Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Te Papa: bush city

Location: Te Papa Museum
Gallery: Bush City



while one initially get lost (in a fun way mind you) in new zealand's national museum, te papa's, very convoluted and confusingly laid out interior one of the things you notice on every level is that just outside the museum is an island compound of sorts.

after my fourth circuit of the museum trying to figure out its layout (i'm still at a loss to easily describe it people of the innerweb, but i can at least find my way around) i finally broke down to investigate this island offshoot.

it is a recreation of new zealand's northern rain forest that the museum calls bush city. it looked like a bit of fun so i snuck in a peek.

the main reason it took me 4 goes through the museum to find the entry to bush city is it is not at all at the height you would expect. one has to cross a third story level bridge overpass (passing over the channel of the harbour surround bush city) from the "second level" of te papa to get there.

once you're there though it's cool as (i love the way kiwi's put the 'as' on the end of words to emphasis them).

you emerge on a large artificial rocky outcropping. surrounding you is the forest which though a simulation is anything but fake. its not actually a part of a real forest if you follow me, but the trees and plants are real themselves.

my favourite part was the bridge in the middle.

bush city as a whole, especially with the bridge, reminded me of my home in the dell of the dunedin botanic garden. only this one was more fun. what with its NOT being situated on a maze of doom or being haunted by talking light orbs or ghosts!

there's some other cool activities one can do in bush city, but i either didn't notice them till i was looking at a pamphlet in rotorua (like a simulated fossil dig NOOOOO!), or my photos didn't turn out good (the fake cave with artificial glow worms of xmas lights LOL).

of course the three baskets i'm trying to get rid of didn't notice this part of the museum so i had to move on and try to find a gallery that they would!

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