Sitting at the waterfront and watching some of the Velux 5 Ocean Yachts arriving in Wellington reminded me of one our current loans. NZL 32 or Black Magic, the famous America’s Cup boat is on loan at Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum for the next few years. The yacht was designed by a group of people and built in 1993 in Auckland. One of her most notable victories was the America’s cup 1995.
Team NZ was sailing Black Magic under the lead of Sir Peter Blake, who was killed in 2001 in Brazil. To honour his life Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum and Te Papa created the exhibition Blue Water Black Magic –A Tribute to Sir Peter Blake. NZL 32 is the centrepiece of this exhibition. Next time you are in Auckland and don’t know what to do or you are looking for something new and exciting, go for a sail on one of the other America’s Cup yachts and check out the exhibition at Voyager. I did it and it’ s really cool if you have sailed on one and then see the legendary Black Magic.
NZL 32, 1993 - 1995, Davidson, Laurie (1926– ), Peterson, Doug (1945– ), McMullen & Wing Ltd, Southern Spars, Auckland. Gift of Team New Zealand Limited, 2003. Te Papa
16 November 2010 – 10.29am
Do you plan a trip down south? Make sure you stop in Nelson to check out Nelson Provincial Museum. Port Nelson Haven Ahoy! A story of Early Colonial Migration is an exhibition about daily life on board early migrant ships based on transcripts of diaries and logbooks. If you have a close look around you will find a mounted lamb, a mounted Norway rat and this beautiful settee (made c 1840 in Manchester by S.W. Silver & Co Outfitters) from Te Papa’s collection.
Settee, circa 1840, S.W. Silver & Co Outfitters, England. Gift of Miss M. Palmer, 1954. Te Papa.
The exhibition is on from 4 October 2010 – 17 April 2011
If you travel further south and get to Dunedin stop at Dunedin Public Art Gallery. The exhibition Driver ’71 – ’75 features two Don Driver works from Te Papa’s collection. The exhibition focuses on his works during the 70’s, which was a very important time in his career as artist.
Horizontal no. 2, 1970-71, Don Driver (1930– ), New Plymouth. Purchased 1976 with Harold Beauchamp Collection funds. Te Papa.
- Painted relief no.14: three blues, 1972, Don Driver (1930– ), New Plymouth. Purchased 1980 with Special Projects in the Arts funds. Te Papa.
If you more into shipping and have some time left in Dunedin go and visit the Maritime Gallery at Otago Museum. You’ll find 8 ship models, a ship’s bell and a piece of wood from the HMS Victory from our collection. All models have been on loan for many years and the exhibition is a great success. Among others you can see a model of brigantine Aborigine, donated to Te Papa in 1960 by Captain J.F. Holm and a model of HMS Maori II. The original Maori II was built in 1936 in Scotland. She served with the Mediterranean fleet during WWII and was involved in the pursuit and destruction of German battleship Bismarck in May 1941. In February 1942 she was destroyed by a German aircraft in Malta Grand Harbour. Today she is a famous dive spot close to the shore from Valetta (Malta).
Model brigantine "Aborigine", Maker unknown. Gift of Captain J.F. Holm, 1960. Te Papa. Model Ship "HMS Maori" (World War I), 1900s. Gift of Captain T.M. Devitt. Te Papa.
Model Ship "HMS Maori" (World War I), 1900s. Gift of Captain T.M. Devitt. Te Papa.
