Feb 23 Wellington

 

Botanical gardens

Wellington is built on hills (ie volcanoes) and looks like Portland, Oregon in having a lot more trees than San Francisco.  You get up the main hill by cable car and the gardens go down the side of the hill ending in a beautiful rose garden.  I have attached pictures of some of the plants and flowers that seem to be unique to New Zealand.

Te Papa (container of treasures) museum

This is another spectacular and diverse museum with exhibits ranging from native flora and fauna to Maori history to the battle of Gallipoli.  

Gallipoli

This battle that ended in a defeat of the allies by Turkish troops after more than 4 months of trench warfare in 1915.  It had and continue to had and still has have a great impact on the ethos of New Zealanders-pride in the soldiers who fought and devastation at the loss of a generation of young men.  A total of 130,000 lives were lost-42,000 by the British and ANZAC troops and 86,000 by the Turks.  I became interested in Gallipoli as the invasion began the week after my father's birth in April 1915, midway through WWI.  There was an incredible exhibit in the museum where you walk through the campaign week by week and it felt like we were walking though hallowed ground.  WETA, the special effects workshop that produced the LOR and Hobbit movies special effects produced enormous (9 ft high) effigies of soldiers and nurses which left indelible images.  I have included a few pictures.



Exotics from the botanical gardens

WETA rendering of doctor during Gallipoli-9 feet tall

Nurse sobbing at the loss of a patient-Gallipoli

Map of migration of the First Nation Peoples

Picture of a Maori chief with tatoes honoring ancestors

Giant Squid like that in Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

More beautiful flowers


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