Southland Museum

Invercargill has penguins walking the streets in the winter.

I have heard this therefore it must be true.

To find out some more interesting facts to be had about the area, I’ve taken some time out to visit the Southland Museum.

There are some nice displays on Maori art. And other bits and pieces that indicate Maori efficiency at catching fish.

Here are some Maori clubs.

Maori clubs, Southland Museum, New Zealand

The Maori used a full bodied thrusting action to gain maximum effect from these stubby clubs.

Sub-Antarctic islands

Upstairs at the museum is a exhibit by Greenpeace about the southern islands or the sub-Antarctic islands.

Windswept, cold, full of seagulls.

Fate
Each island tells a story of unlucky travellers after being thrashed upon the rocks, clambering up to face death or starvation or de-hydration under grotesque circumstances.
Whalers, sealers or seamen were forced to eat whelks, limpets anything they could get their hands on.

Differing explorers suffered different fates, which are documented.

One group made a go of it.
By the time they were picked up they had cultivated 2 hectares of potatoes and harvested 3,000 seal skins.

Southland Museum, New Zealand
Weblinks: Southland Museum