The Rotorua Museum & Government Gardens

Saturday greetings! Are you getting sick of hearing about my trip yet? I am, lol!

Whatever will I blog about when I run out of pics...? 

After Hobbiton, the Rotorua Museum of Art & History was next on my list of must-sees. This impressive building represents the New Zealand government's first major investment in the tourism industry. Originally built and operated as a spa (1908), it provided treatments to thousands of people before closing in 1966. The museum itself is now housed in the historic Bath House building, located in the Government Gardens.

I thought I'd save our look inside the museum for another day and instead focus on the magnificent grounds (Government Gardens - originally called Paepaekumana) on which it is situated. Above are the Prince's Gate Arches.

These wooden arches at the entrance to the Government Gardens were designed to represent the royal crown and erected in 1901 to honour the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later King George V and Queen Mary). 

The gardens were created in the 1890's by Camille Malfroy and transformed a scrub-covered geothermal wilderness into an oasis of Edwardian charm.

Bear in mind that it was late autumn - how lovely it must be in the spring & summer months!

Here's an odd bird that crossed my path. The Pukeko bird (aka Purple Swamp Hen or Purple Gallinule) has been in New Zealand for 1,000 years and is considered to be the bird that visitors to NZ most often remember.

He appeared to be in no real hurry to get away!

This Sycamore tree (note it's spotted trunk) has been closely pruned for the winter season.

Here are another two examples of the same tree - this one was in a park across from the hotel we were staying in. 

Originally prized for it's attractive bark, the Sycamore is now considered one of NZ's most invasive tree species.

This monument commemorates Fred Wylie, a young soldier from Galatea who fought in the Boer War with the Fourth New Zealand Contingent. 'He was brave as a lion,' reads the inscription, which might explain the lion's head fountain on the front of the statue.

A multi-trunked Japanese fir.

These next few were taken from atop the museum's viewing platform.

All for today :)