Great place to get some panoramic pictures. The gardens are well cared for and there’s plenty of places to walk – it’s not a long visit but worth it nonetheless.

This was a stop on our hop on hop off bus. Lovely views of Auckland, great place for some beautiful photos. Nice well kept gardens.

This dimunitive man was packed full of punch (having been a boxer) and filled (in equal parts) with piss and vinegar, Michael J. Savage was a scrappy man-of-the-people who earned his stripes coming up through the ranks of humanity. He knew the hardships of the common people. It was in his DNA.

MJ was orphaned at age 5; his sister raised him. His father is an unknown quantity/entity. Hard to know the story as there is no history. But big sister raised little brother as best she could. He was a little one, but full of punch and promise. Dad's name was Richard Savage. Times were tough, there are a multitude of reasons why mom was on her own. Joanna Savage (mom) left the family upon her death.

So, the question we had is, why is there this fantastic monument here on the high hills of Auckland? What did this pissy little Irish Australian offspring accomplish that would so endear him to the entire nation of New Zealand? Well, let me tell you ...

This was no small dreamer. He rose through the ranks to become the 23rd Prime Minister of New Zealand and head of the Labor Party (the "Red Feds", as they were called). Already you know his proclivity. A man of the people.

This giant among men declared war on (Nazi) Germany in 1939, and he was the architect of the NZ Welfare State, and advocated for increased pensions, health care, and created the Family Allowance Act (1926).

Nice guy, we'd all have to agree. He never married and, that by itself, probably kept him sane. All those snively troublesome family issues were not in his immediate wheel-house.

And, so he died. He succumbed to cancer in his own private way. He is buried under the mausoleum topped by a huge towering cenotaph/minaret. But, the facts say he has been interred "vertically" well below the monument. There is a vertical shaft some depth below what would be expected.

Being an American (yeah, I know, some of us have "those" spotty reputations to live down and with), I recall our famous historical president Abraham Lincoln had some issues with his final resting place. Thieves attempted to steal his body for ransom.

So, the "Curious George" part of me asks: what was with the vertical burial? Normally, that would be associated with Hebrew burials (always vertical, i.e. standing up) but there is no info as to why this was the case here for a Roman Catholic adherent. No answers but it may be a matter of economics and feasibility and positioning.

At the end of this proverbial day, New Zealand's most famous and best loved Prime Minister #23 still is among his people.