Waikenae Memorial Hall is filled to capacity, and then some, when I arrive. This small town along New Zealand’s west coast about an hour north of Wellington has gathered to commemorate, to memorialize, and to remember. Today is April 25, ANZAC Day, and communities all over New Zealand and Australia are doing the same thing,…
As a whole, New Zealand was one of the last land masses in the world to be settled. Ancestors of today’s Maori arrived in the 10th century CE. (Click here to read about the Maori history of New Zealand.) And it wasn’t until 1769 that James Cook “discovered” the islands of New Zealand on behalf…
According to Maori tradition, the demi-god Maui carved a magical fishhook from an ancestor’s jawbone. He and his brothers took their huge waka (canoe) and tried their luck at fishing with the new hook. Maui soon caught something huge! With his brothers’ help, he reeled it to the surface, and they were shocked to find…
Editor’s note: Nepal is a place few have been able to visit, and we are so lucky that TRT writer Sam was one of those so fortunate, and that he’s sharing his experience here with us. Today we have part one, focusing on his time in Kathmandu, the capital and largest city. For more of…
Mark Fry’s small desk is an interesting stop on a tour of the Wētā Workshop in Wellington, New Zealand. Here, he makes models, conceptual ideas for many of the projects Weta works on. He passes around a tower from Warhammer, one he made out of an old yogurt container. Others are built from discarded construction…
The three buildings that make up the majority of New Zealand’s parliamentary offices couldn’t be more different. The most iconic, called the Beehive, holds the offices of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, while the other two host Parliament itself and the official Parliamentary Library. Sitting in a row, it’s a rather odd journey through time…
Editor’s note: This guide from guest writer Mike Still couldn’t come at a better time for me, as I’m getting ready to return to Alaska for the first time since 2005. I’ve taken notes, and I’m sure you will, too! For more of Mike’s writing, click here to visit his index page here at The…
“Sint Eustatius has the product. The challenge is getting people here.” For about the seventh time in the past hour, I repeat these exact words to Luceta. Luceta works for the government here on Sint Eustatius, or Statia as it’s normally called. Her portfolio involves tourism, and she is intimately involved in the island’s brand…
In 1636, Dutch expansion in the New World was in full swing. Over the past decade or so, colonies had been set up in New Amsterdam (now New York), as well as Caribbean islands like Sint Maarten and Curacao. But fueled by the desire to monopolize trans-Atlantic trade routes (in contrast to the goals of…
Editor’s note: Sam’s last (for now) installment from India takes us to the Hindu holy city of Varanasi on the Ganges. It definitely makes me excited to visit in November! For more of Sam’s work, click here to visit his index page. “This is real India,” my guide proclaimed. “The country is big and diverse,…