James & Quene travelling around the World

Kia Ora! (Kia Ora means pretty much anything from Hello, Welcome, Thank You…)

We’ve left the big shmokes to travel inland and get to know the rest of the country and the Maori culture.

Espanol: Kia Ora a todos (Kia Ora se utiliza como Hola!, Adios!,Bienvenido..casi para todo..!)

Ya hemos dejado a tras las dos ciudades mas grandes para conocer mejor esta tierra y la cultura maori.

Here’s Quene getting out of one of the hostel rooms we stayed at, as you can see they were a bit of a tight squeeze!

Esp: Quene saliendo de una habitacion doble del hostal, como veis somos bastante flexibles a todo.

On the way to Pahia and Bay of Islands in the North we came accross some public loos designed by the Austrian architecht/artist Hundertwasser, in Kawakawa, he spent the his last few years nearby in an isolated house, before he died in 2000.

Esp: De camino a Pahia nos encontramos una sorpresa un servicio publico contruido por Hundertwasser en kawakawa donde vivio sus ultimos ayos y murio.

In Pahia, Bay of Islands there are lots of water based activities, one of which is the Dolphin Safaris, you can eve swim with them too if you can brave the ice-cold waters!

Esp: Una de las muchas cosas que se pueden hacer en Pahia es ir a ver ballenas y si el tiempo lo permite nadar entre delfines… hacia frio asi que los vimos desde un barco.

 
Close-by is the wreck of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, as most of you may recall it was blown up by French spies (paid for by the French government). Greenpeace were protesting at Frances continued atomic bomb tests in Mururoa Atoll further north in the Pacific. A portuguese photographer was killed in the incident, and after a international condemnation France finally ended their tests, 10 years later… There’s a good reason why people around here are very suspicious of any Frenchmen going around in wetsuits!

Esp: Se puede bucear y visitar el Rainbow Warrior, hundido en estas aguas, saboteado por dos espias franceses (pagados por el gobierno) lo volaron por estar protestando por las pruebas nucleares en el Atolon de Mururoa, un fotografo portugues murio, despues de mil investigaciones y diez anyos despues, el gobierno frances por fin dejo de hacer pruebas en el pacifico… Cuenta la leyenda que desde entonces no confian mucho de los franchutes en traje de buzo…

 
This is Waitangi, and the Maori war canoe. Waitangi was the place where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, by both Maori Chiefs and British Representatives, proclaiming New Zealand as part of the British Empire, but ,unusually, also giving the rights of the land and its produce to the Maori themselves, unlike most other colonies, Ireland included, the Maori had more control over their land than the Irish did when Ireland was under the British crown…!!!!

150 Maori warriors were needed to sail this canoe. A beautiful piece of artwork, made from just one enormous piece of wood, Kauri trees are native trees to New Zealand, not many of them are left now, as they were not just used by the Maori, but when the Paheke (white men) arrived the whole countryside was laid bare to use the wood for ship building. This particular canoe has some beautiful decorations, carvings.

Esp: Esto es Waitangi, donde se firmo el tratado de Waitangi, entre los Maori y los Britanicos que declararon Nueva Zealanda como colonia del Reino Unido, sorprendentemente dieron los derechos sobre la tierra a los Maori, no como en los otras colonias britanicas, Irlanda incluida, los Maori tenian mas derechos sobre su tierra que lo tenian los Irlandeses cuando Irlanda fue colonia britanica, toma ya!

Esta canoa es la canoa de guerra mas grande, construida por los maoris.. toda una obra de arte, en ella caben 150 guerreros, construida con solo una pieza de arbol, es impresionante, no solo lo larga que es, tambien por las decoraciones…la caseta que lo cubre tambien esta decorada, aqui teneis algunos detalles.

 
A very important symbol in Maori culture, is the Tiki, or Heitiki. There are many theories on it’s meaning, one of the more recognised is as a fertility symbol, usually hung around the neck, made out of bone or jade.

Esp: Esto un Tiki o Heitiki es muy importante para los maoris, hay varias teorias sobre su simbologia, la mas comun dice que es un simbolo a la fertilidad y se utiliza como talisman en forma de collar echo de hueso o de jade.

Detail of a carving where you can see the detailed tattooing on the face. Maori used to tatoo the face, literally carving it, chief and warriors would have their face carved 3 ways to make the mark stand out, very painfully hammered into the skin, todays tattoos aren’t anything near as painful. Women tattoed their lips and chin. You still see one or two people tattooed with traditional designs. Unfortunately the original method has died out, ‘thanks’ to the missionaries who persuaded the Maori to stop it as it was a dirty bad practice!

Esp: Detalle de un tatuaje en la cara, los maoris antiguamente se tatuaban la cara y se la tallaban literalmente, jefes de tribus y guerreros se tatuaban la cara con una tecnica bastante dolorosa (nada comparado con los tatuajes de ahora) y diseños muy elaborados, las mujeres solo se tatuaban la barbilla, todavia se puede ver gente tatuada pero no de la manera tradicional.

Well that’s all for now folks!

Hasta pronto,

James & Quene