Wandering Around: More from New Zealand, North Island, Te Papa and downtown Wellington

Leah reminded me recently that I'd left out several photos from the North Island that we both agree should be included. Now that I'm connected to a reasonably fast and unlimited Internet connection at a Las Vegas library, I can upload them. Here you go:

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Shakespear Park, near Auckland

Shakespear Park beach, near Auckland

Shakespear Park, near Auckland

Shakespear Park is like High Park, only for Auckland. The park is named after someone other than William, who spelled his name without the e. It's a lovely park on a peninsula on the other side of a bay from Auckland, and features great views from the tops of some of its hills, as well as miles of (empty) beach, as above. We didn't do much walking, as I was still recovering from bronchitis and Leah's knee was still sore. (As I write this on Feb. 12 here in Las Vegas, Leah's knee is much better, but still only about 65%. The whole 8 weeks we were in New Zealand, she could walk only a short way, and then only in pain).

The Essential Garden, our Airbnb tree-top apartment, was owned by a couple who'd cashed out of the Auckland rat race and bought 12 rural acres, where they've established a successful business selling essential oils and herbs, which they grow themselves. Nice flower gardens, too. Here's the herb garden:

Leah in the Essential Garden's herb garden

One day while we strolled the grounds, we came upon this full-sized ram standing in the forest near our apartment:

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Sculpture of a ram, created by our artist host

As we moved south on the North Island, we stayed at the Te Awanga Vineyard. Here are a couple of photos:

Te Awanga Vineyard apartment

We used the apartment as our base to explore a number of areas on the North Island, including Te Mata Peak, below:

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Te Mata Peak is about 1200 ft above the sea, which is visible in the distance.

Would be a nice glide!

Part of a walk we did around the top of the peak. 360 degree views.

We originally chose Te Awanga because it was near Napier, New Zealand, which was rebuilt entirely in Art Deco architectural style, after a devastating earthquake in 1931. I posted some shots in a previous post, but wanted to include a few more--not necessarily all Art Deco:

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A memorial to the HMS Veronica, which assisted survivors of the 1931 earthquake in Napier, New Zealand

Napier, New Zealand

A fountain commemorating the public service of a Napier man--in a lovely formal park in Napier.

Saw this guy painting a picture...but he was a picture in himself!

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Painter, Napier, New Zealand

These guys are curious, too.

Came across these flowers in bloom near a Hawkes Bay beach:

Leaving Napier, we moved south again, this time to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and home to Te Papa Tongarewa, Maori for Museum of New Zealand:

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