Aotearoa

We find it difficult to pronounce the names of most of the places here as they are Maori. For example, Aotearoa ia the Maori name for New Zealand. Everywhere we go the Maori are present with cultural shows, art, restaurants and hotels, like the one we stayed at last night. They have wisely capitalized on the tourism trade, using their land and sharing their arts and crafts. We started off the day in Rotorua having a large breakfast. Keith had french toast and I had a huge bowl of cinnamon oatmeal with dates on top. It was more than I could eat. We then went to Te Puia, a geo thermal area and Maori craft centre. We watched men carve totem like poles and statues and women take palm leaves and make them into grass skirts and weavings. In the crafts, singing and dancing we see similarities to the other Polynesian Islands like Hawaii.

The highlight of the visit today were the mud flats and geysers. Aoretera is a land of diverse landscapes.

It is the end of a day that involved some sightseeing and lots more driving. The Kiwis think we're crazy for driving what they think is far but to us is a short distance, albeit more hills and valleys and windy roads than we are used to on the prairie. We are at a B&B with very friendly hosts, he a wine connoisseur from Vancouver. After a roadside stop for Hokey Pokey (vanilla with caramel crunch) and Feijoa (guava) ice cream around 4 pm we had a light dinner from the supermarket that included green shell mussels (the photo is actually oysters we had in the Bay of Islands earlier).

Two Worlds

We started today waking up in a big old Victorian mansion in Warkworth, a small town with a very British feel. We then spent the morning at Sheepworld learning all about shearing the sheep and feeding the lambs then watching the dogs round them up. "Ba -ram -u" kept repeating in my brain. Leaving there around noon we travelled south through Auckland to Rotorua, a geothermal lake area in the centre of the north island. In some ways it was like travelling back in time. We were picked up at our hotel and taken to the Mitai Tribal grounds for dinner (Hangi). The food was wonderful, and Keith enjoyed the lamb! We were treated to a show of Maori singing, dancing (Haka), tribal traditions and history followed by a walk in the verdant and alive forest where we saw a spring, glow worms, thermal pools, Seqouia trees (brought from California) and for the finale, the elusive, rare and nocturnal kiwi bird.

A Day of Contrasts

Today is Waitangi Day, and the Maori are speaking about protecting the land and the forests not just for their people but for all New Zealanders. We drove north this morning flanked on either side of the road by cows and sheep dotting the hills and valleys. Few trees are left standing, having been cleared for agricultural purposes over hundreds of years. The winding roads took us north to 90 Mile Beach where for as far as you can see in either direction are golden sands and the crashing waves of the green Tasman Sea. There were surfers out riding the first waves of the day. We then made our way south along the windy two lane highway and one lane bridges to the Waipoa Forest. We tramped through Fangorn like forests in awe of the magestic, mammoth Kauri trees. Some of these trees are 2000 years old and unimaginably huge. Their trunks are like cement and the branches which grow out of the top at about 20 metres high are like large trees unto themselves. The trunks of two oldest ones are about 17 metres in diametre! The Maori Wakas are carved out of these trees. The forest underbrush is dense with ferns on steroids, palms of every variety - both bush and trees, malaleuca and New Zealand Christmas trees. We could hear the song of a variety of birds, even wild parrots. New Zealand is mostly a rural country with the most people, 1.5 million, living in Auckland. We see few chain restaurants, motels or businesses. Tonight we are staying in the Warkworth Cottage, a large Victorian style Hotel built in 1908. The ceilings are 20 feet high yet the door knobs are only 2 feet from the floor. We have to bend down to open the doors. Hmmm maybe Hobbits really did live here!

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Today we went to the place where the Waitangi Treaty was signed by the Maori Chiefs and the British in 1840. We happen to be here on the anniversary of the signing so the place is full of dignataries, Maori from all over New Zealand, and tourists. There were protesters, security guards and police everywhere. In fact we innocently walked right past the Prime Minister and his entourage. The issue is land rights and oil drilling - sound familiar? It is a national holiday and our hosts are throwing a dinner party. A German couple at our B&B are here specifically for the event and are leaving at 5 am for the official ceremony. At the Treaty grounds we walked through rainforest type vegetation to ornate, carved poles with mother of pearl inlaid eyes and buildings with carved posts and beams. We were entertained my local Maori in traditional dress singing, doing war and other dances. They open their eyes wide in a threatening gesture and stick out their tongues. They use sticks and twirling balls on strings as exercises for the body and mind. Keith called them the original clackers!

The real aquarium

We went scuba diving today off the coast of Pahia. The first dive was at a place called White Reef and the second dive we went around the reef and in a cave beside Putahataha Island. There isn’t the coral that we see in the Caribbean and the water was cooler but the fish are similar but much friendlier…too friendly. One in particular tried to eat my camera several times. There were blue tangs, crayfish, sand dagger ras, demoiselles, snapper, sweeps etc. and the ocean floor was covered with yellow kelp plants swaying in the current. The place is overrun with sea urchins as you will see in the photos. As usual the dive masters were not locals but a Brit and a Scot! We had a fun group and two people had the same camera and waterproof case as me. They gave me some tips for good photos, so enjoy.

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Day 1 - Auckland and North

We're here in New Zealand, after a long but well serviced flight. My two bags weren't overweight, and arrived intact, thus reducing my stress level (maybe had something to do with a certain airline with the initials AC not being the carrier). We arrived in Auckland at 4:30 am. Keith suggested that since I had driven on the left side of the road before I should start off in the driver seat of the rental car. The 'before' was over 30 years ago when I lived in London and a friend let me drive his little sports car in roundabouts. Despite little recollection, I was up for the challenge and drove from Auckland to Pahia - 5.5 hours. Like every tourist, I forgot to look right once - close call but we made it unscathed. Lots of hairpin curves and rolling hills, unlike our prairie straightaways. We took a few breaks to dip our toes in the warm, bubbly surf and walk in the silky, talc like sand. Oh how I missed the ocean. Wonderful long beaches and rocky islands not unlike Thailand - not quite as magnificent - but still amazing. We drank 'Flat White' coffee, less foamy and milky than a latte and ate fish and chips for lunch. People are friendly. It looks alot like Sydney by the Sea. We have a sweet B & B overlooking an estuary (where some Maori were paddling Wakas or large wooden canoes earlier) and rolling hills, run by a nice couple from The Netherlands who have been here for 6 years, leaving a hectic work life behind. I asked one of them what the funny trees that look like a combination Christmasand palm tree were called. He smiled and said 'Canadian Pine'.

Pilgrim

“To journey without being changed is to be a nomad. To change without the journey is to be a chameleon. To journey and be transformed by the journey is to be a pilgrim.” Mark Nepo

I think we are all pilgrims in life but we’re not all conscious of how we are transformed by life's experiences. In the past year I have tried to slow down, be present and experience the nuances and subtleties each moment brings.