Mannekins, milking machines and domestic scenes.

They actually built a life size boardinghouse in the museum. Styled on a classic NZ homestead but of course there were always two floors to accommodate numerous guest rooms. I resist calling them bedrooms as this is just one of their purposes. They were also studies for journalists, labs for scientists and surveyors, store rooms for gum merchants, workshops for seamstresses and dressmakers and even banks, assay offices and post offices. Downstairs there was always a piano in one of the large reception rooms and the dining room.

Understandably they were the hub and social centre of many small towns and their demise must have been something of a loss to the locals and visitors alike. But the world moves on and a mobile population using cars and vans could cover long distances with greater speed and ease taking away the need for overnight accommodation.

The cameo scenes in the photos are inanimate scale replicas of real rooms in the Matakohe area with actual artefacts from their homes and the physiognomy of the mannekins is based on their photographic appearance. I stood for ages taking in the intricate details of their daily lives, do you you the little lad stealing a sweatmeat from the sideboard?

They were of course made possible with the use of photography and I had to show you the photo taken by her father of little Bess, helping her mum on washday in what is an unguarded scene of domestic routine.

At the Happy Hour in our quayside local the Love Mussel, Swedish Lisa told me that evening that thousands of Kauri seedlings are being planted on the Coromandel Peninsula, in mixed woodland I hope as that is how they grow naturally. There was a box of kauri seedlings for sale at the museum but that idea would be totally impractical on Zoonie!

Tony and Gail are back from their tour of the South Island and a few days ago we visited the Waipu Cave. Following guidelines we wore walking shoes but what we really needed was sandals to wear in water as there was a stream to cross at the entrance before we could penetrate 175 metres into the cave wearing head torches and see the longest stalagmite in NZ and many glow worms.

Instead we did a hike along the McKenzie Walkway through native woodland to a ridge which gave us fabulous views over the countryside right back to Whangarei Heads and those high craggy hills at the entrance to the river. And we will return better equipped to the caves another time and revisit the museum as you just cannot take it all in in one visit.

Gail has had the idea to start a Dinner Club with us and Wendy and Dave from a yacht called Elysium. Tonight we all dine on Cetacea. I plan to invite them all to us next as Rob has now connected the new oven and it is quite beautiful.

We are looking forward to the Barbarians v Lions match walking distance from here next Saturday and then on Tuesday 6^th Zoonie will be lifted at Riverside Marina and we will stay aboard Cetacea for the few days the work should take. They celebrate the Queen’s Birthday next weekend and take Monday as a Bank Holiday.

Apparently the marina will fill with boats next weekend as people come for the match and we are wondering if we should dress up for the occasion. Watch this space!