Lots of Technology
A GPS was the final backstop for navigation. While its accuracy is fantastic, it's a nuisance to use because it requires a hand to hold it clear of the body so it can get satellite signals. Other equipment included a mountain radio so we could get weather forecasts and provide information on our location, and we also had an emergency location beacon if we ended up in serious trouble. It's a far cry from the Maori travellers who explored this country, and from the Europeans who followed them - like Charlie Douglas and Arawhata Bill.
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 
