The second base I will establish in New Zealand is in the region known as Northland. It is in the very northern tip of New Zealand, north of Auckland. This will be in the second week of my visit, and will be spent up in the area known as the Bay of Islands, in the town of Paihia, as base. I will explore as much of the Northland Region as I can, including places with descriptive names such as: Hole in the Rock Island, Ninety-Mile Beach, Whangarei Heads, and Cape Reigna. The region is known for its sub-tropical climate, and is the spiritual home of the Maori people.
Speaking of the Maori, here is a brief video link that explains a little bit about the culture and rituals of the Maori such as The Haka. Rugby fans know that the polynesian island nations all have a form of Haka, including Hawaii and it's Hula. All are designed to tell stories, issue warnings or greetings. This video explains the reason for the Maori's use of facial expressions including use of the tongue and eyes. For example, the bug-eyed expression is to intimadate and cause fear. Like, 'hey, you look tasty, I'm going to eat you!' You think I am kidding? Didn't you ever watch Gilligan's Island growing up? Remember the 'head-hunters', the natives? The S.S. Minow was stranded on a south pacific isle, an uncharted isle. Could it have been the Maori that was always looking to cook poor old Gilligan in a stew? LOL
Paihia is the hub of the Bay of Islands. This area of New Zealand is popular for fishing, sailing and other tourist activities such as dolphin encounters. The first European to visit this area was Captain Cook and was the first region of New Zealand to be settled by Europeans. This is the place where a treaty was signed, The Treaty of Waitangi, between the British who wished to establish a colony and the Maori. The treaty is still in effect today, however disputes repeatedly arise with regard to the translation between the Maori language copy and the English language copy with respect to land rights and sovereignty of the Maori. Most Maori tribes trace roots back to this region of New Zealand.
Also in the Northland Region is Cape Reigna with its famous lighthouse. This is the northern most point in New Zealand. The name of the cape comes from the Maori word ‘Reinga’ which means ‘Underworld’. Another Maori name is ‘Te Rerenga Wairua’ which means ‘the leaping-off place of spirits’. Both refer to the Maori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.
During this brief stretch of my New Zealand trip I will only attend one rugby match and have the rest of the time as relaxation, sightseeing and activity time. The match will be played in the Northland city of Whangarei (pronounced fang-a-ray). The city of Whangarei is 160 km north of Auckland, and south of Paihia. The match I will attend in Whangarei is Tonga vs. Japan. The Tongan team is famous for its islander heritage and pre-match challenge thrown down to their opponent. The Japanese are known as the Brave Blossoms and are known for their speed and tenacity. Japan is a growing power in rugby and has been awarded the rights to host the Rugby World Cup in 2019. That gives me plenty of time to save up again as Japan is another country I'd love to visit.
I have added a few items to the right-hand side of the blog. I’ve moved the RSS news feed from Rugby World Cup to this section so the rugby fans amongst you can stay current on the news of the tournament; and I’ve added a Links section which right now contains links to the Tournament Standings, Video Highlights, and a map of New Zealand and the host cities for the World Cup. This map link is useful as it will very quickly give you an idea of the lay of the land as I reference various cities in my travels. As usual, I still have 3 polls active in this area as well, so please feel free to participate and I will be adding others going forward.
Attached are various pictures from this region of New Zealand as a preview, and as usual, I hope to share my own photos and videos from this portion of my trip
No comments:
Post a Comment