Middle Earth Tour Day 27 Eden Park Wander and mystery train stations

Middle Earth Tour Day 27 Eden Park Wander and mystery train stations

Today is the last day in Auckland and the day before I fly out to head home to Australia. I didn’t have anything spectacular planned for the day, but I was wanting to head to Eden Park the stadium. I wasn’t going to take a jumper with me today as I don’t think I would need one as the weather has been pretty warm since I had been staying in Auckland and Whangarei. I had some breakfast first before heading to the train down at Britomart.

I wasn’t exactly sure which train to catch when I bought my ticket from the machine at Britomart. I had to go look at a map that included the Western line. Once I knew which station was at the end of the line I knew where to go though the guy looking at the paper tickets told me the platform anyway as there are only 5 platforms in Britomart. I had been wondering about one of the stations I would be passing the Grafton station though I was not sure where it was. I was planning to get off at that station instead of heading all the way back into the Britomart on the Wharf area of Auckland. I really did not want to go walking up and down hills with it being so warm. I was heading for the Kingsland station where I would be able to wander around Eden Park stadium and say that I have done so.

The stadium was really easy to find though I found the toilets at Kingsland station interesting too as they had a plaque on them telling me they are art deco and placed there after several accidents with the trains and people. I was wondering if there would be more in the area telling me the history of Kingsland. I wandered over to the stadium and seen a small cricket ground to the side. The whole stadium was closed off to public access, but I was able to see plenty though it was nothing like the MCG or even Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The interesting part there were four Maori gods on each corner of the stadium. They were the God of Wind and weather, God of War, God of Peace and the God of the forests. I have never seen this elsewhere and I did see a statue to Dave Gallaher and Michael Jones. Dave is one of the originals to the All Blacks though no idea who the other one is. I don’t know if there is another stadium that would have more stuff around it. I can now say that I have been there.

The Kingsland area had my interest though wandering up to the streets above the station was interesting. I was not expecting there to be plaques telling you about the buildings and their significances to the area, but there are QR codes that will tell you more information after you use your mobile phone on them. The buildings are not being used for their original purposes. The old grain store and grocer is now a pub and TAB. The post office was opened in  1912 by the post master later Prime minister Joseph Ward. The area of Kingsland was at one point swamp land and when drainage work was completed at Eden Park there was no need for the causeway. I could have the information wrong, but I wasn’t expecting to have a bit of information in the area after I had visited the stadium. I got the train to Grafton station and hopped out into an area that I had no idea where I was supposed to walk. I found a map once I exited the station that told me there was a short walk to the Museum and I was very close to the Hospital. I should say too that I am a short walk to Mt Eden Prison though I don’t think they would be happy with me taking pictures there.

The walk to the museum was not that bad and the ground was not as steep as it was if I had to walk up Queens Street as that is one hell of a steep street if you have bags on your back. I think next time I have to carry my bags that way I will head to Grafton station and walk that way. The slope is a killer and I don’t want to do that. This is what I will do if they ever move the intercity bus zone down there though I can catch the bus up he hill, but trains could be easier. I headed across the sportsgrounds to where the the Auckland Museum is and was happy that the area was so close. The sports ground was another area that was on the list of World War one sites where the soldiers were marching apparently. I wanted to see two displays and one was the Wearable art thing as I had seen that online before I had left for New Zealand. They really are an imaginative bunch of people and the designs are not meant to be for sale and it is all about the imagination. The other display was about New Zealands relationship with Samoa. This ranged from the early days of the 1890s when there was trading and Britain told NZ they could not have control of the islands. The conflict in WW1 and then later conflict during the 1970s to do with laws and some other stuff though there seems to be a huge population in Auckland. While hanging around in the New Zealand Wars exhibit two people were talking and one of them was a museum volunteer who mentioned an ancestor of hers did fight at Ruapekapeka Pa and his picture was in the display. I think it was Kawiti and not the other bloke. I told the two people that they should visit the actual location as it is a nice place and well preserved. The lady said she does on a regular basis.

Once I left the museum I stopped at the hostel for a short rest before heading out to the shops to look for some stuff before they closed for the day. One place I did stop at was the Auckland library as they had a pamphlet about the locations of the WW1 sites and I was told that they were accessible at all times so they are worth doing. I as happy to have this Auckland list as I will use it on future trips. I found I had missed a talk about family history in the library that day at lunch time though once I went to enter JBHIFI for a look I found that Jimmy Barnes had a signing at the same time as the library one. He was doing signings for his new album and I did not even know. I had to head back to the hostel and was planning to eat after a shower, but a French restaurant caught my attention so I stopped there and ate instead. I made sure the menu was in English so that I did not end up with snails or steak Taretare. Once I ate I went back and started my packing. I think my bag are at the weight that they are supposed to be and I will find out once I am at the airport tomorrow.