New Zealand Kiwi and Maori

2023, Mar 10    

New Zealand | Country 19 | 7 day |

I wish I had planned my trip better to also include a visit to South Island. To future adventures in Queenstown and Christchurch I hope!

Some aspects of the New Zealand trip that I find really unique:

• Like other parts of Oceania, some very unique animals that have de-evolved due to the geography
• It is so similar to Canada, as both countries were formerly British colonies
• Very progressive in many ways, such as women’s rights, environmental protections and relationship with the natives
• Nature!
• Where Kiwi polish came from for shoe shine

Auckland

The first few days of my month long sabbatical were a bit rough, and I was so glad to be in New Zealand and embrace familiarity.

I checked into the Cordis hotel for one night, and enjoyed the views and amenities.

I was surprised to see and learn that one in three Aucklander was Asian. I guess it’s a combination of an economy that needs immigration to grow, an open policy and close proximity to Asia.

I also learned that like Australia, New Zealand has closed real estate investing to foreigners like many parts of the world.

I wandered the streets and saw many familiar brands, such as Westfield mall. During my first night, I spent time on Ponsonby street, a hip and happening neighborhood in the west side of Auckland.

The Sky Tower reminded me so much of CN Tower in Toronto. Even the street names, due to a common British origin, sound very similar.

Lord of the Rings - Hobbiton

I went with a tour group (Kiwi Adventures) to see famous spots on North Island. First stop was Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings.

The tours were massive but incredibly organized. I estimated that around 500 people were touring Hobbiton continuously every hour. The scenary is picturesque and everyone wanted to rewatch the movies.

We had our ginger beer, took pictures with Gandalf and went about our way.

Waiotapu

Waiotapu and Rotorua are pretty much the Yellowstone of NZ. A lot of geysers and sulfur in the air.

It’s a beautiful park, and the tour group spent 2-3 hours meandering through the foggy atmosphere and along the windy roads.

The tour guide was a wonderful older Kiwi, who was so patient with us.

Maori

New Zealand despite being a first world country has a much shorter Westernized history than the US and Canada. The geography meant that it was never in any major conflict, aside from the one with the natives.

The Maori, who are native people, are Polynesian. The relationships between Maori and Pakeha (foreigners) are among the least confrontational.

Despite this, the Maori people definitely did suffer and experienced more poverty and hardships as New Zealand grew and traded. A lot of lands and people were lost.

Everywhere around Aotearoa (New Zealand in Maori) nowadays, Maori names and practices are being restored as a form of restorative justice.

Every subway station, street name, school teachings are trying to incorporate their traditions. I hope that NZ can be a shining beacon for the world.

University of Auckland Library

Day trip to Waiheke

Waiheke is just 30 mins by ferry from Auckland and there are buses around the island.

The ferry building is an exact replica of San Francisco’s ferry building, albeit golden in color.

The island has many beautiful beaches and wineries. It’s like the ‘Napa’ to the ‘San Francisco’, for the affluents’ second homes and day trips to the wineries.

Food

Pies are very common in Auckland. (I assume the same in Australia.) They are in every gas station.

I also had my fair share of Asian breakfasts during my stay.

I tried to order a Kiwi Burger from McDonalds but it was discontinued. Don’t worry, there’s no actual kiwi in it; this is just how New Zealanders refer to themselves. The burger consists of beef patties with a fried egg and a slice of beet.

Kiwi

When I was involved with the Canadian forces, we polished our uniform’s boots with Kiwi polish.

Supposedly, New Zealanders were given the name of Kiwi, because when the British colony solders fought together in Africa in WWI, the New Zealander soldiers had fantastic boot shine.

I of course had to visit and see the flightless bird for myself. I made my way to the Auckland Zoo, saw many animals from all over the world, but spent quite some time looking at Kiwis in the dark enclosure.

I saw Kiwis dig holes and use their beaks to feed. Cute and fast.

Good bye Aotearoa!