March 23 – 28, 2016
The town of Picton may be small, but it has a few special things to see. For those who like history, there’s the Edwin Fox, the oldest surviving merchant sailing ship, although the “surviving” part might be a bit of a stretch. She was built in 1853, but time took its toll and by the end of the ’60s she lay abandoned on a beach near Picton. Meanwhile, a preservation society had formed to save her, worked to re-float her, arranged a berth in Picton, then build a special dry dock where she remains today. Those interested in history can now visit the remains and her adjacent museum. Those less interested in history can get a look at her over the fence.
I’ll also note here, for history buffs, the Picton Heritage and Whaling Museum. Since seeing any whaling history breaks our hearts, we stayed away from this even though there’s a lot of history other than whaling.
Next, there’s the EcoWorld Aquarium. It’s a small operation, not exactly what I’d call state-of-the art, but it has a lot of heart and is worth a visit. We got to see some of the local fish in the aquarium, some tuatara which is New Zealand’s native lizard and now quite rare, numerous informational displays, and a little blue penguin who’s recuperating after a run-in with a local boat. It was informative, interesting place.
Finally, there’s the gallery of paintings in Cafe Cortado. The first time we went, we sat inside near these paintings featuring peoples’ faces. They were stunning, and during our meal we couldn’t stop staring at them. Something in the eyes of the subjects just made us keep looking. Finally we got up to read the little description of the artist. Her name is Rebekah Codlin, and she is only 22 years old. She started painting at 17 and is entirely self taught, opting not to go to art school because she didn’t want to be influenced by their way of doing things. She’s become very well-known but still displays beautiful prints of her work (the originals probably sell very quickly) in Cafe Cortado in her native Picton.
We were lucky enough to be in the restaurant one afternoon when she came in to put up a new painting. She’s so young and unassuming, you’d never suspect you were in the presence of a celebrity unless you knew of her. You can read about her and can see samples of her work at www.rebekahcodlinart.co.nz. This one is definitely a prodigy.
This painting by Rebekah Codlin was my favorite, but they were all so striking. (Picton, New Zealand)
Lastly, here’s a photosphere Rich took from Picton’s pedestrian bridge. –Cyndi
