Toi Tu Toi Ora

Today we went on a little excursion that didn’t go quite to plan.  We met a group of friends at the bottom of Ngapipi Road and walked into the CBD from there - approximately 3.5km.  We had morning tea at Amano, a favourite restaurant/cafe, then wandered around the Britomart Precinct to view some artworks that are part of the Toi Tu Toi Ora: Contemporary Maori Art Exhibition at the Auckland City Art Gallery.  When we reached the Art Gallery we were disappointed to find it closed, despite its website indicating it was open.  Oh well, that will have to wait for another day.  We then had an early lunch at Scarecrow, a cafe/kitchen, florist and artisan grocer in the CBD, having browsed the shelves to see what goodies were available.  Lunch was excellent and we were all very happy with our choice of venue.  We then walked back to our starting point before dispersing.

The photo is of an artwork called “Seven Pou” by Chris Bailey.  A Pou is a carved wooden post used by Maori to mark territorial boundaries or places of significance. They are generally artistically and elaborately carved and can be found throughout New Zealand.