One thing that’s quite hard to forget when you’re in Auckland is just how many volcanoes are all around you - and they’re probably due for an erruption sometime soon. So say you’re a bit of a masochist and you really want to scare yourself. Get yourself to the Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Domain, pay the $5 “voluntary donation” fee, and head up to the first floor. Go to the Volcanoes permanent exhibition. Find the house model at #7 Pua Street. Wait for the green entrance light, and go into the lounge. Sit down and laugh at Kate Hawksby’s TVNZ newsflash on the TV screen. Then wait for the panic attack to set in as Rangitoto errupts outside the window…
I’ve done the erupto-house once and it is so freaky. A seasoned museum visitor, I kind of knew what to expect, but it seemed that most of the others in the house were treating it just like a mock-up of an Auckland home in which we were to view a video, and nothing more. So when it started lurching and going all OMG-y, people were actually freaking out.
I’m not sure I want to visit again.