Quite by chance we found out about the Auckland Indonesian Festival which was taking place in Epsom, so headed over there to check it out.  We were not sure what to expect, but were rewarded with a cultural feast complete with street food, batik demonstrations, dancing and a full on audience participation “Angklung” workshop. (An angklung is a rattle like musical instrument made out of bamboo each with its own particular tone). Handheld versions were distributed to the entire audience and after a few practice bars we participated in a rousing version of Land of Hope and Glory. Awesome!

It was a memorable day which illustrated once again the cosmopolitan mix of New Zealand and Auckland, in particular, and proved to be an excellent introduction to Indonesia where we hope to sail in the future.