Don Hunt enjoys serving up Rotorua's stories from inside one of the country's most photographed buildings - the Rotorua Museum.
SHARING ROTORUA: Rotorua's Don Hunt is one of 85 volunteer guides who show tour groups around the Rotorua Museum.
Two years ago the former Rotorua teacher and artist joined his wife Anne and about 83 other docents (volunteer guides) talking to tour groups at the Rotorua Museum about the history and stories on display.
Don says being a docent is a great way to meet new people. He loves telling stories too.
"It's marvellous to be able to tell Rotorua stories. I'm very interested in the arts and in sharing information with people. I like to make it interesting and talk to people in a way you tell a story," he says.
Once a week Don takes a tour - mainly international tourists through the museum on a 20-minute journey through local history.
"I just love the satisfaction of sharing Rotorua's history with people from all over the world," he says.
"I'm really amazed where people come from and their background. It's very interesting and I've really enjoyed meeting them."
Many people on the tours don't speak much English but Don and his colleagues get by as the visitors are generally "friendly and outgoing" and there's normally one person in the group who can translate, he says.
"You meet a wide a range of people from a lot of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Sometimes you have to adjust your talk and tailor it to the tour group. You don't want people to get bored."
Don has met people from all over the world by guiding at the museum. He's even made a friend from Barcelona, who he caught up with when he and Anne went there for a holiday.
"We've kept in contact and email each other all the time," he says.
He encourages other retired people or those with some time to offer to become a docent at the Rotorua Museum.
"It's part of my routine now," he says. "It's a great place to come to. There is always something different going on."
Training is all provided, Don says.
"You get about 15 hours of training and lots of support."
As for the museum building itself, Don loves it.
"It's a magnificent building," he says. "It's got that "Ah" factor."
Since its inception 11 years ago more than 200 volunteer guides have been trained and gone on to provide free tours to Rotorua Museum's visitors.
A band of 85 dedicated volunteers currently offer eight tours a day.
Each docent has undergone a training programme before hosting visitors, and will continue to take part in ongoing education programmes, says docent co-ordinator Ann Somerville.
Recruitment is open for the next training course which starts next Tuesday, February 14.
"You don't need to be an expert in art or history," she says. "We're looking for an ability to communicate and enthusiasm and people will need to be able to commit to doing one weekly guided tour for a year after their training finishes."
The service is important to the 'face' the museum presents to visitors and volunteers perform a key service, according to museum director, Greg McManus.
"I don't know of too many other museums in New Zealand that offer eight free guided tours a day, so our docent programme really is an industry leader in this country," he says.
More than 100,000 people visit Rotorua Museum every year - and many of them will experience true 'manaakitanga' from an enthusiastic and committed group of volunteers - with the unusual title of 'docent'.
If you would like to sign up as a docent contact Ann Somerville on (07) 351 7823 or email ann.somerville@rdc.govt.nz.