New Zealand - Travel Day

I almost didn't write a post for this day because it really was just a museum all morning long followed by driving further north for four hours.

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery.  It has exhibits about the local flora and fauna, geology, European history (and subsequent environmental impact), and Maori history.  We spent a good three hours there and probably could have spent another three if we had the museum-stamina.  I didn't really take many pictures because I was more focused on reading about all of the exhibits and also out of cultural respect photos weren't allowed of the Maori exhibit (which was the most fascinating one anyway).

I do have one fun fact to share.  This is from the placard:

"Yes, it happened here - the world's largest eagle made a feast of the world's tallest bird.

Giant moa had few enemies - except for Harpagornis, New Zealand's extinct eagle.  With it's three-metre wingspan, Harpagornis was a giant enemy!  But things didn't always go the eagle's way.  Sometimes the attacker would die with its victim.

Harpagornis probably lived in fairly open terrain and launched its attacks from cliffs or the tops of tall trees at speeds of up to 80 kilometres an hour.  It preyed on moa, but would have also taken smaller birds.  When the moa died out, the giant eagle followed not long after."