A Piece of New Zealand Dies - Night 93

Arguably the most famous Kiwi in all

of the world passed away this morning. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Everest (along with the Sherpa Tenzing) and the first to drive a motor vehicle to the South Pole, dead at the age of 88. According to many, he exemplified all that New Zealanders stand for; determination, strength, and the ability to laugh at oneself. A hero for this small island nation if ever there was one.

Wanaka from Mt. Iron

While the nation mourned, I relaxed at the beach. I also shopped. Over the last three days my pair of shorts has suffered a rip pocket, a torn crotch and a large stain of tuna juice…it was time for some new cloth. I stumbled upon one of the most interesting pieces of public art I’ve ever seen on my walk to the store. Along its waterfront walkway the City of Wanaka has placed 2000 one-foot square ceramic tiles, one for each year starting at the birth of

The Sidewalk of History

Christ up to the year 2000. Major events have been added on the corresponding years by the city, while businesses and private donors have added minor events in the intervening years. Basically every tile from 1800 on is full; however, many large stretches prior to 1000 remain empty. Something must have happened in 513, 934 and 1429. A stroll down the sidewalk has been turned into an Intro to History Lesson.

In the afternoon I decided to honor the fallen adventurer with a hike of my own. Granted Mt. Iron is in no way as glorious or difficult as Everest, but damn it was hot today, so thus I felt like my act was every bit as heroic, especially since I did it without the help of a Sherpa. After the perilous hour long hike, I stopped at Wanaka’s favorite tourist trap, PuzzlingWorld. Created by local Stuart Landsborough in 1973, the original attraction was focused on a large human maze. Since that time

PuzzlingWorld

a hologram hall, tilted rooms, and the eerie Hall of Following Faces have been added. They’ve also cashed in on the Lord of the Rings craze by adding a room that shows how the movie directors created the apparent height differences between the hobbits and the men. The souvenir shop was full of M.C. Escher etchings and Mensa books. In all honesty, it was a well spent $8 and I have to admit that the maze was difficult.

Sunset over Lake Wanaka

What I Learned Today: Life is all about perspective. While PuzzlingWorld is basically an amusement park for adults it secretly harbors a deeper life lesson; that is “Everything depends on how you look at it.” In the Hall of Following Faces, Einstein’s unmistakable mug follows you around the room (or so it seems); however it is his genius regarding the theory of relativity, both in the world of physics and in everyday life, that is in fact the most important realization of the moment. Our attitudes are more important than our situations.

written by

exumenius on January 11, 2008 from Te Anau, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

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