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A 67 Million-Year-Old T-Rex Skeleton Is Coming to Auckland in an Incredibly Rare New Exhibition

5 April 2022 by News

Get ready to live all your greatest Land Before Time fantasies — Auckland is getting a 67 million-year-old, 12-metre long resident this month.

On Friday, April 15, Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum will become home to Peter the T-Rex, one of the only almost entirely complete fossilised Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons in the world.

Free for all visitors and the first time ever Peter has been on display, you’ll be able to get up and close and personal with the giant predator — potioned in a cute and also terrifying hunting position, no less — and find out how he lived and died. Spoiler alert: it was most likely about 67 million years ago in Wyoming, US, when his legs were chewed off by another T-Rex.

You’re definitely not going to want to miss this exhibition, which is set to be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. It’s the first time a T-Rex fossil has ever been exhibited in Aotearoa, and to make things even more exciting, Peter is one of the extra-rare obsidian black fossils — most others are brown.

According to Dr John Nudds from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester, this makes the new addition to Auckland museum “incredibly rare and visually stunning”.

“Only four black T-Rex have ever been discovered; the other three are displayed in prestigious natural history museums around the world,” he said in a statement from the museum.

The installation is free to attend and while the T-Rex is making Tāmaki Makaurau its home, a series of exciting, educational events are also set to take place, including an immersive immersive dinosaur performance featuring an array of prehistoric creatures, a junior palaeontology programme, and of course, dinosaur-themed birthday parties. We think that last one might be aimed at kids, but if you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing 21st theme, we’re absolutely not here to judge.

Auckland War Memorial Museum – Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Free with museum entry, Peter the T-Rex will be on display at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum from Friday, April 15, 2022 until Sunday, September 4 2022.

The post A 67 Million-Year-Old T-Rex Skeleton Is Coming to Auckland in an Incredibly Rare New Exhibition appeared first on Concrete Playground.

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Waiheke Island’s Sculpture on the Gulf has returned for another year — and you won’t want to miss it

25 March 2022 by News

Embrace the beauty of nature and the transcendence of art with Sculpture on the Gulf, which has returned for another year this March.

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Auckland Volcanoes: The Ultimate Guide to Our Volcanic Field

3 October 2021 by News Leave a Comment


Join us as we introduce you to all 53 of Auckland’s Volcanoes. Considered the most volcanic city in the world, the City of Sails is the perfect place for volcanologists and all those that love a good view!

Auckland is a remarkable city. Surrounded on all sides by ocean and extensive harbours – the Manukau Harbour to the west, Waitemata Harbour to the east and Kaipara Harbour to the North – this maritime settlement is also built on upon a vast volcanic field.

Featuring an impressive 53 volcanoes, spread over an area of 1,000 square kilometres, it’s no wonder that Auckland is recognised as the most volcanic city in the world..

Featuring an impressive 53 volcanoes, spread over an area of 1,000 square kilometres, it’s no wonder that Auckland is recognised as the most volcanic city in the world..

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The Best Indoor Playgrounds Auckland Has On Offer

31 July 2021 by megan Leave a Comment


If you’re looking for the very best indoor playgrounds Auckland has, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve spoken to a wide range of parents and have found the most amazing local all-weather play spaces, ensuring your whole family can enjoy your next day out.

Auckland has a wealth of fun things to do, even for the littlest members of your whānau. One all-time family favourite is an exciting and challenging indoor play area.

These play spaces have a wide range of benefits for children and adults alike!

These play spaces have a wide range of benefits for children and adults alike!

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Step out at the Waiheke Walking Festival

2 November 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

Waiheke Island’s annual, and hugely popular, walking festival is coming up and it’s bigger and better than ever, so dig out your hiking boots, get some mates together and start your stretches!

What is the Waiheke Walking Festival?

Now in its eleventh year, the Waiheke Walking Festival is this year an 18-day event offering a huge range of walks from 11 – 29 November 2020.

The walks vary in length from a couple of hours to a few days and offer various levels of effort to ensure all abilities and interests are catered for. You’ll find photography walks, music, conservation, fitness, history, story telling and even booze walks!

Josh Emmett and Oyster Inn are leading a 6km oyster and bubbles walk from Oneroa Beach this year. There’s a 4km Brewer’s Loop from Onetangi Sports Park with beer tastings along the way, and a gin and tonic making walk with high tea and bubbles ending at Batch Winery.

Park Point Sunset on Waiheke Walking Festival
Sunset at Park Point. Pic Dawn Hughes

How fit do you need to be?

