Psychics and Sightseeing

Breakfast in the hostel on Sunday had been a quiet affair; half asleep people hugging their mugs of tea and coffee and barely making eye contact. This morning was different, however. No sooner had I sat down than the gentleman opposite started up conversation with me. After discussing our breakfast meal choices; my porridge versus his slightly more oddball omelette with boiled vegetables, soy-sauce and a single shot of CocaCola, he introduced himself as Edward. My quick breakfast soon turned into a slightly longer one as Edward told me about himself. Born in Bristol, the son of a woodcarver, he moved with his parents to New Zealand when still a boy. Edward followed in his father's profession and also became a master wood carver, with one of his pieces permanently displayed in a church in St Albans. He then moved to LA and became a professional ballet dancer, performing worldwide. Whilst there he became spiritually enlightened and when he retired from ballet he developed his spirituality, returned to New Zealand and is now a psychic, able to talk to the dead, read auras and offer assistance to people in need of spiritual guidance. Makes my life and career so far seem a little mundane....

With rain forecast for the day, I decided to hide from the worst of the weather in the Auckland museum. The museum sits within the Auckland domain, a large green-space centred around the remains of another of Auckland's volcanoes; Pukekaroa. The museum, which also stands as a war memorial, is an impressive structure overlooking the domain and the harbour and provided me hours of interest with over three floors filled with artefacts and exhibitions. The museum's current headlining exhibition is Moana – My Ocean, which takes you on a journey through the ocean from Auckland's east coast to the distant volcanic Kermadec islands. It was a great display, not only showing the breadth of marine environments stretching away from NZ, but also the impacts the NZ people have had on the seas and the dramatic changes that occur when efforts are made to protect it. The variety of sea-life shown to be blossoming at the now protected waters of the Leigh Reserve has definitely made it a place I want to visit and dive during my time here!

The museum also has a wealth of Maori and Pacific Island artefacts, including an impressive 30m long war canoe, Te Toki A Tapiri (The axe of Tapiri), which was carved from one single Totara tree and was used to carry up to 80 Maori warriors on their patrols. The carving on this and other artefacts are beautifully complex – with the carvings often telling stories from the Maori legends.

On the museum's upper floors there is a fascinating exhibition on volcanoes. Given that there are over 50 volcanoes, mostly extinct, in and around Auckland it was a very pertinent display. Indeed it offered insight into what would happen were a volcano to erupt in Auckland tomorrow; “If your house is consumed in the fiery eruption but you somehow escape then don't worry – the city has a plan in place to look after you”. Feeling reassured I headed to the special exhibition on Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's conquering of Mt Everest in 1953, which offered a blow by blow account of the ascent. It was certainly an awe-inspiring endeavour.

Walking through the Auckland domain I came across the Wintergardens, complete with glasshouses and a fernery. This offered a half hour's peace as I nosed through first the bright springlike flowers and then the earthy forest of over 300 species of fern. I took one of the domain's 'bush walks', which led me down a quiet forested path alongside a stream to the edge of the urbanity. I headed into the city and negotiated the hectic Queen Street, the main shopping street in Auckland. I quickly escaped the hustle and bustle by ducking into St Patrick's; Auckland's catholic cathedral. By no means on the grand scale of European cathedrals; in fact it is positively modest in comparison, it had an airy atmosphere made magical by the organ being played whilst I paused for a while.

I returned to my dorm to find “Joyce” still present, puzzling as he had previously said he would be gone by this point. I enquired after his day; he said he slept too long, having gotten up in the middle of the night to smoke some weed, and missed the checkout time so had extended his stay by another day, and that he really hoped he would get up on time the following day. I suggested he use an alarm, and maybe lay off the late night smokes.

Auckland Museum