LOVE THAT LASTS A LIFETIME

 

These wonderful statues sit right on the seaward side of the town in New Plymouth. Four women sit overlooking New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway. And there they’ll stay.  This sculpture is named Mothers and Daughters. It is in their rohe (area).  The work was created by New Plymouth sculptor Renate Verbrugge, of the Te Kupenga Stone Sculpture Society.

We took a "tiki tour" with our son Benjamin, up the coast from Eketahuna in the Wairarapa area of New Zealand where we live, all the way up to New Plymouth and then on to Auckland.  The meaning of tiki tour is when you take the scenic route or long way to get to a destination. It is akin to taking a scenic tour of an area. It can mean you are taking an extensive tour of a town to inspect it and have a good look around. The phrase also means you are going on a journey with no destination in mind.

What a glorious surprise waited for us at New Plymouth.  I have lived in New Zealand since 2005 and I have never been to New Plymouth.  I never knew that New Plymouth had such a vibrant art scene. New Plymouth is well known for its creative side and I found that out only after my visit to this beautiful city. The Govett-Brewster is one of New Zealand's leading contemporary art galleries. The adjoining Len Lye Centre is a go-to destination for experimental film and kinetic art. Nearby, the award-winning Puke Ariki museum provides a great way to learn more about the region. And in the heart of New Plymouth is one of New Zealand's premier botanical gardens, Pukekura Park, often described as the jewel in New Plymouth's crown and which hosts thousands of visitors every year.

We stayed in The State Hotel in the centre with an easy short walk down to the seaside and the magnificent statues.  What a wonderful delight this hotel was for us.  The artwork in this hotel is just wonderful.  It is just beautiful and we loved every minute of our stay here.