Mr Dacker said it had been about 15 years since he did the first Waitangi Day tour.
It is supposed to last an hour, starting at the beginning of the museum's permanent exhibition and ending in Queens Gardens. But the scheduled end of the tour came and went and Mr Dacker had not yet finished.
‘‘I've gone overtime - I always do this,'' he said sheepishly.
Still, the group stayed with Mr Dacker, following him out into the blustery Saturday to stand in front of the Queens Gardens Celtic cross and hear how it related to the Treaty of Waitangi.
Throughout the tour Mr Dacker drew links, sometimes unexpected, between the history and geography of the region and the Treaty of Waitangi. He spoke about the Waitaki River - a braided river that represented the interlocking stories of pakeha and Maori, he said.
He spoke about Maori involvement in early gold-mining and the Maori from Parihaka who were forced to travel down to Otago and help build the beginnings of Dunedin.
He told the story of Maori-pakeha interaction in all its complexity, surveying battles and strife alongside peace pacts and collaborations.
Angela Stupples went on the tour because she had lived in the area for more than 30 years but had ‘‘minimal experience'' of the local history.
‘‘It was a good opportunity to find out more.''
Plus, she said, she did not usually do much related to the Treaty for Waitangi Day. Going on the tour was something ‘‘a bit more in line with the day''.
