A Taste of Old Tauranga

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Sherry and Ro drove Mark to work, then stopped by McDonald’s for breakfast in the play area before a planned excursion to the Tauranga Gem & Fossil Show, sponsored by the Tauranga Mineral Club. While at the play area, Ro became fast friends with a boy his own age who was over on holiday from Australia with his family. Sherry enjoyed talking with the parents, Audrey and Marius, while Ro played with their two boys whose names Sherry actually didn’t catch. The boys ran around screeching at one another playing dinosaurs for about two hours, just having the time of their lives. Audrey and her husband are actually from South Africa, and have been living down under for a year, trying to make a permanent move. We compared culture shock notes, like for example, how Kiwis (and Aussies apparently as well) call mealtime or snack time “tea.” There is no tea involved, but to have a snack, they will say, “Let’s have tea.” It’s quite cute.

Sherry told them about how on the first of Ro’s meet-and-greet days at his primary school, the announcement that she’d seen at the Kindy simply said it was to last from 9:30 until 11:30, and to bring “tea.” Then, she went on to tell them she’d carefully packed Ro’s lunchbox, along with two teabags for herself and Mark, thinking all the adults would sit around to tea while the kids played and ate lunch. What a surprise to find out there was no tea with “tea.” Marius and Audrey laughed, having had similar experiences when they arrived in Melbourne.

After saying goodbye to new-found friends and getting their contact info (in case we want to visit them in Melbourne), Sherry and Ro went on to the Tauranga Historic Village for the Gem show. The Village is an open air museum consisting of historic buildings, and home to over sixty community groups. However, it no longer operates as an historic village. There are still several arts and crafts groups in the village and a functioning museum radio station, Village Radio. Visitors are welcome during special events, like the one today. It looks like an old settlement, with old wooden clapboard homes topped with tin roofs, an old church, a blacksmith shop, and the Wood museum.

Ronan at the Wood Museum

Aside from enjoying the many rocks, gems, fossils, and crafts on display along the “streets” of the Village, there were members of the Mineral Club on hand at their store, showing how they cut and sand rocks for jewelry, as well as grind and polish larger specimens in their collection. Ro collected six pieces throughout the day, including an Apache tear (obsidian), Amethyst, Quartz crystals, an aquamarine crystal, and a fossilized shell. Each piece was no more than NZ$2; most were fifty cents.

Ro chatting with a guy carving Maori necklaces

Ro captivated by a real microscope

Another curiosity at the Village is the House of Bottles Wood Museum. Ran by Scott and Trish Goodwin, they use wood fence posts from pioneer farms around NZ and create interesting art out of them. Scott Goodwin has transformed them into handcrafted bottles, plates, bowls, and even children’s spinning tops. These recycled native timbers make unique souvenirs and are all hand crafted on site.

Feeling sympathetic for the local “Girl Guides” who had set up a booth to sell their “biscuits,” we bought a box of cookies that are in no way like our Girl Scout variety back home. Although tasty, there are only two kinds: shortbread or chocolate-dipped shortbread. It really got Sherry craving those delicious Samoas and Tagalongs back home. HINT! HINT!

Sherry and Ro left the Village and went to the Tauranga port to enjoy Subway from the other side of Pilot Bay. While there, Ro (as usual) had quite the following of seagulls as he threw them crumbs from his sub, squealing with delight as they would swoop down and grab them. They retired for the afternoon at home to relax and await Mark’s call from work. Ro starts his second week of school tomorrow, so it’s off to bed early tonight!

These gulls have spotted their meal ticket

Ro blowing bubbles on our balcony