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Published: June 23rd 2017
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Geo: -38.1398, 176.247
Our first port of call was Tauranga, whose Maori name means Calm Waters - protected by Long Island from open ocean. New Zealand means Long White Cloud, as the Maori had never seen snow and the mountains were covered. The area, including Mt Maunganui and Papamoa with long white sand beaches, is a big retirement community for Auckland and a population of about 118,000. It is New Zealand's busiest port and is in the Bay of Plenty, which was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1769, as he observed it was well populated and looked very fertile.
The area was actually discovered around 1350, when the Te Arawa canoe is said to have landed close by at Maketu, further south on the coast, after sailing from Hawaiki (Polynesia) under the command of famous Maori navigator chief Tama-te-kapua.
Our day got off to an early start, with a 6am wake up call, as we got ready to meet in the Constellation Theatre at 6:50 for our tour to Rotorua (Roto meaning Lake and Rua meaning 2nd; as Rotoiti was the 1st lake the Maori came across as they travelled inland on the rivers). Rotoura (72,000), the spa town and center of Maori
culture today (about 50%!M(MISSING)oari), is about 80kms south (1hr bus ride), through a small town called Te Puke, which was established in 1838. The area is largely dairy and fruit farming, but did not become so until 1930 when cobalt introduced in fertilizers eradicated a bush sickness that left the land almost barren and unproductive.
The kiwi fruit trees are plentiful in the area and grow below vines that are strung tent-like above the tree and the orchards are protected by massive hedges 2-3 stories high, which are immaculately maintained by tractors equipped with long vertical saws. The kiwi fruit was evolved genetically from the Chinese gooseberry in the 1930's.
NZ produces an inordinate amount of high quality pine based on its size. They found the Monterrey Pine to be the most productive and trim the lower portion of branches to eliminate knots, which make the poles that result post harvest very popular with the Asian market. The mid section is used for planks, such as 2x4's and the upper portion is used for pulp/paper. The tree's growth is very rapid due to climate and land composition with harvests occurring every 25 years!
Our first stop was Te Puia's Maori Arts &
Crafts Institute, where we saw the recreation of an ancient Maori village, as well as Maori carvers and weavers. Traditional Maoria beliefs hold the carving of poles to represent the after life, so women are not allowed to carve in Te Puia, as they represent new life and to connect the two is viewed to be dangerous by traditional Maori's. We learned that the Maori consider ugliness attractive, thus the reason for the frightening facial expressions in their poles and carvings. There are fewer than 10 people in NZ who are believed to be of 100%!M(MISSING)aori blood now.
The effects of significant geothermal activity beneath New Zealand were exhibited in the form of geysers and hot mud pools (almost 100C). The pungent smell of sulphur was almost overwhelming at times. We also saw our 1st Kiwi, which are nocturnal birds.
Our second stop for the day was Mount Ngongotaha, a volcanic dome, and the tourist attraction Skyline Rotorua. We travelled up the hill by Gondola to find numerous adventure activities including mountain bike trails, zip lines, SkySwing and Luge, as well as sweeping views of Lake Rotorua. It appeared from talking to parents that the luge was one of the
most popular activities for their children and I fancied a go, but time did not permit, as the stop was designed primarily for lunch with a view and a performance by a local Maori “Kapa Haka” group who performed numerous traditional songs and dances, including the “haka”.
Our last stop was the Agrodome, where we saw their very entertaining and informative Farm Show, which included an overview of all the NZ breeds of sheep and their origins, introduction to NZ working dogs and a sheep shearing demonstration. It was absolutely brilliant!
We were so knackered after an early rise and a busy day, that we decided to order room service!
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