Tiki tour .....

.... as they say in New Zealand. A 'tiki tour' is a scenic thumb-nail, a tourist's glimpse of the nation and its history and culture. Sir Don Mackinnon - the interim Director, my predecessor - is an international statesman, a highly-respected national politician and a really good bloke; he is also my guide for a newcomer's introduction to an amazing country. We are accompanied by Jessa Cochrane, the Director's resourceful and engaging Executive Assistant, who has degrees in Zoology and Anthropology and also takes the photographs, smiles constantly and keeps our busy programme on track.
Tuesday is Turangawaewae and Rotorua; we meet King Tuheitia and have a formal welcome to Rotorua museum; we sing, they sing; we view the new (and very impressive) galleries being opened in early September. Some items have been loaned from Auckland Museum; one object from the Royal Collection. These "loans" will need to be permanent - here comes the first challenge: in the era of Waitangi Treaty Settlement how best to manage and make positive for all involved the inevitable repatriation of notable items of Maori taonga (spiritually significant collections).
Wednesday is Wellington. We have breakfast with Te Papa Museum Director Michael Houlihan and his deputy (and Maori leader) Michelle Hippolite and we 'meet' Sir Don's grandfather, or at least a statue of him. We are received by Prime Minister John Key, the Leader of the Opposition Phil Goff, the Vice Chief of Defence Staff Rear Admiral Jack Steer, Lt Gen Don McIvor (President of the Returned and Services' Association (RSA) (equivalent of Royal British Legion)) and his CEO Stephen Clarke, the Minister for the Arts, Culture and Heritage Chris Finlayson and the Speaker of the House Dr Lockwood Smith. We also meet with the senior civil servant overseeing the Treaty Settlement process - the progress being made on righting the wrongs suffered by indigenous peoples is impressive. Don waves at or is greeted by seemingly every other person in Wellington; Jess and I have a sweepstake to see how far Don can go from the hotel door before he is recognised (30 seconds is the fastest; near-instantaneous in fact). We take the 100 year-old funicular tram to the top of the hill behind the city to catch a glimpse of the dawn through mist.
Thursday is Christchurch; prepared by media reports for the shocking sights in the "Red Zone", the rubble of what was the beautiful and historic centre of the city, I am not prepared for the destruction of homes on a massive scale. Liquefaction and heave have together rendered huge areas dangerous and uninhabitable; yet the effect is random, with some houses still standing alongside others leaning drunkenly; some streets intact on the left, destroyed on the right. The River Avon has been squeezed and the banks have caved in; the river bed has risen in places, with flooding a consequence. In the eastern suburb of Sumner, houses dangle from the cliffs and stone-filled shipping containers have been put in place to reduce slippage and contain the damage from rock-falls. We marvel at the resilience of so many New Zealanders whose dreams and hopes have been crushed by nature's power. The Roman Catholic cathedral is being dismantled; the beautiful iconic Anglican cathedral is in ruins and seems unlikely ever to be re-built; Canon Peter Beck tells us that they have an ambition to build a temporary place of worship out of cardboard to a Japanese design, at a cost of NZ$4 million. Not really for me to say, but I wonder about that priority at this time when there is so much human need on every hand. The city seems to need respite from pressures, time to reflect, space to regain perspective; we meet Anthony Wright, Director of the Christchurch Museum, who is rightly determined to re-open soon - we pledge our support and help, he has only to ask.
It's been a humbling and thought-provoking day. The hotel we stay in - The George - is magnificently stoic, but the chef is an advocate of nouveau cuisine (and costly at that): this feels incongruous with so much hurt and grief and want on every hand.
Friday is the Tranzalpine Rail Journey to Greymouth; traditional West Coast whitebait lunch (whitebait in an omelette, with white bread and fries - delicious (that should be DELICIOUS)). We are joined by local MP Chris Auchinvole and his gentle, charming wife Elspeth. Then it's a drive to Hokitika, to view the local museum with its display of pounamu (greenstone carving, in the Maori tradition), and to have tea with the family of the museum's Director of Lifelong Learning Karen Mason. Her Maori aunt gives me my own pounamu, which is moving and very special.
Then we fly back to Christchurch and change planes for Auckland, where we arrive at 9.30 pm. What a week of delicious impressions. A tiki tour indeed; some amazing experiences, many "firsts" for me - and I note for New Zealander Jess, too.
Now, armed with a "dangerous knowledge" of beautiful New Zealand, I feel ready to take the helm of the museum next week.