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Wanaka - Wa nah kah? Wah na kah? - and Queenstown

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November 11th 2014
Turns out that Maori names are supposed to be pronounced with no emphasis on any syllable. Hence "Wanaka" actually sound like "Hanukkah". We definitely were singing that damn Adam Sandler song the whole time. We drive through Haast Pass and turn onto the most beautiful drive I could possibly imagine. The road climbs up a mountain and switchbacks and then meanders its way down. We were in a ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Wanaka

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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