Yesterday, after we all got settled in, and after our first real sleep since Monday, the choir had the priviledge of visiting the Auckland War Memorial Museum to learn about New Zealand’s vast natural, military, and multicultural histories. The first floor of the museum focused on the indigenous Polynesian and New Zealand people, the Māori. We experienced the intricacy of the artwork, the resourcefulness of the clothing, and the careful carving of the waka (giant canoes), all created with great precision and symbolism at the hands of Māori people. Each piece held insight into the culture of the Māori people.
The second floor took a look at the natural history of New Zealand. We took a journey through time to look at the land, plants, and animals of the past and present. The most notable animal of the Island’s past has to be the Moa, New Zealand’s “chicken.”
This chicken stood a shocking 12 feet tall and weighed approximately 570 pounds. The Moa has been exstinct for several hundred years, but lives on in its unique nature. Other featured birds of the museum included the kiwi, a New Zealand symbol. The kiwi is a flightless bird that still lives on the Islands. When explorers first sent back specimen of the kiwi to europe, people believed it was a hoax because of the bird’s fur-like feathers and unusual shape.
The final floor focused on New Zealand’s contributions in the first and second World Wars, as well as the New Zealand Wars of the 19th Century. A stone wall with golden carved names commemorates the thousands of fallen during these times.
We’re all eager to continue learning about the multiculturalism of the country as we head into historical Rotorua in a few days to experience traditional Māori customs.
