Another much needed sleep in for the kids, but we were out of the accommodation by 9.30am, heading by foot to Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Museum of New Zealand. It was a beautiful day to start so seemed a pity to go inside, but we had heard how amazing this museum is. And it is!

There are multiple stories to the building and dozens of individual exhibits. There was an outdoor area recreating the New Zealand bush and caves. Inside there were exhibits covering everything from the colonisation by Maori’s to the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. The decimation of New Zealand’s forests since the arrival of, initially the Maoris, then the Europeans, was explained in devastating detail. The loss of so many native animals due to this loss of habitat as well as the introduction of new predators was shown with examples of the lost animals. There were areas dedicated to the Maori culture, the influence of the British and the modern mix that makes up New Zealand. The kids had great fun with some interactive, often, but not always, computer-based, activities. We had lunch at their café to give us a rest and some fuel so we could keep going. We finally stumbled out about 4pm, having some areas still not seen, and not gone into the exhibits which required booking or payment. Luckily we had no other plans for the day.

Unfortunately, it was pouring with rain when we left the museum. Most of us had jackets, but Liam had forgotten to pack his and only had shorts on, so was particularly cold. Emily was self-sacrificing and lent him her jacket. On the way home we had a quick go through some shops mostly to get warm and dry, but also to get some groceries for dinner and a snack for the always-hungry Liam. We finally found some cheap badges for the kids’ scout camp blankets, too. So back to our accommodation for our final night in the North Island. I am squeezing in another load of washing and we have to get everything packed for the ferry and tidy the car.