Tūhura Otago Museum science communicator Quinn Hawthorne talks with Portugal's Prime Minister António Costa (centre) yesterday. PHOTOS: MAX LEVITT-CAMPBELL
Staff at Tūhura Otago Museum were all a-flutter over a surprise visit by a European leader at the weekend.
António Costa, the Prime Minister of Portugal, and his team visited the museum on Sunday shortly before attending the Fifa Women's World Cup game of Portugal against The Netherlands in Dunedin.
They were shown through the Tāngata Whenua Gallery and Tropical Forest, where the butterflies proved quite the spectacle.
António Costa admires an exhibit.
‘‘It was such a nice surprise to have the Prime Minister and his entourage visit.
‘‘He was very engaged the whole time, extremely interested in learning about the local culture of Aotearoa and what Tūhura Otago Museum had to offer.
"Although he wasn’t big on handling the butterflies, he certainly enjoyed them from afar.’’
