The Elephant Under The Ground Preview

Albert Park has a long history. A Mauri village occupied the site prior to European settlement. In 1845 the Albert Army Barracks were built there. The Park was laid out in the 1880s and in 1942 ...... well that's the secret we can discover today on this tour as we see some of the park's statues, flowerbeds, fountains and trees.

Instructions

There are 6 places for you to visit in order to discover the secret of Albert Park. As you walk you will see your location as a blue-dot. Walk toward the No. 2 place marker and the GPS in your mobile phone will activate when you arrive and alert you to screen(s) of rich content (images, audio, video, text) and sometimes tasks for you to complete. Add [+] and upload photos along the way as evidence of your search for the mystery of Albert Park.

Strike up the band for Albert Park.

The Rotunda was built in 1901 and is the oldest surviving band stand in the Auckland region. It was designed by James Slater, who also planned the layout of Albert Park. One of most interesting features of the band stand is its onion-shaped, domed roof. It is made of sheet metal and topped by a pointed finial.

On the next screen you will be able to see two photos of the Rotunda - one taken in 1912 and the other in 2018. Is anything different? Discuss with your team then take [+] a selfie in front of the Rotunda to validate your visit to this place.

And it's here where you can begin to solve the mystery.

FIRST CLUE

Look at the second image above. It shows an engineering plan with two parallel lines coming from Wellesley Street that intersects the paths around the rotunda like a spoke coming out of the hub of a wheel.

What could the lines on the engineering plan represent as well as the smaller sets of parallel lines that come off it at right angles?

Discuss this with other members of your team.

The sculpture commissioned in 1988 provides a window link from the park to the Auckland Art Gallery presenting changing views of the park as it is viewed from different angles. Take [+] a photo of the sculpture to validate your visit to this place.

SECOND CLUE

Before the sculpture was here, below where you are standing now, was a BAFFLE like the ones shown in the second image engineering plan.

What is a baffle? Discuss within your group.

Is the mystery of Albert Park becoming any clearer for you? Do you have any more thoughts about what you are standing above?

The large cast iron fountain imported from Great Britain in 1881 forms the centre piece of Albert Park.

The fountain is distinguished by statues of dolphins ridden by cherubs blowing horns which spout water. The fountain is surmounted by a generic female figure which also has a horn spouting water.

Take [+] a photo of the fountain to validate your visit to this place. What changes can you see from the old photo?

THIRD CLUE

Look at the second image for the third clue to the mystery of Albert Park. Look closely at the professional positions held by the signatories on the image above. They are from the last page of the engineering plans you have seen in the previous two locations. They were signed in 1942.

But what were the plans intended for?

The flower clock was installed to commemorate the first visit to NZ of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Take [+] a photo of the flower clock to validate your visit to this place.

FOURTH CLUE

Though the title of the engineering plan is blacked out in the second image above I feel you probably already might know what is below you but maybe not WHY they are there? Discuss this with members of your team. The answer will be revealed soon!

What an amazing old tree. It was planted in 1840.

The Ombu (Phytolacca dioica) is the biggest member of a genus of herbaceous perennials that are natives of Argentina.

Look out for the hollows and cavities of its exposed roots. Do they evoke spooky images from half-remembered fantasy tales of your childhood?

Speaking of hollows and cavities - have you guessed what the mystery might be yet? The answer is getting closer

Take [+] a photo of your team in front of the tree to validate your visit to this place.

CAUTION:

As you walk to the next location please take care as its quite a steep descent. Please keep to the paths and don't go cross country!

The sculpture by Chris Booth is made from basalt boulders gifted by Ngati Kura tribe in 1990.

Because of the threat of seismic movements, structural engineers required the 18m columns to be basalt boulders on the lower half with a lighter material above. The work took two years to complete but only two weeks to assemble on the site.

The rock wall behind the sculpture hides entrances 3, 4, and 5 to a huge tunnel complex under Albert Park. The red area on the map is where you are now. The tunnels were built during 1941 and had 9 horizontal entrances. The main tunnel which runs from Constitution Hill to Victoria Street is almost 620m long. The total combined length of the wide tunnels is 1100 m and the narrow tunnels 3500m.

Take [+] a photo of the team in front of the sculpture to validate your visit to this place.

Today, very few people know of the existence of the tunnels. This significant aspect of New Zealand history has literally been buried, with not even a sign or monument put on Albert Park to inform anyone of their existence.

Why it has been kept such a secret... no one knows!

It would appear that they truly have been 'An Elephant Under The Ground' for the local authorities.

What do believe they might they have built for?

Consider the clues you have gathered and advance to the next screen to answer the question when ready.

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/AlbertParkTunnels

Play the video to learn the answer about the tunnels.

DURING WORLD WAR II NEW ZEALAND WAS UNDER THREAT OF INVASION, AND THE NEED TO BUILD A PUBLIC AIR RAID SHELTER BECAME PERTINENT. ALBERT PARK WAS SELECTED AS THE BEST SITE AND AN ENORMOUS COMPLEX OF TUNNELS WAS BUILT IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

The tunnel complex was designed to house the entire daytime population of central Auckland in the event of an aerial attack. Overall, there are over 3.5km of tunnels and passages in the complex underneath Albert Park, the University of Auckland and Constitution Hill Reserve.

The main tunnel is 660m long, running from the corner of Beach Road and Churchill Street in Parnell right through to the top of Victoria Street in Central Auckland. The larger tunnels are 4.4m wide and 3m tall, built large enough to drive a supply truck through, with a network of smaller side passages serving as bunk rooms, first aid stations and stores.

They were dug by 118 men using simple tools and hand carts to cut through rock and soil, working in shifts around the clock to complete the job in just three months. They were lined with native timber beams and boards in an arch shape for stability, and drained with terracotta pipes and scoria floor.

Several brick shafts were built for ventilation across the tunnel complex, including ones in Albert Park. Rumours exist of secret entrances linking the tunnels to the government building, and even trapdoors leading from the Albert Park band rotunda, and even a passage in an old well.

The end of the war raised the question of what to do with the tunnels, and a range of schemes including tram tunnels, road links, car parking and even mushroom farming were proposed. However at the end of the day the post-war government had little money to invest, and the tunnels were filled up with millions of clay blocks and the entrances walled over, to be forgotten.

For more information: please visit: http://www.albertparktunnels.co.nz/the-history

A 'subterranean city' is being planned for the tunnels beneath Auckland's Albert Park. Bill Reid who 're-discovered' the tunnels over 30 years ago, has been campaigning for the tunnels to be reopened as a tourist attraction and as a direct link for walkers and cyclists between Victoria St and Parnell.

The basic concept is to re-open the tunnels and turn the main tunnel into a walking and cycling route with connections to the University via some lifts. Doing so would provide a much easier, grade than up and over Symonds St and Albert Park while improving connections from the City Centre to locations such as Parnell. They’ve called this Te Ara Tomo – The Underline and is shown in the image above.

Some possible ideas for use include:

• Historical displays and a mini museum
• Art displays
• Tourist and retail opportunities, such as:
  • a wine cave, showcasing New Zealand wines at “cellar door”
  • a cheese cave, showcasing some of New Zealand’s premium dairy products
  • a Waitomo Caves style glowworm encounter

More information at http://www.albertparktunnels.co.nz