Retreat pg 2
pagenumber
 

D.  In Wellington – 14th to 15th Oct

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital city which houses the Parliament, Government Ministries and most of the foreign diplomatic missions. Situated on the south-western tip of the North Island, it is the third most populous urban area in New Zealand. It is also the most remote capital city in the world.

Wellington is densely populated due to the restricted amount of land that is available between its harbour and the surrounding ranges of mountains. However Wellington has a reputation for its picturesque natural harbour and lush hillsides adorned with villas.

                              

 

In Wellington, we stayed two nights in Quest On The Terrace. Besides exploring Wellington’s CBD, we took the cable car to the Botanic Gardens. We also visited the national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa.

The Cable Car

The cable car leaves every ten minutes from Cable Car Lane, off Lambton Quay to the top of the Botanic Garden. The funicular railroad, opened in 1902 is 610m long and climb to a height of 122m. The old wooden car was replaced in 1979 by modern ones made in Switzerland. From the top there is a magnificent view of the city.

 

View of Wellington City from top of the hill

 

Botanic Gardens

The botanic gardens cover 27 hectares of land on the side of the Kelburn Hill near central Wellington. It features some unique landscapes, protected native forests, conifers and views over the city.

It is also a home to several organisations which include Carter Observatory, Cable car Museum, Victoria University and WWF NZ Hq.

           

 

Te Papa Tongarewa

Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum of New Zealand. It is located on the waterfront on Cable Car Street. Inside the six-storey buildings are exhibitions, cafes and shops. The museum displays the stories of this young Pacific nation, its history, art and total culture of New Zealand which is a bicultural country.

 

            

The Treaty of Waitangi

The two cultures of New Zealand see themselves in a constant process of redefinition since the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on 6th Feb 1840. The giant replica of the Treaty of Waitangi is displayed in two stories in the centre of the Museum.

The Treaty was signed by representatives of the British Crown and various Maori chiefs from the North Island.

Basically, the Treaty established a British Governor in New Zealand, recognised Maori ownership of their lands and other properties and gave Maori the rights of British subjects.

The Treaty has two texts, one in Maori and one in English. However the two versions of the Treaty differ significantly – the English text is not an exact translation of the Maori text. In the Maori text, it gives the British a right of government; but in English text the Maori has to cede ‘soverengnty”.

Also, the English version recognises Maori rights to “properties” which seem to imply physical and may be intellectual properties. The Maori version, on the other hand, mentions “properties” as “treasures” or “precious things”.

Today, the Treaty is still a sore point in the bicultural New Zealand.

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