by Robin Rodig |
March 10, 2013
|
And sometimes stinky. The last several days here in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (a roughly 200 mile stretch north from the center of the North Island) have quickly magnified the geographic differences of New Zealand. And the sulfurous, rotten egg smell generated from the bellows of the underground that often hangs in the air comes with the territory.
All of this geo thermal activity though does indeed produce some unearthly, if not eerie, sights. The string of steam rising through a random bush on the side of the road. A puddle-size mud flat percolating next to the sidewalk. The colors of the water in the natural pools that could come only from a child's imagination. And then there was my hike of death.
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Posted in
New Zealand,
North Island
by Robin Rodig |
March 08, 2013
|
That's the Maori name for New Zealand. Or literally "Land of the Long White Cloud".
You see this word everywhere as well as many other people, place, and thing names in Maori. The Maori (pronounced like cow-ree but with a M), this country's indigenous people, culture is prominent here on the North Island. Groups of school kids crossing the street together in heavily populated Maori areas. Maori symbols for new life, abundance, or the bonding or joining of people adorn public buildings and signs. Marae, the Maori communal, meeting places, are often passed on roadways. It is clear that New Zealand honors its roots.
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Posted in
New Zealand,
North Island
by Robin Rodig |
March 07, 2013
|
Shweeb. Swoop. Zorb.
Words I had never before heard in my life. Until, that is, acquainting myself with the in-your-face extreme sports and culture that New Zealand is famous for. The above terms are names of some of the inventive, nail-biting, there's-only-one-way-down activities NZ has come up with to sky rocket one's blood pressure. In a previous post, I mentioned that for a relatively small country, Kiwis tend to go big. Well, their sense of adventure is one of those big areas. The biggest. The fastest. The highest. They invented adventure superlatives.
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Posted in
New Zealand,
North Island
