New Zealand, Day 1

Getting through customs both in Australia and in New Zealand seemed to take longer than normal. Because we are not residents of Australia or New Zealand, our visa conditions were requested and everything seemed to take a bit longer and made for a bit of a hectic morning. Just after picking up our luggage in NZ, we were asked to show our hiking boots to a customs agent. He took them away for what he called “a little tickle” and brought them back in a clear plastic bag. Apparently they had dipped them in “a pretty powerful herbicide” and we were to take them out and wash them the next day. We could then wear them on the paths and in the bush of NZ.

That was our last of many steps through customs. As we walked through the door, our hosts, Dawn and Alan, spotted us straight away, waved us over and greeted us with a hug. How fabulous are these people? They were just introduced to us by email through a friend and they became our tour guides for the 36 hours we were in Auckland. (Dawn and Alan are teacher educators at the University of Auckland.) They are so fabulous that Dawn sent me a summary of our time together and so, with her permission I have included it below. I added my own additional commentary in [brackets].

Dawn's summary:

Yesterday we went from the airport in Mangere up to the top of One Tree Hill (with no tree!) a farm park that was gifted to the people of Auckland by Sir Logan Campbell. From that volcano we went to Mt Wellington, another volcano. In fact Auckland is built on volcanos.  From the top of Mt Wellington we could see where our house is and the Tamaki river and estuary. We could also see the narrowest part of New Zealand where the Waitemata harbor and Manukau harbor nearly meet. In fact at Portage Road in Otahuhu the distance between the tides is less than a kilometer! No wonder the Maori carried their waka (canoe) across there.

[As they drove us to the water's edge of a river estuary, I looked up to see houses right at the edge and said, “whoa, people live here!” and 3 seconds later Alan pulled into his driveway and said, “Yeah, we live here.”    Holy cow. What a view!]

View from Dawn and Alan's house

View from our dog walk

Once at our house, we took the dogs (Ollie and Ted) [who I adored] for a walk along the Tamaki river to Pt England Reserve. This area is called Waiotaiki Bay  (the waters of the chief Taiki). You watched the All Blacks perform the Maori challenge - the haka - at the start of the rugby game against Australia. NZ won. We had roast lamb [delicious!].

We went to the French markets this morning (Sunday 20th) in Parnell. These are super trendy but the food was delicious! [Andy had a Vietnamese pork sandwich with chicken liver pate, roast pork, chilies, and slaw. The roll was topped with a pork crackling. I had potatoes and bacon cooked in duck fat and cream. (!) I also got a raspberry and rhubarb tart. We shared a table with someone who Alan told us later was a fairly well known rugby player.]

We then drove to the Auckland War Memorial Museum where we spent a bit longer than anticipated looking at the Maori section. Andy was taken with the Po - the carved totem poles that tell of the ancestry. We saw the paintings by Goldie who thought he was painting a dying race. That was the reason why all those old Maori faces heavily tattooed with moko looked so sad. Every pattern is different and unique. We then took our shoes off to step into the intricately carved meeting house - the whare nui. 

I have copied this from the internet....

"The meeting house has many names, including whare tupuna and whare nui etc., and in nearly all cases it is not only named after an ancestor but it is structured to represent symbolically the ancestor. Thus the carved figure (tekoteko) on the roof top in the front represents the ancestor´s head, the carved angles from the head down towards the ground (maihi) represent the arms, the ridge pole to the carved figures around the walls (poupou) represent the ribs. The poupou are normally carved ancestors representing other tribes. Poupou then function as identifiers in a feeling of belonging. The uprights, normally two holding up the tahuhu, represent connection between Ranginui the sky father and Papatuanuku the earth mother. While there are other interpretations it follows appropriately that meeting houses are named after an ancestor.

Thus, on entering the house it can be seen as entering into the bosom of the ancestor. It follows also the interaction between people on Te Maraenui Atea-o-Tumatauenga can be and should be significantly different from the type of interaction which is normally encouraged inside the house.

It is believed that inside the house the Guardian of Peace (Rongomatane) reigns and it is in this atmosphere and under this belief that people are required to interact with one another."

[The carvings were intricate and expressive. It was as moving for me to stand inside that room as it has been to stand in any of the most ornate cathedrals. The space was rich and spiritual.]

After the museum we went to Arataki, in the Waitakere ranges. Again, another large totem pole out the front celebrating the Maori heritage. 

View from Arataki

picture perfect

We decided to go to the closest west coast beach - Karekare (where they filmed The Piano). After a false start following me! (Alan is a far better tour guide) we made it out to the wild west coast beach.

[We eventually found the sandy path and walked up to what is absolutely the most vast beach I have ever seen. The sand was dark and flat for half a mile or so from us to the water. I walked all the way up to the surf, breathed in the salty air, and invited the power of the sea into my being. I watched the waves break and the water recede in the most interesting patterns. After awhile, Alan reminded me that this was our “taster visit” and we could come back here on our next trip to NZ.]

one direction down the beach

and the other

Travelling back along the scenic road we stopped at The Restroom for a very late lunch, but again, delicious food. I really liked the chickpea and mozzarella chips, the camembert balls with tomato relish....Our colleague Rena Heap and her husband Graeme met us there. We had a session on the phases of the moon. Does your moon look the same as ours? [Rena and Dawn are both science teachers and used the salt shakers to demonstrate moon phases :-)]

We went to Devonport and to the top of Mt Victoria. The mushrooms were ventilation shafts for the old gun placements. We watched the ocean liner glide past. 

Alan and Dawn and the mushrooms :-)

Then we drove down to Devonport village for fish and chips. You tasted L&P - lemon and Paeroa, named after the mineral springs at Paeroa, a small settlement that really has no other claim to fame! We ate our dinner sitting on a bench looking back across the Waitemata harbor to our side of the isthmus.

From there, it was back into the city to the Britomart train station so you could see where you leave from tomorrow. A quick walk for you up Queen's Street to your hotel through the crowds who are in the city celebrating Diwali - the festival of lights. [We stopped to watch the thousands of people at an outdoor Bollywood concert, and we squeezed our way through the throngs of people still celebrating Diwali Festival. We sort of grimaced to one another that this could likely keep us awake tonight when we had a very early train to catch. But that hint of resentment was soon dashed by the spectacular fireworks show right outside of our hotel room window. We literally had front row, second floor seats to watch the most amazing fireworks I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something because generally I don’t much care for fireworks.]

 

Apparently this was "Punjabi Youtube sensation" Lilly Singh

View from our hotel room 

Our first full day in New Zealand came to a close and I was really unsure how anything on this trip could get better than this. But next came the landscape of the north island on our Tranz Scenic Rail trip. Next post...