Such a warm beautiful spring day - much warmer than the freezing 2'C yesterday. I woke up as the glaring sunlight fall upon my face, too bright, too cheerful, to spend the day lounging around in my bed. The sky looked promising, inviting me to venture outside, to soak in the warmth of the sun, to drink in the vibrant colours of blossoms that spring bring in.



And so, I took an invigorating walk - like a bird, chirpy in my light coloured clothes. I so love spring, the sunshine, and the all around happiness that it brings me. Somehow, my legs brought me in front of the Otago Settlers Museum, a majestic building with a rich architecture that awed me. And I thought ... why not.
I have never visited any museums in Dunedin, despite been here for ... almost 3 years. Which is such a shame really .. seeing just how this one museum is only a very short walk, 10 minutes to be precise, south of my crib.

The visit to the museum is really worth it. Amazed at the exhibitions presented before my eyes, which display the rich culture of the early settlers of Otago; the Maori, the British, the Scottish and the Chinese. I even had a chance to crawl into a Whare Rau, which is a Maori hut, made up of dried leaves and twigs, but I felt a tad claustrophobic inside it.

My favourite among the others that I visited is the 'Across the Ocean Waves' wing. In this part of the museum, the whole place is being transform to resemble a ship's deck. Watched few short clips available - my heart went out to the ladies and the crying baby who brazen the worst of the storm; turbulent waves, powerful wind not to mention the seasickness and other general ailments - uncertain of their fates where surviving is questionable. I walked around the deck area, read a page of a sailor's diary, but I was too much of a chicken to venture further as the place is eerily quiet. And dark. (hihi. aku penakut. =p)

Alas, I didnt spend much more than one and a half hour at the museum though - despite being awestruck by the captivating displays. I didnt even manage to tour the last 3 segments of the museum. My stomach had spoken. -____-" Unlike the rest of my body, my stomach actually has some sense of timing, a bit disgruntled for lack of food since morning to sustain it and was already grumbling to be fed (and a couple of sweets wouldnt quieten it down either, seeing its already 4.30pm) And so, I left without actually visiting one of the highlights of the museum, which is named "Josephine" - the oldest locomotive in New Zealand.

But I took her picture anyway, from outside. =)



Quite a great day.. at least a little bit of something for my culturally starved mind. It is still early spring, trees still have not grown back their leaves - but that doesnt mean it is not a beautiful day ... right?



One could not help feeling very optimistic on such a bright day ... =)