Oct 19 - Tauranga, NZ

 Oct 19 - Tauranga, NZ 

This was a great day!  

Before we started, this brought a smile to my face!  We try to be apolitical on cruises, but I couldn’t resist taking this photo as we waited to be called for our tour!!  LOL

 

New Zealand, like so many other countries, has seen a recognition of the contributions of their indigenous people.  Signs are in Maori and English, many villages and settlements have retained their Māori names, and there are more opportunities for youth to learn about and keep the culture alive.  

Our tour today was a journey into the rich heritage, ancient skills and culture of the Maori people of Te Puia at the Te Puia Arts and Crafts Institute.

We set out from Tauranga for the hour long drive to Rotorua.  The highway was excellent and looked to be recently paved.  A very smooth ride through scenic countryside!

Along the way our driver, Brian, pointed out many areas of interest.  Back in Auckland our guide talked about the Americas Cup competition being held in Barcelona this year as the sporting event everyone was watching; here in Tauranga as we passed huge Cricket pitches, Brian mentioned the Cricket matches currently taking place against India, Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, Pakistan etc.

We passed many Kiwi farms, notable by the green screening.  Wind turbines help prevent frost burn.  Brian mentioned some disasters to the kiwi  industry - floods where half a year’s production was lost, and rats in hold of a ship!  Kiwi is the among the largest exports from NZ and the gold variety is becoming as popular as the green kiwi fruit. Manuka honey is also made here and is known for its medicinal uses assisting healing after surgery.

 

As we begin to increase elevation we see a transition to farming- cattle, sheep, horses graze in the fields.  

We reached Rotorua and our stop at the Te Puia Arts & Crafts Institute.The link will give you an overview of how we spent the day.  Te Puia in Rotorua

Our first activity was the Maori house and a lively cultural performance depicting the local lore and legends, including the famous Haka dance.

From there we went to a Kiwi house (the bird, not the fruit!). We saw a habitat where they live, and because Kiwi are nocturnal it is kept dark for viewing and no photos were allowed.

Our guide, Manoa, explained the travels of the original people to New Zealand.  They travelled in large canoes ( large enough to accommodate a whole tribe!) migrating from Southeast Asia to Polynesia.

From there we walked on to view the geyser ( first from a distance, and then up,close)  and the mud baths.

The last activity was a tour of the three year education program where young people learn the skills to preserve the art and culture of the Maori.  

Our tour culminated at a Hangi buffet lunch.  Hangi is the equivalent of a luau in Hawaii where food is cooked in the ground.  I’m certain all of the food was not prepared this way ( breaded chicken legs, potato salad, etc! ) but there was a huge variety of dishes - ham, lamb, chicken, prawns, salads, fresh bread, soups - and delicious deserts!

It was a lot quieter on the bus returning to the ship as several people dozed off after such a huge meal!!

It was a lot of walking and information to absorb,  but a really excellent tour. 

Dinner and the show (Les Femmes) and it was bedtime for these two tired dames!!

😴😴