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…
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…
I know, I know. It seems like I just got back from Europe. And really, it’s true. After less than three weeks at home, it’s back across an ocean. But this time, it’s the Pacific. Unlike some trips, this one is mainly a “people” trip. Namely, both A and I have family in New Zealand…
Editor’s note: I just love Hedy Maessen’s viewpoint on travel and the world. Her way of meeting people everywhere she goes is incredible, and I can speak to that firsthand, being one of the random people she met and befriended along her way when we were both participants in a cocktail making class in Curacao.…
Editor’s note: I’ve barely scratched the surface of Oceania, and the Cook Islands aren’t even on my radar. Until now. I mean, just read Hedy’s descriptions of the beauty and culture, and you’ll want to go, too. For more of Hedy’s writing, click here to visit her index page. Until a year ago, I didn’t…
Today, we are strong enough and honest enough to... admit that the Treaty has been imperfectly observed. I look upon it as a legacy of promise. It can be a guide to... all those whose collective sense of justice, fairness and tolerance will shape the future. In 1990, Queen Elizabeth II visited Waitangi and admitted…
[We] acknowledge New Zealand as a Sovereign and independent State... the admission of their rights... is binding on the faith of the British Crown. The Queen... disclaims... every pretention to... govern the Islands of New Zealand... unless the free and intelligent consent of the Natives... shall first be obtained. This excerpt from the instructions of…