Post #620337 by Phillip Roberts on Mon, Jan 9, 2012 7:06 PM

Aloha,

I know I have some interesting vintage stuff regarding Rotarua. I just don't really know which box it's in. So while I look, and then scan... please be patient. My New Zealand trek was great despite having only a few weeks. As one of the corners of the Polynesian expansion in the Pacific, New Zealand holds great interest to me.

And then there's that sulfur smell...

Here are some shots of the metal sculpture in downtown Rotarua, taken about 10 years ago... I remember at the time thinking what a cool place it was and how great to see a city celebrate their ancestral figures instead of ignoring them as relics of the past. (But then again, I thought 'Palmerston North' was fun too for a totally different reason.)

I really did enjoy the museum in Rotarua. The museums in New Zealand are wonderful. If you are going, I can recommend Napier's small but interesting facility. I spent a great deal of time in Te Papa in Wellington. Did the Christchurch museum (great as well) survive those savage earthquakes? They had a fascinating display of Polynesian neck ornaments on display at the time I went.

Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2012-01-09 19:08 ]