Entrance to Whakatane harbour

Snapped while trying to find a curry-house for dinner. The statue on the rock commemorates Wairaka who with the other women, had been left in the waka (canoe) that started to drift while the men went ashore. In defiance of tapu (prohibition) she grabbed a paddle and yelled ‘Me whakatane au i ahau nei!’ (I must act like a man!) and saved the vessel.

East cape at Easter

April 11th 2007
Adventuring with Chris and Aisha The East Cape of New Zealand isn't your normal tourist destination. It's remote, sparsely populated, and mountainous in the interior. It's known as a bit of a backwater lost in time. But the road around it hugs the rugged coast providing spectacular views, and much of the land is owned by Maori so the culture is much more apparent here. And for New Zealand, there ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » East Coast

The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more

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