It was a rainy day which occasioned a visit to the Taupo Museum and Art Gallery...located behind the Great Lake Centre...and what fun to revisit after many years. Informing, I'm sure, for those who are traveling through Taupo and want to learn a bit about its history but, to those of us who are residents, it provides a reminder of why this wonderful area is for so many of us our 'turangawaewae'.

The Art Gallery section, with its changing exhibitions, acts as a reason for regular visits...and one of the current exhibitions, offering insights into people's individual 'Covid experiences' makes for some thoughtful reflection. One of my favourite contemporary artists, Michael Tuffery, is on display there and personally I loved his clever, thoughtful and sympathetic artistic messaging. But the exhibition also contained some contrary perspectives from other fine artists which may be challenging for some...but art is a good medium to allow us to digest a spectrum of views and be thoughtful about issues which have actually challenged and, at times, divided us.

But, of course, the prime joy of a current visit is to view the just arrived Goldie 'The Blind Woman of Taupo' (on loan for 5 years) - stunning - and sitting in wonderful company with another distinguished watercolour, this by Goldie's close artist friend, Thomas Ryan. A treat.

But it is also beyond those specific featured exhibits where joys will be found....and a few special ones for me appear below.

The lake's legendary status as a Mecca for anglers is there on display: mounted trout of impressive weight (one coming it at a staggering 19 and 1/2 Lbs)...historic fly collections...and photos of 'a good days catch' (for the times...albeit today sitting a bit outside the permitted bag limit!).

There is some old film of lake activities and it lifted my spirits to see some of the 'Sir Francis' - still holding its own today down at its berth at the boat harbour - elegantly cutting through the water in earlier times.

And given that the day of my visit I had been bounced out of bed in Acacia Bay by a good shake (only a 4.4 quake but close to the surface and being 10 km south west of Taupo almost directly below us here), I was fascinated to read about the a series of strong earthquakes in 1922 around Whakaipo Bay which (alarmingly) saw the shoreline there subside an average 3 metres. That, along with stories and photos of the 1996 Ruapehu eruption, the Museum is a reminder of the constancy of change - in this case of the land on which we stand. 

And, for those of us worrying about preserving a stressed but precious biodiversity in NZ (ie all of us) the moa skeleton on display reminds us of our inadvertent excesses and the importance of being wise before our time. 

So an informing and enjoyable visit, made more so by a warm welcome at the door...but I'm still scratching my head about the 1928 printed Taupo Telephone Directory (one page) which noted that when the telephone was 'out of order' and you wanted to report it was out of order, you were instructed to ring and ask for '29'. Well I'm a simple soul but I suspect that may not have been very helpful advice !!!

Credit: Rupert Holborow