Crafty catching

The museum at Okain's Bay is just fantastic and we were lucky enough to get to chat with Murray, the founder of many years ago.

It has a huge range of Maori and colonial exhibits so it was hard to choose today's photo.

Would it be the cleverly woven flax fishing "baskets ", or the 300-400 year old tools or weapons, or the intricate carvings .... or the one I finally chose?

The Maori used this clever catching device to trap birds.
The native pigeons, and other plump tasty birds, poked their heads through the flax loops to get to food, then when they pulled their heads back ... whamo, they were strangled, quick as that!

A bit gruesome I know, but very clever and a great display.