Albert Park - From Active Volcano To The Centerpiece of Auckland

Remember the film the Chronicles of Narnia? Albert Park in Auckland, New Zealand is a real life park that is almost as unreal and scenic as the movie set.

Albert Park is actually the site of the earliest volcanic eruptions in the Auckland area, a volcano is believed to have erupted here between 60,000 and 140,000 years ago.

A Maori settlement called Rangipuke flourished here before the arrival of European settlers and later the site became a defense post when the Albert Barracks were built in 1845. Later the Auckland city council decided to clear away the barracks and pathways and gardens were laid out, the gardener’s cottage was given a facelift and was turned in to the Albert Park House. In 1887 the newly constructed park opened to the public, it was designed in the French Renaissance style and a new building was built to house the Auckland Art Gallery.

The tasteful and beautifully carved Victorian fountain has been described as the centerpiece of the park by many visitors; the nearby statue of Queen Victoria was unveiled in 1899 in celebration of the 60th year of her reign. Two muzzle loading guns can also be seen on display here, they were originally brought to New Zealand in 1879 to protect the Auckland harbor. The guns were later hidden during the Second World War to hide them from enemy planes and were finally unearthed in 1977. Among the park’s more eccentric attractions is the Laidlaw floral clock; this electrically powered clock has a number of beautiful and fragrant flowers around the dial.

Among the more contemporary works of art that can be seen here are Neil Dawson’s Throwback sculpture and Chris Booth’s imposing Gateway sculpture.

The private collection of Bruce Wilkinson can also be seen here and features a vast collection of ceramics and clocks. An interesting fact about Albert Park is that it is literally riddled with underground tunnels and bunkers that were dug during the Second World War as air raid shelters. Though plans were underway to open them to the public, the project has not yet transpired.

Located close to this relaxing park in the middle of this busy city are Auckland serviced apartments which are a great accommodation option for long stay travelers to New Zealand.

Naveen Marasinghe is an Online Marketing Executive at eMarketingEye which is a search engine marketing company that offers integrated Internet marketing services and specializes in serving the online travel and hospitality industry.