Many walks are family-friendly and not strenuous, while some of the walks end up at Waiheke’s vineyards to allow participants to enjoy the local food and wine on offer. There are beach clean ups and scavenger hunts for the kids, some are dog friendly, there’s even a nine-day walk covering 10-12km per day.

Kids enjoying the glow worm walk
Kids will love the glow worm walk. Pic by Rainer Lehr

FAQs

How much does it cost?

Most of the walks are free, but as numbers are limited you’ll need to register as soon as tickets are released (see below about becoming a Friend of the Festival) as they fill up quickly. Several walks are in the $20-$35 bracket and one is $450 for 3-day walk with accommodation.

How many people can join each walk?

With COVID-19 now a reality in our world, walks will be operating at a limited capacity of walkers this year. But to counter the smaller number on each walk, the festival is longer in duration and some of the more popular walks are repeated more than once. See details for each walk here >

Becoming a Patron or a Friend ($100) of the Festival will assist with early access (starting from September 17th) for booking your choice of walks, helping to increase your chance of getting onto the walks you want to.

Walking in Onetangi, Waiheke Walking Festival
Walking in Onetangi. Pic Rainer Lehr

A few Waiheke Walking Festival highlights…

Onetangi Progressive Lunch Walk – This year the walk offers two date options at different restaurants, hitting some of the best food spots on Waiheke Island. Eat and drink at Casita Miro, Tantalus Estate and Three Seven Two on Thursday 12th November ($110) or Obsidian, Shed at Te Motu and Three Seven Two on Thursday 26th November. Both walks are from 10am – 4pm ($95).

5-Day Te Ara Hura 100km Walk – This five day, 100km Te Ara Hura walking adventure which will see you circumnavigate Waiheke. Tackling 5-7 hours of walking every day at a moderate pace, you’ll get stunning views of Waiheke Island throughout the 20km stretches you’ll be doing each day. Wednesday 25th – 29th November ($150).

Mindfulness in Whakanewha – This two-hour walk will invigorate the mind and body. Walkers will experience how to use their senses with intent and connect them with nature and themselves. The medium grade walk will finish with spectacular views and a delicious, specially priced optional lunch and bubbles at Batch Winery. To ensure the experience is intimate and connected, bookings will be limited to max 30 people for this walk, happening on Tuesday 17th November, 10am – 12pm ($35).

ASTRONZ Night Sky Walk – This is a fantastic non-walking opportunity for an evening of astronomical adventure for all ages. View the night sky through telescopic equipment and hear fascinating information about what twinkles above from the experts at Astronz and Dark Sky Waiheke Island. Dress warmly and bring along a sense of wonder, Saturday 21st November, free to all walkers, bookings required.

Night Sky walk at the beach
Star gazing on the Night Sky Walk, far from city lights. Pic Rainer Lehr.

Wild Herbal Gin and Tonic Walk – Join local Helen Elscott, well known medical herbalist, and gin maker, for the Wild Herbal Gin and Tonic Walk. Helen, from the popular Botanical’s Distillery, will lead walkers for a wander in Whakanewha Regional Park. The experience will then finish with a gin masterclass, high tea and bubbles at Batch winery, on Tuesday 24th November 1-4pm ($95).

Shrinrin-Yoku Forest Bathing Walk – Accredited nature and forest therapy guide, Gabrielle Young will host a forest bathing (Shinrin-Yoku) experience in Goodwin Reserve. Walkers will get the chance to slow down, connect with nature, become mindful, and open their senses during this special two-and-a-half-hour experience. The Forest Bathing Walk will take place Wednesday 25th November, from 9:30am – 12:30pm, and is free for participants, but must be booked prior to arrival.

Whakanewha Photograhpy Walk with Peter Rees – For moderately experienced amateur photographers, let brilliant landscape photographer Peter Rees guide you through beautiful Whakanewha Park sharing tips and ideas to further develop your photographic skills. Sunday 29th November, 10am-12pm, free to participants with bookings mandatory.

So, grab a group of friends, put the dates aside and use the festival as a good excuse to become healthier and fitter, and support local, whilst having fun! Head to the website for the programme, booking information and to sign up to the e-newsletter for updates. Tickets to the general public go on sale Thursday October 1st

See the full programme of Waiheke Walking Festival walks >

Scrambling up a hill on the Waiheke Walking Festival
All levels of fitness catered for! Pic Anne Proffit

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About

I’m Megan Singleton, travel blogger and Newstalk ZB Sunday travel correspondent. This blog, Auckland Scene, is my folly. It’s filled with up to date news about Auckland as well as features on amazing people and great things to do here.

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