Quiz, run by Mac and his assistant Roman.
Where some of us had lunch.
Funny (different) set up, pick you own plates then slide it along shelf, picking up
you sausage roll, sandwich, cakes or whatever as you went along.
'The Big Kool Kiwi Shake'
Taihape's main street.
Taihape's Gumboot Throwing Lane.
Gumboot Day, occurs the Tuesday after Easter, and has been a regular event since 1985.
It is a celebration of all things to do with gumboots, and includes the famous gumboot throwing contest.
Back to the bus.
Torn Curtain.
Signs on shops and toilet block.
'Please Remove Your Gumboots At The Door'
'Please Remove Your Dirty Shoes'
The Wilson Buildings, I think, have seen better days.
Does this one count?
Ad-Deen Mosque, Taihape Islamic Centre.
Taihape's 'Big Gumboot'.
Approaching the Tongariro National Park with the National Army Museum coming up on the right.
National Army Museum, Waiouru.
Time to stretch the legs. 'Waihohonu Track' sign in the background.
Mt Ngauruhoe, in the Tongariro National Park.
(PbL)
Scottish Heather, although pretty, is an introduced weed.
(PbL)
Saves a trip to Scotland.
Waitetoko Church at Waitetoko Marae is an old Maori church near Turangi.
Robert Harris Cafe, Taupo.
We had the coffee, can't remember any of the others.
Lake Taupo
Bobbing swan on Lake Taupo.
Bikes of a colour flock together.
Reid's Carving.
The carving symbolises Lucy Rongoheikume Reid (nee Rickit), who was a
descendant of the tribes of Tuhourangi of Rotorua and Ngati Tuwharetoa of Taupo.
Trout fish sculpture.
I haven't seen many covers on this trip so far (another hobby of mine).
CBD Sculptures (and duck) near the Lake Taupo Yacht Club.
Huka Falls
Huka Falls
(PbL)
With more than 220,000 litres of water per sec barreling over a
11 meter high waterfall, Huka Falls are pretty spectacular.
Huka Falls
(video)
Sunday 18th
An early start to catch the Gondola to the Skyline Rotorua for breakfast.
It's then off to the Agrodome for some more sheep shearing action.
The rest of the morning is spent at Te Pula.
A free-time afternoon is followed by a Maori Hangi and Concert back at the hotel.
Catching first light in front of our Hotel Sudima Lake Rotorua.
On our way to breakfast.
(PbL)
I wonder if venison is on the menu.
Sunrise over Lake Rotorua.
We had the whole place to ourselves.
Only eating light this morning.
OK, that's finished, what's next? Looks like Lynn is cutting back as well.
(PbL)
Some come in by plane.
The paddlewheel boat Lakeland Queen.
Ian and I checking out the birdlife.
(PbL)
Skyline Rotorua
(PbL)
View from Skyline.
Now this young couple can have a reminder of this morning's outing.
Jill and Ian.
(PbL)
Rotorua from Skyline.
(PbL)
(PbL)
Only for experts.
'WARNING
Advanced Jump Trail
If you do not have advanced jump skills on a bike
You Must Not Continue'.
One of the locals.
Some went down on the carts while others watched.
(PbL)
That sign at the top was right.
The stars of the Agrodome.
Aristocrats in wool.
The welcoming committee to Te Puia.
'Te Whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao'
"The war dance of the parties of Wahiao"
(PbL)
Meeting the guide.
How I feel after a big lunch.
Some of the works in the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute.
(PbL)
The National Wood Carving School.
(PbL)
I thought the foam machine reminded me of something.
(PbL)
(PbL)
Rotowhio marae. A marae is a traditional gathering place ........................
......... and back in 1967.
Geothermal Valley
Boiling mud.
OH&S wasn't such a big thing back in 1967 ....... or were we just more careful and responsible?
That's Lynn, 5th from the left
Pohutu Geyser
(PbL)
Pohutu Geyser. This was the best I saw.
The Thermals
(video)
Māori Cemetery at Te Puia.
Silver Fern collector (thief)?
The afternoon was free time.
Sculptures in the Government Gardens.
The Spanish Mission-style Blue Baths were completed in 1933.
Playing petanque. Can you see the ball he just threw?
(it's not on the ground)
Te Runanga (the Meeting House)was built in 1903 asa tea pavilion.
1933. From then until closure in 1991, TeRunanga was a bowling pavilion.
Roses are red..........and so are some begonias.
......... and back in 1967.
......... and back in 1967.
The Croquet Pavilion has a new roof and colour scheme.
Rotorua Museum of Art and History.
Originally opened 1908 the New Zealand government officially opened a very grand and ostentatious spa building known as the “Rotorua Bath House”. After the war the building became vacant and fell into disrepair and demolition was even considered. Luckily, in the 1960's local entrepreneurs decided to revive the old bath house into a nightclub called the Tudor Towers. In the 1980’s Tudor Towers closed its doors for the last time to be reopened as the Rotorua Museum of Art and History.
The museum is currently closed as of 18 November 2016 due not meeting stringent NZ earthquake standards and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
(PbL)
Detailed work on the Rotorua Museum of Art and History.
Band Rotunda
(PbL)
Prince’s Gate Arches and Gateway.
The archway was built to commemorate the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall's visit to New Zealand in 1902. (PbL)
Princes Gate Hotel. originally built in 1897 in Waihi and was called The New Central Hotel.
It was moved to Rotorua in 1917 and renamed Princes Gate Hotel.
(PbL)
Old Post Office (right) built by the Snell brothers of Hamilton and opened in 1914.
(PbL)
This part of the lake was covered with ducks.
Some Canada Geese flew past.
Must be something good down there.
Driftwood
Waitukei, it was created by Rotorua artist and master carver Lyonel Grant.
The two figures, one male, one female, were inspired by the mixing of Māori and European cultures in Rotorua.
I went for a walk in the afternoon across the thermals behind the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Looking back across the thermals.
Looked like a petrified tree stump.
What makes the bus go.
Welcomers to the Maori Hangi at the hotel tonight.
Entertainment after dinner.
Entertainment after dinner.
Then it was the ladies turn.
The Ladies
(video)
I think Jill had a good time.
And the men had a go as well.
(PbL)
The Men
(video)
(PbL)
Some of the birds seen.
Some of the birds seen.
Some of the birds seen.
Cameras: Canon PowerShot SX60 HS and Sony DSC-W690.
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