New Zealand- South Island Part I 24th Nov-2nd Dec 19 Heading up the valley toward Mt Cook

New Zealand- South Island Part I 24th Nov-2nd Dec

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December 25th 2008
We arrived into New Zealand and spent a couple of days in Christchurch from where we hired a campervan and began our Kiwi adventure. Our route took in Lake Tekapo - Maori translation-'teka' meaning sleeping mat and 'po' meaning night. This was originally a rest stop enroute to Mt Cook and Otago but grew in importance in the 1940s for the generation of hydroelectric power. The lake has a distinc ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch

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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