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Kea, alpine parrot, Homer Tunnel, Milford Road, South Island, Te Waipounamu, Aotearoa, New Zealand, fotoeins.com

Waitangi Day (6 Feb): 15 images from Aotearoa

Above/featured: The kea is the world’s only alpine parrot and on the endangered list; on Milford Road near Homer Tunnel.

On the 6th of February, I’ll be humming “E Ihowa Atua” and “Pokarekare Ana”.

Waitangi Day is a national holiday in New Zealand to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 6 February 1840. As the founding document of the country, the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is an accord agreed upon by representatives of the Crown (British Empire) and of indigenous Māori iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub-tribes). The agreement is named after the name of the location in the Bay of Islands where the Treaty was first signed. Despite continuing disagreements between the two parties about contemporary extent and redress, I think the conversation and interactions between the communities are at a more advanced stage of integration within the nation’s fabric by comparison with Australia and Canada.

For Aotearoa, the New Zealand government approved in October 2013 formal names of the two main islands in Māori and English:

• Te Ika a Māui (“the fish of Māui”) for the North Island, and
• Te Wai Pounamu (“the waters of greenstone”) for the South Island.

I highlight Aotearoa with 15 images of the following locations:

Akaroa
Auckland
Dunedin
Franz Josef Glacier *
Greymouth
Hapuku (Seaward Kaikouras)
Homer Tunnel *
Lake Matheson *
Milford Sound *
Queen Charlotte Sound
Queenstown
Southern Alps *
Waimakariri River
Wellington City
Wellington Harbour

Asterisks identify locations within the Te Wāhipounamu area in South West New Zealand which was inscribed in 1990 as UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes four national parks: Aoraki/Mount Cook, Fiordland, Mount Aspiring, and Westland Tai Poutini.

( Click here for images and more )

New Zealand: Interislander Ferry across Cook Strait

The calendar page flips over to the 14th of July (2012).

I’ve spent a quiet week with friends in Wellington, New Zealand, and it’s time I head south to see Te Wai Pounamu or the South Island for the first time. My first destination is Christchurch, and I could fly there. But I’m in no hurry, and I want to experience the scenery route with a ferry across Raukawa Moana, otherwise known as Cook Strait.

I’ve arranged passage from Wellington on the North Island (Te Ika a Maui) to Christchurch on the South Island with ferry- and coach-service with KiwiRail. The journey begins with the Interislander ferry whose arrival is timed to match the departure time of the Coastal Pacific train leaving Picton for Christchurch.

( Click here for more )

Cobden Bridge, Grey River, Greymouth, Westland, South Island

While in New Zealand, I …

Above/featured: Cobden Bridge over Grey River: Greymouth, Westland, South Island – 18 Jul 2012.

While in New Zealand, I …

woke up every morning glad I was on RTW (`round-the-world) travel for 2012.
was happy to return to the country a second time, this time for almost four weeks.
was skeptical of the stories about how the North Island could be any “uglier” compared to the South Island.
couldn’t believe how they were all true.
was glad to have taken the ferry and Coastal Pacific train from Wellington to Christchurch.
loved the spirit and perseverance of the people in Christchurch.
won’t forget the sense of optimism in the city.
was happy to stay in Christchurch an extra night, so I could spend the following day on a road trip to Akaroa.
was happy to have taken the TranzAlpine train route from Christchurch over the southern Alps to Greymouth on the West Coast
enjoyed sticking around in Greymouth for just one night; the town is small and compact, and just enough for a short layover.
had a 45-minute conversation with the nice lady who runs the Left Bank Art Gallery in Greymouth.
had frequent chats at various motels with proprietors about traffic in low- and high-seasons.
didn’t mind coach service down the West Coast, especially because there were few people around and the drivers provided ongoing commentary about the scenery.

Franz Josef Glacier, Westland National Park, South Island, New Zealand, Aotearoa, fotoeins.com

Stick-people in danger! Franz Josef Glacier, Westland – 20 Jul 2012.

saw the sheer physical scale of the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, both of which are accessible by foot from their respective towns.
forked over the cash to fly over at least four glaciers (Fox, Tasman, Murchison, Franz Josef), as well as buzzing around Mount Tasman and Aoraki (Mount Cook).
forked over more cash to take a coach-boat-plane trip to, through, and over Milford Sound, respectively.
discovered three types of people in Queenstown: young men and women dressed in plaid- or skiwear, armed with skis or boards; groups of Asians pouring out from tour coaches; and retired couples. I fit into none of these groups.
crossed the Southern Alps four times: on the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch west to Greymouth, on the Newmans coach from Fox Glacier east to Queenstown, on a tour coach from Queenstown west to Milford Sound, and on a Cessna plane from Milford Sound east back to Queenstown.
have seen how the vast numbers of small and cheap eateries, coffee houses, and pubs show just how much of a college town Dunedin really is.
was followed by sunshine (or did I follow the sun?) for the entire time spent on the South Island.
saw a lot of similarity and familarity with my home province of British Columbia, Canada: the Westland with BC’s Coastal Range and Rockies, the rainshadow in Central Otago with the central Okanagan
was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Dunedin: the great Otago Museum, home of the first university in the country, and good coffee-café culture

Rugby-union match at North Ground : Dunedin, Otago – 28 Jul 2012

wanted to learn some Maori. And why not – Maori is one of three official languages in New Zealand, including English and sign language. I found myself enraptured by Maori Television and their courses in Maori.
found it difficult flying out to Auckland and leaving the South Island behind.
found leaving Auckland for Sydney doubly difficult, as I was saying “goodbye, see you soon” to the country.
am learning that “soon” is not soon enough.
am now able finally to profess the truth: dear Aotearoa, I love you.

Illuminous bokeh on a wet winter night : SKYCITY Hotel, Auckland – 29 Jul 2012

I made the four photos shown above; this post is published on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.

New Zealand : Wellington Daybreak from Mount Victoria

Before visiting the South Island for the first time, I spent a week with friends in Wellington, New Zealand at the beginning of July 2012. I didn’t have my own set of wheels, but I didn’t need a car in a compact city that is easy to cover on foot. If necessary, the buses work well to reach most destinations in greater Wellington.

The winter weather had been beautiful and relatively calm, which I thought was a little unusual for winter in “windy Welly”. But I was definitely not one to complain, and before leaving Wellington, I wanted to watch the sunrise from the summit of Mount Victoria.

At a height of about 200 metres or 660 feet, Mount Victoria (Tangi Te Keo in Maori) may be more like a hill, but it’s tall enough to get a great view of the city and the harbour. Wellington harbour is also known as Port Nicholson, and Te Whanganui a Tara in Maori.

I caught the first buses of the day: what would I see? Would the skies be clear? I was the sole person to alight the bus at the summit, just minutes before sunrise. There’s something to be said to be the only person at the summit to welcome the brand new day.

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