The North Island

After flying to Wellington, Dave and I rented a car and drove through beautiful mountains and fertile planes all day in a circuitous route north from Wellington through the Hut valley and over high mountain passes to Featherson where we went to a railway museum. The museum had a unique old steam locomotive that went over the steep mountains using a special center rail that was grabbed on both sides by a set of horizontal wheels that were geared to the main vertical drive. The grade was so steep that several engines were required along the length of one train.

After leaving Featherson we went to Masterton, a beautiful town in the center of a rich farming area. The country was incredibly lush and green. From Masterton we went to a nature preserve at Mt. Bruce. Here they are trying to preserve endangered species of NZ. At Mt. Bruce I finally got to see living tuatara. The tuatara is an ancient lizard-like reptile that lived with the dinosaurs. It looks like a lizard, but it's not. It's in a group of it's own more ancient than dinosaurs. It's found only on some isolated islands of NZ. It's very reclusive and spends much of its time in boroughs. It will sit absolutely stationary for hours. I was lucky enough to see this one turn its head. It's a mystery how this strange species survived the Cretaceous extension while so many others didn't. While at the game preserve I also saw a natural ancient rainforest with many birds. In NZ a wild forest is called the bush. They also had an outstanding exhibit showing living kiwi. This strange flightless bird is nocturnal so it was displayed in a darkened area with dim red lights. I was able to watch one feeding next to the glass window of its enclosure only inches away. It uses its long beak like a pair for forceps probing through the thick mat of forest leaves. Because it was too dark to take a picture of the living kiwi I took a picture of stuffed birds in the accompanying museum.

After leaving Mt. Bruce we drove through the Manawatu (man-ah-wha-too) gorge to Palmerston North. From there we drove through Wanganui (wan-gah-new-ee) to Stratford and then on to Waitara (why-tah-ra). Stratford is a strange small NZ town that boasts of having the only glockenspiel in NZ. The glockenspiel only does its thing three times a day and although we drove through Stratford several times in the following days we were never there at the right time to see it work. All of Stratford's streets are named for Shakespearian characters. It's fun to find familiar characters as you pass through the small town. Waitara, which is just north of New Plymouth, is where Bill and Allison live and was our home base during our week in the North Island. It's a very small farming town about half the size of Half Moon Bay. The entire area is called the Taranaki (tare-ah-nakee) area because It's dominated by a large stratovolcano called Taranaki. It's a very sacred mountain to the Maori (mow-ree.) It has almost perfect symmetry. It looks very much like pictures of Mt. Fuji in Japan. Stratovolcanoes are formed from alternative eruptions of lava and explosive pyroclastic debris, rock blasted out of the mountain. It has not erupted for several thousand years, but it still rumbles and never lets the people in the area forget that It's just sleeping. Bill is a secondary school teacher in an all boys public school in New Plymouth, which is about a 20-minute drive to the south. He is looking forward to retirement in a couple of years. Allison and Dave met as schoolteachers 40 years ago and have been close friends ever since. They are warm wonderful people and were so generous of themselves. Bill would have liked to travel with us, but because of his full time teaching and a very difficult and time-consuming computer course he was taking he did not. Allison, on the other hand, only works half days in a private alternative school. She was able to show us around in the afternoons and over the weekend she went with us on a nearly 1000 km trip to some special spots between Waitara and Rotorua (rho-toe-ruw-ah) a famous volcanic area in the north central region of the North Island.

The Pukeiti (poo-kah-ee-tee) Rhododendron Trust is located in a valley on the side of Mt. Taranaki. On Friday afternoon Allison drove us there. It's known around the world as one of the great Rhododendron gardens. It has more gardens and bush than you could see in a day.

Below is an aerial photo of Mt. Taranaki showing the road that goes half way up the side of the mountain. The Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust is located in a sheltered area on the side of the mountain in a dip between Taranaki and a smaller much older volcano to the east. A picture below shows the bush on the side of Taranaki. This is what the rhododendron gardens looked like before they were cleared and planted. A picture below shows another view of Taranaki.

Below is a picture of Allison taken inside the Green Cheese Café. This Café is actually an old one-room schoolhouse that was purchased by a retired teacher and turned into a café. It still has some of the old blackboards and furniture. The thin vertical pendent that Allison is wearing has been handed down from teacher to teacher over generations of Maoris and from a Maori to Allison. It's made from NZ greenstone from the South Island, which the North Island Maori prized. It's believed to have once been an earring of a chief. The house of Bill and Allison’s is what is called an old railroad house. Hundreds of these small houses were built by the railroad for its workers. It has two bedrooms and a separate bath and toilet attached to the opposite ends of the back kitchen. A picture below is another photo of the Pukeiti gardens.

