This is one of our favorites, in the Maritime Museum corner of the Auckland Harbor, of the hundreds and even thousands of sailing boats and ships that make port there.  We are always in awe of the tall masts .   A bit we know about about "Masts": *Masts are the tall, center support for things like sailing ships.   *On the deck of a sailing ship you look UP to see the mast.   *On the top of a mast is where you most often find hoisted the flag or ensign of the ship.  *In a fleet of ships, the biggest and most important ship is called the “Flagship”.  It carries not only the flag or ensign on the mast, but also the captain or commander. NZ web archives photo Some of the huge trees here made great masts on the big sailing ships of the past like this New Zealand ship from the 1800's.    The skill of sailors blows us away as we watch those who have mastered sailing and can go any direction on just a one-direction wind.   Two important masts in NZ

BRIGHT NIGHTS We found another Auckland adventure in "Bright Nights", a light festival down on the wharf of Viaduct Harbour.  It consists of a dozen or more light exhibits along a light trail and in the ocean that are somehow related to water and sustainability.  It is curated by artists and is a smaller version of a similar one in Australia.   web photo The lights were colorful and the crowd was full of families and wide-eyed children which made it even more fun. Thought how fun it would be to someday take our grandchildren! Lighted colored balls floating in the harbour. The row of red cast iron lights on the Viaduct harbour fence...always there. The lights of the Maritime museum area of the harbour. Lula's eatery on the harbour A touch and feel exhibit  (about 4-5 feet) covered in water and glowing with lights. An interactive lighted earth globe web photo A light tunnel (changing colors and patterns and motion) show you walk