New Zealand Explorer Motorhome Tour - Days 16-17

At Wellington our spirits were somewhat dampened by the rain and a touch of traveller’s fatigue so we did not get into the city until late morning. We soon cheered ourselves up with a Thai lunch and then took shelter from the strong wind in Te Papa, the museum of New Zealand.

Currently exhibiting in the museum for the 100 year anniversary  is “Gallipoli: The scale of our war”. Eight ordinary New Zealanders are represented by incredibly detailed models, 2.4 times human size and their stories take you though some of their experience. 2779 Kiwis lost their lives at Gallipoli and they are depicted by crosses on a timeline on the floor. Many of the survivors went on to fight on the Western Front.

Other exhibits included Maori artefacts, a giant pickled squid and an earthquake simulation house.

Back at the campsite and we were briefed about the Interislander ferry crossing to South Island which included crucial information on avoiding Wellington’s rush hour traffic, so it was early nights all round.