One morning Bill and I visited a local children’s zoo. It rained most of the time and many of the animals were not out. Fortunately a group of preschool children were there. Watching the children is as good as watching the animals. There were many farm animals out with many babies. Two of the pictures below show views of part of the zoo with a two-story barn. A photo below shows another rhododendron in Pukeiti gardens.

We visited Allison’s school. Dennis, a student, was preparing fireworks for Guy Fox Day. This is a British holiday celebrating an attempted bombing of Parliament about 1610. Guy Fox was caught about to light explosives in underground rooms below the Parliament in London. He was apparently a fall guy that was part of a conspiracy. The British celibrate this strange holiday by lighting fireworks. They are sold all over NZ and many cities have fireworks shows. It's like the 4th of July in the U.S. Dennis insisted that I video him while he and I were holding sparklers. Unfortunately the lighting was very poor for taking a picture. We then went to New Plymouth, a moderate size coastal city to the north of Mt. Taranaki. The city is right on the ocean. The day was cloudy with slight rain. The vertical pole in the distance is a wind sculpture that bends and sways in the wind. We then stopped for coffee at an unusual coffee shop that had wild birds flying in and out an indoor cafe. There were signs saying "Don't Feed the Birds".

On Saturday Allison drove us north from Waitara to some limestone caves so I could see the glowworms. Waitomo (why-toe-moe) (No photo available because of the lighting. Below is the Waitomo caves web site, which has a couple of pictures.) The glowworms are found in many caves throughout NZ. They are not actually worms; they are insect larvae. The larvae develop from eggs laid on the moist roof of dark caves that have lots of water and air flowing through them. The larva biochemically produce a bright blue light that attracts flying insects. The glowing larva create long strings of sticky mucus-like strings that catch flying insects that are swept through the caves and attracted to their blue glow. They catch the insects on the strings and then pull them up for dinner. After the larvae undergo metamorphosis the flying adults mate in the darkness and lay eggs. Other glowworm larvae then eat the adults. I went on a guided tour through these rather ordinary limestone caves. It wasn't until we got into a boat that drifted through an unlit cavern that we could see these remarkable insects. The roof of the black cavern was dotted with hundreds of bright blue points of light that resembled stars. Unlike stars, however, they were all the same color and more or less evenly spaced on the flatter parts of the roof. Dryer and rockier parts were dark. The roof of the cavern looked something like a nighttime sky full of blue stars with dark lines. The total amount of light was bright enough so that you could barely make out the other people in the boat. You could see the dots of light reflected in the water. Everyone had to be quiet because, if disturbed, the glowworms turn off. It was not possible to take photos in this dark environment. The Waitomo caves are a labyrinth of caves with rivers flowing through them. You can actually rent a wetsuit and drift through the glowworm caves while sitting in a rubber inner-tube.
Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

After leaving Waitomo (why-toe-moe) caves we drove northeast to Rotorua (row-toe-rue-ah). Rotorua is a town alongside a large lake, Lake Rotorua. In NZ many lakes are named Roto-something because the name for lake in Maori is Roto. So to name the lake Rotorua, as the Kiwis call it, is a bit redundant. The lake fills a giant caldera produced by a massive explosive eruption about a hundred thousand years ago. The entire area is full of fumerols, geysers, hot springs and boiling mud pits. It constantly smells of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Wahioa (wah-high-oh-ah) was a Warrior Chief of the Ngati Wahio (nah-tee wa-hee-oh) tribe and was the brother of Hinemona (hin-ee-mow-ah), who was a young maiden who swam Lake Rotorua to be united with her lover Tutanekai (too-tan-ah-ky) on Mokoai (moe-key-eye) Island. In 1710, Wahioa, a warrior chief, led a war party to the area to avenge the murder of his father. The war party went by this place and Wahiao led his war party into a ferocious war dance. They named this place named "Te Wakarewarewa-tanga-o-te-ope-taura-a-Wahiao" which means "The uprising of the war party of Wahiao" which is actually the full title of the village. Te Whakarewarewa (Tee fah-kah-ree-wah-ree-wah) is the name most often used today. This village hill was inhabited as a pa (pah), or living place, by Wahiao and his descendants. The name Whakarewarewa came eventually to encompass the area surrounding the hill on which the village stands. By the mid 1880's, hundreds of pakeha (pah-kee-hah), or white men, had come to the area to visit what was then known as a natural wonder of the world, the pink and white terraces. These were crystalline terraces of hot pools that were formed from geothermal waters. The next photo is a mural showing the pink terrace. In 1886 there was a great eruption of nearby Mount Tarawera (tah-rah-wee-rah) that buried several Maori villages and a hotel claiming about 120 lives. After the eruption many Maori moved into the Rotorua area. They had long ago learned to use the steam pits and hot pools for cooking and bathing and found that there was a brisk tourist business of pakeha. A photo below shows a wooded box in the foreground. If you lift up the cover you can find a steaming pit about a meter deep with metal pots containing food that the villagers are cooking for themselves and to sell to the tourists. Tourists pay a fee to enter the village and are offered a guided tour and a musical performance in the meetinghouse. The small lake seen in a picture below is actually a boiling hot pool. The village meetinghouse can be seen as the decorated building in a You must take off your shoes before entering the meetinghouse. People actually live in this steaming village among the steaming pools and volcanic vents. They capture some of the hot water and let it cool for an evening soak in their own hot tubs. Pakeha are not allowed in the village at night.

