Up close with KZ1

KZ1 is Auckland City's official Christmas tree for 2009. A couple of us at Voyager took the opportunity this morning to head up onto the deck via a cherry picker while the Christmas lights installation team were doing their thing.

Without naming names, one of us is a little uncomfortable with heights, so the nine metre ride to KZ1's deck, although brief, was a less than ideal way to start a Friday morning. We'd also been warned that the deck could be a little slippery at the best of times, and with a touch of overnight rain, we should watch our steps. Awesome.

The step from the cherry picker to the deck was actually very comforting though, as the hulk of KZ1 barely registered our arrival. To our surprise the deck was incredibly grippy, which probably makes perfect sense as the last thing you'd want during a hotly contested match race is for crew to have to be concerned about their footing.

As a relative maritime novice, but avid sports fan, it was an immensely cool feeling to stand up the deck, and briefly take the helm.

We've been revising the object panel that sits below KZ1 so I'd recently been schooled up on all the details of the campaign and now better understand KZ1's place in our history.

Having checked out NZL32 Black Magic (our 1995 America's Cup-winning yacht) in our new exhibition, Blue Water Black Magic - A Tribute to Sir Peter Blake, it's amazing to think that these two yachts raced for the same trophy just 7 years apart. KZ1's deck really is quite massive.

The most surprising aspect though, was that most of the hardware was downstairs. Can't have been much fun. Mind you, the margins of victory by the Stars and Stripes catamaran over KZ1 meant up on deck probably wasn't much fun either.

One last insight into the 'Big Boat' - a bunch of people have written their names onto the inside of KZ1's hull. Some people have included labels with their name (e.g. painter) while others are recognisable as being intimately involved with KZ1's construction (Steve Marten).

Two lads, happy with their morning's work.

Edmiston Gallery reopening

The Edmiston Gallery of Maritime Art reopens on Friday following a period of renovation that coincided with the Blue Water Black Magic development. We want to reposition the Edmiston Gallery as an integral part of the museum experience, ultimately expanding people’s idea of maritime art and its possibilities. The gallery will reflect that broader spirit of adventure – we can sail to the limits of our imagination and present a variety of works in different ways, keeping up the dialogue between the historic and the contemporary.

The initial hang includes works from the museum’s own collection and the Edmiston Trust collection as well as loans from both Auckland Museum and Auckland Art Gallery. Some of the more contemporary works include a photographic series by Kendal Heyes and a unique clay model ship by Barry Brickell.

The redevelopment has been made possible through the valued support of key partners including The Edmiston Trust, The Chartwell Trust, The Sir John Logan Campbell Residuary Estate, The Rosser Foundation, Aalto Colour and John Leech Framing Workshop.

There’s a cocktail function on Thursday evening where key stakeholders will have a chance to preview the new space, prior to its public opening on Friday. Entry to the Edmiston Gallery is included with Voyager admission. Here’s a couple of pics...

Putting Blue Water Black Magic to the test

We’ve made it through a couple of very successful preview events for our new exhibition, Blue Water Black Magic – A Tribute to Sir Peter Blake. These were designed to test the space to see how it works with large groups in there (replicating the massive crowds we’ll have come opening day!), as well as giving some of our key museum stakeholders a chance to explore the exhibition before it opens to the public.

First up were the Voyager volunteers – along with their families and friends. Our volunteers are an incredibly valuable resource for Voyager, so it was only fitting that they be among the very first to see the exhibition. Not only can they help us build anticipation among our visitors, but they’re also among our biggest advocates out in the community so it’s a win-win. They were really excited about the exhibition and the value it will add to the Voyager experience, so we’re confident they’ll have no trouble at all in talking up Blue Water Black Magic.

The next test of the space was a biggie – we ran an event in partnership with our catering and events partner, SKYCITY Catering & Events, inviting several hundred key events organisers and key influencers within the tourism industry. The rationale was that events organisers could see how spectacular the space was and start making bookings, while the tourism folks could start singing our praises to the industry and community. The feedback was as we hoped, and a number of events and publicity leads have already arisen. This group was also among the first to experience the museum under our new Voyager brand, and if their reaction was anything to go by, we’re definitely onto something good.

It’s just over four weeks until we open to the public at 1pm on Saturday 12 December. We thought it was about the right time to give the wider Voyager community a chance to have a sneak preview of the space, so here’s a selection of photos to whet your appetite...

Announcing Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum

Monday was a very significant occasion for the museum - the announcement of our new name, Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum.

The name ‘Voyager’ was chosen because so much of New Zealand's evolution as a nation is founded on pioneering voyages of discovery - the explorative spirit of a seafaring nation.

In addition to a new name, Voyager also has a bold and creative new family of interchangeable marks - each telling its own story of maritime adventure and discovery. Our core mark is in the header of this blog, and you can see the variations here.

Other visible changes include a refresh of our website, a ‘black out’ of the museum’s significant building assets, the replacement of all external signage, a new arrival experience for visitors, and an entirely new range of modern and stylish Voyager merchandise for the museum shop.

Free entry for Auckland region residents

To celebrate our new name, Auckland Region residents can visit Voyager's galleries for free between 7-22 November. All you need is proof of address and we'll waive the admission charge. Please note, this offer does not include heritage vessel sailings or education groups.

Edmiston Gallery of Maritime Art reopening

The Edmiston Gallery of Maritime Art is set to reopen following a period of redevelopment in conjunction with the Blue Water Black Magic exhibition. The gallery will be open to the public from Friday 20 November.

The Edmiston Gallery is being repositioned as an integral part of the Voyager experience, ultimately expanding people’s idea of maritime art and its possibilities. The redeveloped gallery will reflect that broader spirit of adventure – we can sail to the limits of our imagination and present a variety of works in different ways, keeping up the dialogue between the historic and the contemporary.

The initial hang includes works from the museum’s own collection and the Edmiston Trust collection as well as loans from both Auckland Museum and Auckland Art Gallery.

The redevelopment has been made possible through the valued support of key partners including The Edmiston Trust, The Chartwell Trust, The Sir John Logan Campbell Residuary Estate, The Rosser Foundation, Aalto Colour and John Leech Framing Workshop.