The haka is a traditional war cry, dance, or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment.
Ended day 2, bit rushed thru Te Puia & neighboring Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley.
Māori welcome, followed by a traditional Haka [cultural performance] in Te Puia’s marae [meeting house]. While native Hawaiians & Māori share Polynesian roots, their dance traditions are super diverse. The Haka is not your Momma’s Hula – comprised of warrior chants & postures…was never invited from the audience to join in. LOL>
The first Māori settled New Zealand 800 years ago, leaving their native Hawaiki on 7 long boats, Waka. The seven major tribes of New Zealand are identified by their Waka name.
Toured Te Puia’s woodcarving & weaving schools, then quietly stalked New Zealand’s iconic (& endangered) Kiwi bird. Nocturnal by nature, a tiny female inside Te Puia’s Kiwi House would be my only Kiwi claim this trip. Unfortunately, no pics allowed.
Remainder of the tour would be spent geyser-gazing…my third continent of geysers. Iceland, USA’s Yellowstone & today, New Zealand’s Pōhutu geyser – biggest geyser in the southern hemisphere. Mud pools, vapour jets soaring 30 meters high – AND of course, that distinct sulfur scent. FAAANNNTASTIC!
Māori culture & geysers – coupled with tomorrow’s bike tour, a top 5 MUST DO New Zealand experience.
-
- traditional Māori welcome
-
- not your Momma’s hula
-
- traditional woodcarving school
-
- tiny female inside Te Puia’s Kiwi House would be my only Kiwi claim this trip
-
- first Māori settled 800 years ago, leaving their native Hawaiki on 7 long boats, Waka
-
- gurgling mud pools
-
- Pōhutu geyser
-
- biggest in the southern hemisphere
Māori Haka
Pōhutu geyser
Plane, taxi…and now bus, Auckland to Rotorua. By the time I leave New Zealand expecting to use all forms of transport, except train. Ticket I pre-purchased, exchanged. All train travel on South Island shut down ‘til March 22nd because of extensive forest fires. Yikes!
Waitomo, Agrodome & Te Puia – 3 tour stops, then dropped directly at my hotel…not a bad way to travel.
Waitomo, home to New Zealand’s famous glowworms. Stalactites, stalagmites & limestone…typical cave stuff – but glowworms? Never have I ever. WOW WOW WOW! Loaded onto a long gondola, pulled forward via a rope pulley thru Glowworm Grotto [subterranean cavern illuminated by THOUSANDS of tiny glowworms]. No pictures allowed, no sound permitted. Magic.
Back on the bus, next stop: the Agrodome. Toured this working farm in an all-terrain vehicle. SHEEP, New Zealand SHEEP, that’s the reason one comes here. Watched a Romney being shorn, then attended a live sheep dog trail. BIG fan.
End of day, bit rushed thru Te Puia [Māori meeting house] & neighboring Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley. Luckily my travel bestie scheduled additional geyser viewing on tomorrow’s Happy Ewe bike tour. (Thanks Dawn!)
Hotel check-in. Early to bed? Heck no — ’cause every day’s a run day 🙂 Laced up, quick change-o-clothes. 10 minutes from The Redwoods, my first amazing NZ run (first of several). Massive trees, tropical vegetation & cicadas – the forest sang (12 mile FUN run).
Day 3 plans: morning run (geysers), bike tour (even more geysers) & a puddle-jumper to Christchurch (South Island).
-
- stalactites, stalagmites, limestone & glowworms
-
- cicada season, the forest sang
-
- no pics allowed, no sound permitted — quiet magic
-
- sheep shearing
-
- newly shorn Romney
-
- working sheep dog
-
- all trail, 12 mile FUN run
Waitomo Caves — NZ cicada season (Dec-April)
Agrodome – Sheep Shearing
Agrodome – working Sheep Dog trial
Kia ora is a Māori language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It means, literally, be well/healthy and is translated as an informal hi. It is also used as a farewell and expression of thanks.
16 hour flight from Los Angeles, 19 hour time difference – meant I left Friday night but didn’t arrive in Auckland ‘til Sunday morning. Yikes, where did Saturday go? EVERY day’s a run day but my first run in New Zealand would be on Colorado time 🙂 Restroom stall change-of-clothes, packing service watched my luggage, then logged 4 miles on NZ’s North Island. Heavy humidity & cloud cover, but no rain. Hung a right outta International, mile+ past Auckland’s Domestic Terminal, then north…running roadside – pasture on the left, swampy waterway on my right. Much of this former swamp’s been drain — ‘reclaimed’ in New Zealand talk. Meanwhile…my CT bestie Dawn arrived via San Francisco. Airport splash bath, taxi to town centre, first night digs at the Grand Millennium.
Luckily, caught a few zzz’s in Economy…’cause my NZ two-island itinerary didn’t include a rest day. LOL> Bags at the hotel, prepaid voucher on Auckland’s Hop-on Hop-off Tour. Double-decker YELLOW bus, four long blocks toward the Harbour.
Rode thru a handful of stops, already afternoon so was super selective with my Hop-offs. Auckland Museum, check – that’s my stop. Walked the perimeter, viewed the War Memorial Statue, then crossed Auckland Domain (city park) to Winter Gardens [self-toured past a local cricket match]. The grounds of Winter Gardens, stunning. Introduced to a multitude of tropical flora native to the Island.
2nd stop – quick hike up Mount Eden. Off a plane for 6 hours now…so why not? 🙂 Short quarter-mile trek UP, long walking path ‘round the rim of an ancient/sacred crater, depression from a dormant volcano. Absolutely serious. WOW, just WOW!
Hotel return, power nap, Sky Tower before night fall. Similar to Seattle’s Space Needle, great view of the harbour. Bit unnerving on the Skywalk, standing high above traffic on see-thru glass. Yikes!
730am bus to Rotorua in the morning – but not before a 10K treadmill trot at the hotel gym (running on NZ time now).
-
- Hello from New Zealand!
-
- Auckland Museum
-
- Auckland War Memorial Statue
-
- Winter Gardens
-
- multitude of tropical flora native to the Island
-
- Auckland Domain (city park)
-
- quick hike up Mount Eden
-
- volcanic crater depression
-
- Auckland skyline
-
- Mount Eden summit
-
- Sky Tower
-
- YIKES!
-
- high above on see-thru glass
-
- Auckland Harbour Bridge
-
- Good nite, Auckland 🙂
Auckland Domain (city park)
