Web of Time exhibit - Te Papa

I want the viewer to reflect on their inner self, on their life, their past, their present, and their future ...

- Chiharu Shiota

Numbers comfort us. We share dates that are important to us, and they help us to understand ourselves.

- Chiharu Shiota

These numbers - scattered like stars in the night sky - represent meaningful dates in history, both collective and personal.

- Chiharu Shiota

In The Web of Time, countless intertwined strands connect numbers across time and space.

Road Trip - Just chillin'

 All the sight seeing and shopping worked up an appetite, so it was Mexican for dinner.

 While waiting for Deadpool to start, the urchins created this creature.

Wellington Road Trip - buildings, bags, and Rotorua Artists

 The urchins hadn't seen the Beehive before, so we visited New Zealand's parliament buildings.

Quinn and Tighe climbing flagpoles.

 Te Papa Muesum didn't open until a little later, so the urchins got in a bit of retail therapy.

 There is a padlock fence along the waterfront in Wellington. I like the rusted look with the colourful padlocks.

 The urchins couldn't resist climbing and running along the art installations at the front of Te Papa.

 The art work by Rotorua artist Kereama Tapae was their favourite.

Cousins, cousins, cousins

Willem

My highlight of the trip to Wellington was catching up with the nephews.  They have grown, and they talk, and they laugh.

Hendrik

We gave Willem and Hendrik some balls, that when bounced, activated a flashing light.  Quinn and Tighe still say "Flashing!, Flashing!" when something amuses them.
Silas was visiting as well, and joined in the hunt for the "bone", that Quinn marched through the house.  Lots of noise and lots of smiles.  A wonderful evening.

Silas

The 3 Musketeers...

Hut or Slide?

Managed a catch up with Pete and Hana.  Great to see Fern, and meet Anahera for the first time. Gorgeous!  Pete's and Hana's news made me happy sad.  I am so happy for them, sad for us.
The older urchins showed the younger ones how to build a hut, complete with slide.
Magical times.

 

Seals, seals, and more seals.

 

Further around the bay from the Red Rocks is the seal colony.

View from the top of "Devil's Gate"

 The seals just lie in the sun.  Humans are ignored unless they get too close.

Looking towards the South Island

 Quinn and Tighe counted at least 160 seals.  I just watched the seals sunning themselves.

Anneke climbing up one of the rocks for a better view of the seals.

Tighe and Quinn "conquering" the rock and wind.

 After a while, lichen grows on seal poo. 

Red Rocks and Seal Colony

It wasn't windy from the South, and Erik said it was a gentle walk for about 3km.  The Rocks are Red.

South Island was hazy in the distance

The urchins gathered sticks and rocks and feathers and other treasures, so we weren't walking fast.  

Looking back towards Wellington

Tighe found crabs and shells

 The outcrop of rocks include red and green siltstone, greywacke, and volcanic pillow lava.

Looking towards the carpark

The Red Rocks.  I thought the seals would be here, but they were much further away, at the next outcrop of rocks, past the "Devil's Gate".  More walking, and my legs were tired.  I found it difficult walking on the soft scoria and sand.

The urchins found this amazing bush growing on the track side. All of them crawled under it. The wind had "folded" the branches over the terrain, making a maze of tunnels. It was difficult to get the children to climb out of it, as they just wanted to play more.

 The 4wd vehicles drive through "Devil's Gate" to get to the seal colony.  It is a steep climb on both sides of the "gate".

"Devil's Gate" and the South Island, Kaikoura in the background

Tighe climbing another rock

The smell of Seals is strong, and they were very close to the walkway.  There were about 30 seals on this side of the Devil's Gate and over 160 seals on the other side.

 The seals reminded me of cats.  Lying in the sun, and lots of whiskers.

It took us about 3/4 of an hour to walk back to the car park.