This week is called show week and yesterday was a holiday. It celebrates the arrival of the first settlers to Christchurch from England about 150 years ago. There are many special activities going on throughout the city area. Among the things I did this week was to go on a wildlife cruise from Lyttleton harbor. We saw lots of birds and the famous hector dolphins. These dolphins are only about a meter long. We also went to the NZ Royal Cup harness racing. I lost $15 NZD, but hat a great time. It was a great event with all kinds of people and especially women all dressed up with large hats. Yesterday we went to the NZ Agriculture and Pastoral Fair. It was similar to a large county fair in the US. Last night we went to an original NZ ballet. The NZ Royal ballet presented the Christmas Carol presented with a live orchestra. The dancing, sets, lighting and choreography were world class. However, although the music was good it did not match the rest of the production. Tomorrow we are going to a major dog show. I hope to see some Chinese cresteds. A photo below shows me in front of the war memorial arch that entrance to the village that commemorates village people that died in the First World War and several wars since. We had an outstanding guide who actually lives in Te Whakarewarewa (Tee fah-kah-ree-wah-ree-wah). He spoke clearly and seemed to really enjoy what he was doing. He displayed a sense of humor and much pride in Maori traditions and was obviously well educated and well traveled. A picture below is the guide demonstrating the use of a Maori spear-like weapon, the Taiaha (tie-ah-ha). The Taiaha was not thrown. One end was pointed for stabbing. The other end was a blade for cutting and the far end was jabbed at the head. Maori warriors traditionally stick out their tongue as a threat gesture. A picture below shows a view of the steamy village. The wooden box in the foreground is sunk a couple of feet into a steam fumerole. If you take off the lid you would see a metal pot cooking chicken or perhaps a cloth bag of vegetables for sale to the tourists or a meal for the residents.

Two photos below show views or the urupa (ur-roop-ah) or cemetery. The village of Te Whakarewarewa (Tee fah-kah-ree-wah-ree-wah) has several cemeteries in the geothermal valley. There is not much soil available so corpses are placed in vaults above ground. Steam is vented through pipes so that it does not enter the tombs. It's a rather eerie sight to seem tombs with steam venting out the surrounding pipes and soil. A picture below is the guide again describing how the chief of the tribe received his distinctive facial tattoos. An albatross bone was used to cut into the skin and then soot was rubbed into the open wounds. The entire face, neck and much of the body was tattooed in a way similar to the carved figure of a chief the guide is standing next to. High-ranking women had tattoos on their lower lip.

Every Maori village has a Whare Tupuna (fah-ree too-poo-nah) or Meeting House. A picture below is a view of the Whare Tupuna in the center of the village. Tourists are invited inside this ornately carved building if they first remove their shoes. The walls and ceiling are covered with symbolic art that represents the history and ancestry of the people of the village. The red paint on the wood carving on the outside of the Whare Tupuna represents the blood of life. The central pole at the entrance is a kind of totem that represents the linage of chiefs of the village. The chief shown in the carving in a photo below is holding a patu (pah-too). The patu is a flat war club usually made of wood or bone. The green color of the patu shown signifies that It's made of greenstone. Green stone was obtained in trade with the South Island Maori and signifies that the person holding It's a man of great importance and wealth. A photo below is of an interior wall of the Whare Tupuna. The elaborate wood carvings represent family histories. The figure on the left is of an important woman. Notice the tattoos on her lower lip. The eyes of the figures are paua (pow-ah) shells, a NZ abalone. Between the carved panels are teko teko (tee-koe tee-koe) a traditional weaving that is a kind of writing that tells a story about a family. Each family has its own design.

