Saturday, November 23rd - Day 74 - Auckland Art Gallery and final wrapping up...

 It rained overnight and the morning was overcast.  We decided not to try to take the ferry to Waiheke Island - the weather was such that a nice trip across the harbour didn't seem to be in the cards. So, instead, we opted for a slower final day - we've come so far and done so much, it doesn't seem worthwhile to press hard on the pedal right until the end!

After a final load of wash, Deb had calls from Kelly, Scott, and Katie!  Before we knew it, the morning was rapidly ending.  We got ourselves bundled up and went next door to the Scare Crow Cafe for our cappuccino (Deb) and Flat White (Munroe).  Deb did a final check of her shopping list and we resolved to get our final gift items before the end of the day and to use up our remaining cash.

We walked the short distance down Kitchener Street to the Auckland Art Gallery. Amazingly, it doesn't charge an entrance fee.  The building is awe-inspiring with magnificent wood foyer entrances and a wide-open look and feel.  Much to our delight, the current exhibit was entitled "Coasts" and it featured a variety of rooms of art exploring coasts and coastlines from many perspectives, Maoiri and Paekeh.  

  

We both really enjoyed the exhibits and felt a new appreciation for the history of Euro-Maori relations that we've seen in various parts of the North and South islands.  We've been inspired by the respect shown to the Maori culture and by advances made in the public use of the language since we first came to New Zealand in 2006.  However, we are concerned about the current (right-of-center) government's legislative proposals that would have the effect of degrading the legal interpretations that have conventionally been placed on the Treaty of Waitangi (1840).   Since we have been here, Maori protests have been experienced in various parts of the country.  A "haka" of protest took place on the floor of the New Zealand Assembly and Maori protestors closed State Highway 1 going both ways as they marched to the legislature in Wellington.  A few days ago, while heading to the mail boat tour in Picton, we witnessed a procession of Maori protestors silently parading along the waterfront, proudly carrying the Maori flag.  Another truck with Maori protestors waving the flag drove by.  Today, three Maori were walking up the main street from the waterfront carrying the Maori flag in protest.  It seems so sad - and unnecessary - to have the respectful relations that have developed be endangered by a right-wing prime minister and government.

A few notes from Deb about things to remember...

Sign of a enlightening society!

When we were greeted by a large wool octopus.  I knew it would be a very interesting art show!

The Care of Small Birds: Muriwai. 1975. By Colin McCalon.  Living on the Auckland west coast, the artist was fascinated by dramatic cliff tops, colonies of sea birds. long black and white beach, and changing weather.  "The gannet's first flight from their nests symbolized a leap of faith into the unknown."

Te Ma (Fish Trap).  2014. By Chris Charteris  (Our favorite)

Mother Tongue. 2020, By Jasmine Togo-Brisby.  A large video of the Port Chalmers Bay.  The artist gives us an awareness of the historical practice of "blackbirding," the mass abduction of peoples from across the Pacific to New Zealand and forced into harsh labour.

Painting. 1993. By Peter Robinson.  Whakapapa, the genealogical ties that bind family together and strengthen communities and tribal identities, is central to Maori identity.  Stylized canoes (waka), moving in unison, represent migrations and echo the old New Zealand rock drawings of Robinson's ancestors.

Ritual and Formation  2013, Peter Robinson. 54 aluminum rods support over 1000 felt discs, with offcuts dispersed on the floor.  Robinson said, "Wool is a versatile material; it can insulate, store energy and be shaped."

Leaving the gallery, we walked across the street and found a "hot pot" restaurant.  Here we selected our ingredients from a large array of options (seafood, meat, noodles, veggies, etc) and put them in a bowl that was weighed.  We opted to have the ingredients made into a soup rather than a stir fry and stipulated "medium" for the level of spice.  Before long, our soup emerged in a big bowl and we enjoyed eating it enormously.  

We walked down to the waterfront, picking up a few final gift items and a bottle of wine for our lamb dinner this evening.  Two cruise ships had docked overnight - one small and one much larger (the Celebrity Edge, carrying about 4,000 passengers).  We thought the streets were more crowded and that confirmed our sense and explained why.  The street was home to the Christmas tree for Auckland - it will be ceremonially lit up this evening for the season.  It helps (together with the cruise passenger influx) to explain the much more visible police presence on the streets.

We came back to our lovely apartment and just puttering around in advance of getting our dinner going.  For our final night in New Zealand we had marinated butterflied leg of lamb (mint and rosemary), baby spring potatoes, broccoli, and left-over cabbage slaw with sesame dressing.  

While we were both blown away by the trip, we were ready to complete our 'check-in' process for our flights home tomorrow.  It is time for us to return and we felt ready (or, as ready as one can be for a return to a Donald Trump America).  It will take a long time to digest all that we've consumed during the past two and a half months - it has been a magical experience and we are so grateful for having the opportunity to make this dream trip come true.