BankOnWine: Auckland War Memorial Museum: a place for history enthusiasts

My fondest non-food, non-wine related experience of the trip to Auckland is the day I spent at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

What astounded me most about the place is the friendliness of the staff, who also encourage you to take photos. Never before have I been to a museum like that, as most want to prevent light damages to the artefacts from camera flashes and also want to keep certain popular exhibits "secret".

If you ever do visit Auckland, be sure to spend at least a day in this 3-storey museum. It is quite large and has extensive collections on natural history, New Zealand history and a war memorial. You'll need plenty of time to thoroughly enjoy it all.

Auckland War Memorial Museum is located on top of a hill

As I came to learn from this museum, the phrase "Kia ora" means multiple different things - not only "welcome".

A pristine example of Kiribati armour. They are made from pufferfish and woven coconut fibre.

The curators even encourage you to witness and document them at work!

The national animal symbol of New Zealand

Every description is bilingual

A cute folklore of why the brave and selfless kiwi no longer can fly.

A Buddha statue with Greco features from the Middle-East. Maybe every religion is worshiping the one same deity, but in different forms. Either that or there are multiple deities who form the Truth. Take your pick.

"For an undivided country"

The fighter plane that protected Britain

There is a button that you can press to start the Spitfire's engine. Needless to say, every boy (and boy-at-heart) compulsively pressed it --- repeatedly!