"1778 - 1978 This commemorates scientific and cultural links between Germany and New Zealand which began in the year 1778 with the publication in Berlin of Georg Forster’s “Reise um die Welt” and included the work of Ernst Dieffenbach ·1811-1855· Julius Von Haast · 1822-1887· Ferdinand Von Hochstetter ·1829 – 1884· and Karl Wolfskehl ·1869 -1948·

·Seele des Menschen· Wie gleichst du dem Wasser · Schicksal des Menschen · Wie gleichst du dem Wind· ·Goethe·"

The German part is from a famous poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and translates to something like "Soul of man, how are you like the water! Fate of man, how are you like the wind!"

Above the text is a ocean scene with a ship in the centre and a sun on its right and moon on its left proper and two dolphins either side of them at the edge.