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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2015-06-03, Page 7Wednesday, June 3, 2015 • Lucknow Sentinel 7 The New Zealand Experience - Part 2 Travel Series Maureen Matchett The city of Auckland, New Zealand, has a lot to offer, both in its downtown city centre as well as in the sur- rounding communities and islands. We visited two of several nearby island com- munities during our visit: Waiheke Island and Devonport. Waiheke Island (8300 pop- ulation) was once much more difficult to reach, and was a remote place inhabited by hippies, hermits, writers, and pot growers, but once reliable and frequent ferry services started, the retirees and multi- millionaires moved in along- side the hippies. People on the island are very eco -con- scious and tend to move on "Waiheke time" (including some of the bus drivers). We had some truly awesome fish and chips at tiny Palm Beach, then later went to Onetangi Beach where we hiked up the hillside to Obsidian Vineyard (the island has about 12 win- eries) for a tasting and a bottle of wine, then enjoyed sun- shine and some NZ beer by the beach. Devonport has a very dif- ferent vibe compared to the laid-back, rural Waiheke. It's closer by ferry to Auck- land than Waiheke, and its population grew much faster because of its impor- tant role in the shipping industry. Devonport had three volcano cones, but now there are only two: Mount Victoria and North Head, both of which we vis- ited. The third, Mount Cam- bria, was quarried away to fill in much of one side of the island to connect it with the mainland. The locals also built a racetrack on top of the fill, but eventually closed it because it tended to get water -sodden, which made racing dangerous for both horses and jockeys. Because most of the Euro- pean settlers in Devonport were of British background, there are many well-pre- served Victorian and Edwardian buildings plus lots of cafes and shops, giv- ing the place a pleasant sea- side village atmosphere. Auckland city recently re- developed its waterfront area, adding and upgrading seaside parks, marinas, shops, and restaurants, mak- ing it a really attractive place to hang out, especially on sunny days. But the whole city is a pleasant place to visit, with lots of green spaces, pedestrian areas, and memorial parks. For the cool, cloudy, and rainy days, Auckland has plenty of indoor attractions, and the Auckland Museum is worth a visit. It is located in a huge park area (a "domain") with gardens and sports fields. The building itself has a dis- tinctive glass and copper dome and it is also the city's War Memorial, with a ceno- taph for ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) ceremonies. No surprise, then, that the third floor is dedicated to New Zealand's military activities, and includes a documents room which people use to research their family history. One of New Zealand's first military actions of the First World War was the takeover of Samoa, a German posses- sion. The 60 German officials on the island didn't resist, and spent the war in an iso- lated area of NZ. Two WW2 planes are on display: a Spit- fire, in part because ANZAC pilots participated in the Battle of Britain (some were trained in Canada); and a Zero, a Japanese plane which dominated the Pacific until about 1943, when Japan lost air superiority to the Americans. The Museum had other really interesting exhibits. The second floor outlined everything you could possi- bly want to know about vol- canoes (Auckland is sur- rounded by 60+ volcanic cones, only some of which are dormant!), and included a little house that mimicked what a volcanic eruption in Auckland would feel like... well, aside from the walls bursting into flames of course! The first floor is dedi- cated to Maori carvings and traditions, plus early Polyne- sian history. The Maori arrived in NZ about 800 years ago from other Polyne- sian islands, and hunted the large flightless moa bird (3m tall from toe to beak) to extinction because they had no fear of humans. Their dis- appearance also led to the extinction of the world's largest eagle, the Haast Eagle, which no longer had the gigantic moa as prey. We also visited the Auck- land Zoo, located in the Western Springs suburb of Submitted by Maureen Matchet New Zealand's women received the right to vote in 1893, 25 years before Canadian women. The outdoor area beside Auckland's Art Gallery commemorates this achievement, and women who were involved in the suffrage campaign. A view from atop Mount Victoria on the island of Devonport. With its expansive view of the sea, it was a key part of New Zealand's shipping industry. Auckland. It is very spacious and well -laid out, and we were able to give it a good visit in about 2 hours. New Zealand lacks the large ani- mals that we're used to in Canada, so many of the zoo animals come from other countries: lions, tigers, seals, orangutans, herons, eels, zebras, ostriches, emu, giraffes, hippos, monkeys, and many other animals large and small. We could have spent another few days in Keaton, Liam and Felix Shaw would like tg—�. announce the arrival of their twin brothe s: * i Nixon Graham Cooper Shaw and Finley M4k Richard Shaw born at 3:01 pm and 3:12 p on April 28th 2015 weighing 5 lbs 11 oz., and 6 lbs 9 oz. Parents are Mark and Jessie Shaw of Amberley, and Proud Grandparents Ked vin and of Cathy Cook of Amberley, Jim Wingham, the late Lorraine Hall from ll from R Palmerston, eerston, and Great -Grandma Mary Cook Auckland, but it was time to explore other parts of New Zealand. Time to get to South Island while there was still some warm summer weather left! Next article: Christchurch city and South Island Free outdoor movie night in Wingham Huron Health Unit and Muskrat Festival Families are invited to a free outdoor movie night at the Wingham Splash Pad, Friday June 12, 2015. The Huron County Health Unit, in partner- ship with the Muskrat Fes- tival, will present "Big Hero 6" as part of a tobacco -free event. Activi- ties promoting tobacco - free living, such as button making and a trivia wheel, begin at 7 pm. The movie begins at dusk. Please bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on. This tobacco -free, family- oriented event brings attention to the role of media messaging and tobacco use. "Since most movies with smoking are rated for kids and teens they can have a big influence on kids to start smoking," says Public Health Promoter Samantha Docherty. "This helps the tobacco industry recruit a new generation of customers." As a fundraising activity, refreshments will be availa- ble for purchase at the out- door movie event. Youth volunteers will gather pub- lic support in addressing the issue of smoking in movies rated for children and youth. The free movie will take place rain or shine. The rain location is the Wing - ham Legion at 183 Victoria St. W. ii c/ /4py, 3Pitliefrty- to 2vOkr If you were born in 1965, come celebrate your 50th Birthday with us. Saturday June 6th at the Lucknow Legion, Wing Night. See you there, Sarah Kuik and Ken Irwin * Donations accepted at door.