Thursday, February 7, 2013

Day 28 - Mt Eden, Museum, Domain and Cathedral

For panoramic views of Auckland Mount Eden cannot be beaten. It is a volcano which last erupted 15,000 years ago and the top is 196 metres above sea level.


Then to the Auckland War Memorial Museum...


...and a visit to the performance by a group of Maoris,
to see the 20 minute performance, including their Haka,
 click HERE...


...as well as a tour of the exhibition of Maori art...



...including a full size village hut complete with all of the wood carving decoration.


The traditional carvings are all around...


...as is a friendly Maori!


Not forgetting that this is a War Memorial museum there is an actual Spitfire plane which took part in World War II on display.


The museum stands in a large park known as the Domain and in a part of this park are glasshouses for exotic plants...


...such as this hibiscus...


...a wide variety of ferns including the Silver Fern, the national emblem...


...orchids...


...and many other exotic plants...


...and flowers.


Just a short way from the park is the site of the Cathedral. On this site are 2 buildings, one old, the other new. The older one, above, is the Cathedral Church of St Mary which was moved in 1982 in one piece to it's present site from across the road where it was originally built in 1897. It is regarded as one of the finest wooden Gothic buildings in the world.


The first half of the new Holy Trinity Cathedral was dedicated and occupied in 1973 and finally completed in 1995.


It has some very impressive stained glass windows.

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