The plan was to get up and go to the museum in the morning and then catch the 12:15 ferry over to Rangitoto Island to hike up the volcano. The Traveling Hillbilly must admit, I got a bit of a late start but still made time to swing by my favorite coffee shop in Auckland for my morning smoothie (fruit, not coffee flavored) and muffin. They have great cafes and coffee shops here.
I catch the Link bus over to the museum and go see the T-Rex exhibit. What a beautiful museum. It has to be one of the better ones of I’ve seen, and today I actually get to see the inside of it! Before I get to Sue, that’s the T-Rex’s name, I pass through an informative exhibit on volcanoes. Just as I’m about to exit the volcano section, I notice a little sign that says come inside for a sneak of what would happen to Auckland if a volcano actually erupted. I figure it would be one of those 10 minute historical/informational films you see at museums. I step inside and it’s like stepping into someone’s living room. There are couches in two corners of the room, a TV opposite them and a huge sliding glass door overlooking the harbour. Well, it’s not really overlooking the harbour, it’s just a screen but still it’s a pretty cozy space. A few more folks wander in and suddenly the TV comes on and it’s a news report announcing that Auckland is being evacuated due to the volcanic activity and the possibility of an actual eruption. The news report is done in a very authentic way and completely draws us all in. Suddenly the TV begins to scramble and the “living room” starts to shake. A kid screams and our scenic view of the harbour suddenly turns dark and fire and ash explode out of the top of the mountain. A sudden rush of ash comes at the screen, the entire room goes dark. We sit in the dark for a bit, rumbling in the background and then the screen shows the aftermath. All in all it was only about 12 minutes, but I have to admit, it was a little scary. It was almost like a ride at an amusement park, right in the middle of the museum. It was informative and quite thrilling.
A bit shaken, it was time to head to see Sue. Sue was AWESOME! She’s one of the biggest dinosaur finds in years. She was found on a ranchers land in the states. Apparently the land was part of an Indian reservation and was held in trust by the government for the rancher so of course there were years spent in court over who owned the bones recovered. After several years, the court found the bones belonged to the rancher, who decided to auction off the bones. Anyway, the exhibit was great. Very informative and very interactive.
The Traveling Hillbilly was truly impressed by the museum and could have spent many more hours there, but it was time to head back to the harbour to catch the ferry. Unfortunately the bus was late and the Traveling Hillbilly missed the ferry by 5 minutes. Since it was the last ferry, and the only way to get to, Rangitoto Island, it was time for plan B.
During a quick stop for lunch while perusing the guide book, the Traveling Hillbilly decided to head to the aquarium to see the Penguins and the sea life of New Zealand. The gigantic sting rays were really cool, but as far as aquariums go, it’s mediocre. I guess it would be really cool for kids, but the Traveling Hillbilly has been to several aquariums and this one is not a must do. It can’t hold a candle to the one in Bangkok.
The good news is I still had time to head back to the station and make reservations to take the train to Tongariro National Park on Sunday. Since it’s not officially summer, the train only runs Friday-Sunday, so I have to take the bus back to Auckland on Monday in order to catch a flight to Sydney on Tuesday.
The Traveling Hillbilly is truly excited about the train ride. It will be great to finally see more of the country. Plus I’m going to stay at the Chateau Tongariro, “the grand dame” of Tongariro according to the Frommer’s guide book. Given that it’s off season (it’s a major ski resort in the winter), the rates are great! I’m hoping it will be like the Grand Hotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary. We’ll see.
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