Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:39:26 +1300 (NZDT) To: astrid@muskoka.net From: mike brooker Subject: essay A BRIEF HISTORY OF [NEW ZEALAND] TIME mike brooker a personal view [my apology to Stephen Hawking for bruising the title of his justly famous book] Gondwana Six hundred million years ago, the islands we know as New Zealand, were part of the great Gondwana continent. This massive continent comprised most of the land in the southern hemisphere, including India, Southern parts of Africa and America. The continents separated with Australia and New Zealand slowing parting company. With this isolation, life forms on both these countries have species found nowhere else. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] Proud to be a Kiwi One of New zealand's national symbols is the nocturnal, flightless bird known as the Kiwi [Apteryx] which lays the largest egg for a bird of it's size. We also have a living remnant of the dinosaur era, our very own Tuatara [Sphenodon punctatus]. This is the only living representative of Rynchocepalia as the other species died out some one hundred million years ago. To help protect this rare animal Department of Conservation [DoC] have encouraged breeding by clearing it's only island habitat of feral animals which include rats, cats, goats and other introduced species. As permission is necessary to visit some of our offshore island, those used for preservation of the species, the other introduced species which is very rare are us humans. Original inhabitants of these islands were the Moriori. Finally enslaved and killed by the first wave of migrants, the Maori, there are still a very few descendants of the Moriori living on the Chatham Islands, east of New Zealand. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] The Maori people migrated here from their mythical Hawaiki. Not to be confused with Hawaii, this land is now recognized as being the Cook Islands. Definite dates for the first arrivals vary from about six hundred to a thousand plus years from current time. Now, in 1969, there are no full Maori left in New Zealand. I consider myself privileged to have known several of the true Maori people, among them, a fine old gentleman, a descendant of his namesake, Rewi Maniopoto and his wife Kiri. Another, Mary Tai, still had her original moko [tattoo] on her chin. Rewi had moko as well as chest cicatrices. All these people have been dead for a number of years. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] With a modern upsurge in Maori culture modern Maori are once again placing moko on their faces and bodies. They also are practicing as much of Maori customs as have been verbally handed down through the years. Maori wood carvings, similar to the American Indian Totem poles still adorn the Marae, meeting places, of the Maori. Original carvings of wood and bone are preserved in the National Museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, in Wellington. A point should be made here about the Maori Queen who is resident in Ngaruawahia. Maori never recognized themselves as a unified nation and it was only after the 'Maori Wars' when incoming Europeans bought and, often, confiscated Maori land that the concept of a Maori King was formed. As 'king' his mana was expected to help protect their lands from sale. The Maori now recognize a Maori Queen as chief of a Maori Nation, although they still regard themselves as separate families, with their immediate loyalties lying with their closer relatives, hapu and iwi, "tribe" and "clan". [top of page|next section|bottom of page] First European settlements began after Captain James Cook circumnavigated these coasts in 1770. By the early 1800's whalers, closely followed by settlers and the clergy, had taken residence here. The first 'center of government' was at Russell in the lovely Bay of Islands. The modern Capital and seat of government is now Wellington. The people who inhabit New Zealand migrated here from, traditionally, the British Isles. Now we welcome people from many parts of the world: so apart from the grass roots Kiwi other cultures are recognized here; Dutch settlers are very populous, as are other Scandinavian people. 'Dalmatians' from what is now Croatia took up land in the North Island, north of Auckland and around Whangarei. They began as 'gum diggers' searching the swampy ground in Northland for the solidified resin from the Kauri trees. These people then diverged into wine making using their own traditional methods. New Zealand wine is now winning many accolades from world renowned judges. Our white wines, in particular, are very popular overseas. The current migratory trend is from Asia, Malaysia and Singapore, Vietnam, Korea and, of course, Hong Kong. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] Superb offshore sport fishing was first publicized by the great writer of Western's, Zane Grey, who fished the Bay of Islands in many successive years. Now the fishing off our eastern coasts are popular tourist attractions. Along with trout and salmon fishing in our rivers and lakes, other popular 'sports' include the killing of deer and wapiti. [You may realize that, although I enjoy trout fishing in which most are returned, I abhor killing of other animals. This is a personal account so please allow me this observation] We have great attractions for ski-ing and backpacking in our mountains. In the North Island, the Tongariro National Park, which is on the Central Volcanic Plateau, has several mountains, two of which are still active volcano's. Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] Ngauruhoe is a perfect cone, similar to the dormant west coast volcano, Mt.Egmont. But Ngauruhoe still emits smoke and steam and, every few years produces a volcanic display. The third mountain in the region is Tongariro, which still has fumaroles and hot chemical lakes on its slopes. On a personal note this Tongariro National Park was one of my own special backpacking areas. Out of the ski season, these mountains used to remain clear of visitors and I found the clean high air and solitude wonderfully envigorating. I have climbed over all the peaks: Ngauruhoe took me over two hours of slipping and sliding on the steep volcanic slopes to reach the top but only twenty minutes of slipping and sliding on the way down. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] The South Island This is my home territory now. I live close to Nelson, just outside the small village of Brightwater. The Waimea Valley, in reality a wide estuarine plain, is bounded on two sides by mountain ranges. Those on the east, and close to Brightwater are the Richmond Range, with a subsidiary Barnicoat Range while farther away to the west lies the Mt. Arthur Tableland. Nelson district is an agri-horti-silvi-cultural area. Mainly now devoted to cattle and sheep pastures we also are well known for our fruit, mainly apples, pears and peaches while many multi-hectares of pine forest are farmed on a sustainable basis. Being used locally as well as for export, truckloads of forest pass through Brightwater on a daily basis, heading for the port of Nelson as well as to local wood-chipping plants. These chips are freighted through Nelson mainly to Japan for use in their local industries. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] In my opinion, which although objective, is not so humble, the South Island is the more beautiful of our islands. Population centers are farther apart than in the more settled North Island: the scenery is beautiful with the Southern Alps running the length of the land and with a vast variety of lakes and rivers. The coastal waters around Nelson are safe and uncrowded. In other districts lovely swimming and surf beaches are prolific. Mt. Cook in the Alps is the highest peak in Austral asia at 3764 meters high and it from this mountain several well-known glaciers are spawned. The Franz Joseph and the Fox glaciers are probably the best known as both come down close to sea level on the western shores. In fact, the Franz Joseph may be viewed, in certain years, from the main highway which runs at sea level. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] The West Coast This stretch of rugged coastline of the South Island's west coast is known, with capital letters, as The West Coast. The Coasters living here are almost a breed apart. They are justifiably known as independent people, friendly in the extreme. Brewed from a tough breed of gold and coal miners, mixed with fishermen and forestry workers they have a belief in close and friendly socializing within their respective communities. They are a friendly people so 'outsiders' always feel welcome on The West Coast. It is here on The Coast the Maori people found their pounamu, greenstone, which is a form of jade. It was used as trade as well as for neck ornaments such as the tiki which supposedly represents a fetus but is now accepted as a good luck charm. At Hokitika, close by Greymouth, on The Coast, small factories cut, carve and polish pounamu into many forms of ornaments and decoration. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] Fiordland This rugged, rain soaked corner of the South Island is mainly uninhabited, with only one small settlement at the head of Milford Sound. Here one of our famous landmarks appears; the well-photographed Mitre Peak dropping sheer into the deep, dark Sound. In one of these hidden valleys DoC officers found the very rare Takahe, a bird believed to be extinct. Now DoC officers have a breeding program, so well advanced that birds are being released back into the wild and lonely valleys, as well as on to some of our offshore, protected, islands. In such a small area as is New Zealand, it is surprising to realize that, here in Fiordland, there is land still unknown and untrodden. It's a vast [to New Zealand] area of deep ravines, long fiords poking inland for many kilometers, cloud covered peaks and -- rain. Fiordland especially has the Southern Alps close to the western shoreline and these mountains collect water from the prevailing westerly winds, dumping great quantities into this area. This high precipitation makes for the loneliness of Fiordland. Rotten, fallen trees hide steep creeks, all draped in a Spanish Moss, hanging like the old-time widows weeds from tree branches everywhere. And then there are the sandfly's! Even old woodsmen with sun and wind toughened skin are no match for these voracious insects. An important piece of advice is: "When you visit Fiordland, take a quantity of insect repellant". Sandfly's will buzz annoyingly round your head and face but won't land to nip you. [top of page|next section|bottom of page] Well, after all this, you will know I love my country and especially this beautiful South Island. In the relatively small compass of New Zealand we can boast of sub-tropical beaches in the far north and fiords to challenge Norway in the south. In between may be found superb scenery, mountains, lakes and rivers to please all who visit us. I have not written about our cities for, apart from Asian countries ALL cities bear a remarkable resemblance to each other. I'm proud to be a Kiwi. [The bird -- not the fruit!]E-mail Mike Brooker at mikebro@voyager.co.nz [top of page|bottom of page]