I was struck with Howick…..

… and saw the most lovely prospect.

The Kiwi Blog Bus was once on its way back from Auckland when we decided to stop and visit Howick Historical Village.

If, like me,  you love: colonial New Zealand, social history, old buildings, pioneers/early settlers, heritage gardens and a good dose of general olde world charm – then I can honestly say, “Why have you not been already?” or to put it nicer… “You really should go”.

Howick is about 20 minutes away from Auckland CBD and is a lovely village full of speciality shops, an array of eateries and its own tranquil beach. This post is going to focus on the “Historical Village” but for more general info about Howick have a look at  Howick Village‘s website.

The Historical Village is a living museum with a fascinating showcase of colonial New Zealand.

It presents life in a Fencible Village during the early settlement of Europeans in Auckland during the 1840 to 1880 period.

The Royal New Zealand Fencible corps were retired soldiers from Britain and Ireland who enlisted as a reserve force for the protection of the early settlers in Auckland. In return the Fencibles were provided with a cottage and an acre of land which they would own after seven years service.

The Fencibles Society  has fascinating information about the 721 men and their families.

The historic village’s 7 acre site brings together over 30 original buildings collected from fencible settlements around Auckland.

We spent an enjoyable few hours here. And writing this post has made me want to re-visit.

I was struck with Howick….

Does she scare you?

 Hands-on fun with the old toys and play equipment