Make yourself a cuppa and get yourself comfortable…I won’t judge if you want to undo the button on your trousers and let it all hang out…let’s go for a wander around the Auckland Lantern Festival at Auckland Domain.
If you can’t be bothered to make a cuppa…mama will do it for ya…she makes a good brew!
For Valentines Day, we popped into Auckland to check out the Auckland Lantern Festival…thankfully the first night is normally the quietest as there are no food stalls or entertainment which keeps the punters away however if you don’t fancy the crowds this is the perfect night to go and check out the gorgeous lanterns on display.
The Auckland Lantern Festival outgrew it’s previous home at Albert Park and is now held at Auckland Domain in front of the Auckland Museum (my favourite building in the whole of New Zealand which offers splendid views over Auckland…plus the Wintergardens next door are pretty glorious as well).
There were hundreds of lanterns on display…
…including some kissing fish…it was V Day after all…
…I offered to give Lisa a smooch under the kissing fish but she wasn’t interested at all…
…my sister is the better dressed sibling!
We ambled passed some rather stunning lanterns…my personal favourite were the swans…
…and as you probably know…I’m petrified of birds…the swans in Bedford were man eating monsters…
…these are more my cup of tea.
The evening was balmy…I’d forgotten how humid Auckland evenings can be during the summer months…
…perfect weather for exploring Auckland cultural festivals though.
The event was sponsored by Harcourts and ASB Bank…plus China Southern Airlines who had an interesting display…
…shagging pandas…it was Valentines Day after all…
…yes they do make you stop and asked “are they ?!?!?!”…ummm….I think they are?!?! What do you think?
Some of the displays gave me incredibly itchy feet…this display reminded me how much I loved Hong Kong and would love to revisit one day…
…but the Chinese lantern festival in general really showed me how much I would love to head back to China to explore some more of this beautiful country (I actually checked out the China Southern Airlines website after the lantern night festival…this is how great advertising works…the shagging pandas helped!).
There is a large Chinese community in New Zealand and has been for many years…
…I remember daddy taking us all to see a Dragon Dance at one of his customers in Otahuhu in the 90’s and finding the whole experience fascinating.
While there will always be some people that will never accept people from other cultures and religions in their homeland…there are many others that are extremely happy to embrace new Kiwis that have made New Zealand their new home and are willing to learn about their culture and history…this is what we need to see more in the media….acceptance and willingness to learn.
Mama and one guy at work thought the Auckland Lantern Festival was better last year…maybe it was but I still found it all rather magical.
You can see more events held in Auckland at the Visit Auckland website. There is an exhibition at Te Papa in Wellington at present showcasing the Terracotta Warriors until the 22nd April 2019…I must rattle my dags and book a flight to Wellington to see them!
xx
If you liked this post on Auckland Lantern Festival, New Zealand then why not come and join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest – I won’t bite!