The tourists are invited to attend a short traditional performance by members of the village. The performance occurs in the Meeting House and is not very bright. The windows behind the performers and the time interior of the room makes it hard to get a good photo. The performers sing and dance wearing traditional dancing costumes. They used sticks, acoustic guitars and their voices to make music.

A photo below is of some of the village kids waving to me as they play by the river. A picture below shows one of several original Maori wood panels in the McDonalds in Rotorua. It's quite large, about 15 feet long and 9 feet high. It depicts the story of the demigod Maui (mow-ee) using a magic net to slowing the speed at which the sun traversed the sky to give his people time to cultivate their crops. Tuti (too-tee), the artist, included members of Maui's family in the form of Papatuanuku; mother Earth, Tawirmatae; the god of storms, Tangoroa; the sea god and Tumatauenga; the god of war and fire. Who would expect to find such magnificent original works of art at a McDonalds? After leaving Rotorua we drove south past the largest lake in the North Island, Lake Tapao (tah-pow). A photo below shows a view of the lake from its east shore. The gravel shore is about 30% pumice. Many people stop here to collect samples to use as a fine abrasive. It is really foam glass. Pumice is a unique rock because It's lighter than water and these rocks float ashore from the lake. The lake was formed in a giant caldaria that was produced after an explosive eruption about 200,000 years ago. Many active volcanoes surround the lake. The most resent erupted 1998-99. These stratovolcanoes have violent eruptions that produce a lot of pyroclastic rock in the form of pumice, blocks and bombs, cinders, scoria, lapelli, and ash.

A photo below shows a shoreline view of Lake Taupo (tah-pow). After stopping at Lake Taupo, Allison drove us to the school where she used to teach in the National Park School. On the way we stopped to look back at Lake Taupo. The river is the Wanganui (wan-gan-new-ee), flowing from Lake Taupo in the center of the North Island south to Cook Strait by the town of Wanganui. On the left side of the picture you can see a forest covered cinder cone. A picture below shows snow covered Mount Ruapehu (rue-ah-pay-hoo). This was the volcano the erupted in 1998 and 1999. This mountain is part of a large volcanic area called the National Park.

A photo below is a picture of a picture. It's the summit eruption of Mount Ruapeau (rue-ah-pay-hoo) in September 1995. We went up a road on the side of the volcano to a nature museum where this picture was located. A picture below shows a model of a portion of the National Park. The large mountain in the foreground is Mt. Rupeau. A second large volcano is Ngarahoe (nair-ah-hoo-ee). It's younger than Rupeau. We saw a wonderful multimedia presentation about the volcanoes and the natural environment. After leaving the National Park Allison drove us back the Waitara (why-tah-ra) where Allison lives. A photo below is another gorgeous view of Mt. Taranaki and the Waitara River as seen in front of Bill and Allison's house.

Below are some parting pictures of the Taranaki area I felt are something different than those I already sent you. The fern is the national symbol of NZ. I like this picture of the Fiddle Head of a new fern leaf. It doesn't show any scenery: I just showing you this beautiful work of nature. The Maori guide in Rotorua explained that the many curving lines found in Maori art are inspired by the many ferns. The next photo is a type of ranch we don't have on Hwy. 92. Ostrich meat looks tastes similar to beef steak: but juicer. It's delicious. Unfortunately It's hard to find in N.Z. because almost all of It's exported. The hide is made into fine leather for making such things as shoes and handbags. A photo below shows some flowers with a bee harvesting pollen. We had several lunches at a garden café in the Taranaki area. A picture below was taken in the garden.

We left Bill and Allison and drove back to Wellington through Wanganui (wan-gah-new-ee). We stayed at a hotel across the harbor form Wellington. The city in the distance across this great natural harbor is the capitol city of NZ, Wellington. Wellington is a beautiful city and is much smaller than San Francisco. It's very cosmopolitan and even has a cable car. Its cable cars are different than those in San Francisco in that they just go up and down a hill. In the past there use to be several in the city: but time changes everything and there is only this one left now. Since the cable cars are always on the side of a hill the inside has horizontal floor platforms with steps and horizontal seats with poles and windows are aligned to the vertical. So when you walk through the cable car you must step up or down hill. There are two separate cable cars so as one goes up the hill the other goes down. The track splits into two tracks in the middle of the hill so the cars can pass each other while traveling in opposite directions. Below is the last set of photos from our North Island trip.

The South Island