Land of the Long White Cloud - Aotearoa

Adventures in North Island

The Maori name , Aotearoa, is apt. Most days there is a band of cloud along the mountainous spine of New Zealand, sometimes it is grey and envelops the ranges and at other times it is white and just caresses the peaks. This country is exotic in all senses of the word, The land ranges from fertile plains through velvety green hills to snow capped mountains, volcanoes, boiling mud pools , colourful steaming lakes, pristine sandy beaches with massive surf and shelving shingle beaches lashed by huge waves.
It is blessed with fertile soil and months of weather conducive to the growth of plants both native and introduced from most parts of the world. Many species grow much faster and larger than they do in their native habitat. This has been a boon to the fibre industry who can grow a radiata pine to maturity in 25 years instead of 75 in western North America. It is also perfect for plant collectors, beautiful specimen trees from Europe, Asia and America adorn gardens and parks. At the Eastwoodhill Arboretum I saw a 93 year old Red Oak, PEI’s provincial tree symbol. It was significantly larger than the 200 year old specimens growing in Charlottetown And then there is the stunning native Pohutakawa, which ranges from shrub to massive multitrunked tree, covered in crimson flowers at this time of the year and growing along the coast.

These conditions have meant that the native forest is hard to find. For example ninety percent of the kahikatea were felled to make butterboxes for shipping to the UK. Where native species are regenerating, they are browsed by possums and rats. Special efforts are needed to restore native vegetation. There are several conservation projects underway, one is in a valley in the middle of Wellington, others are on off shore Islands like Kapiti (Entry Island) in Cook Strait. The Island was cleared for sheep farming but is now regenerating thanks to the efforts of the department of Conservation and Maori landowners. I walked through Kanuka forests humming with a million bees where sheep had grazed 40 years ago. Eco-tourism and kanuka honey are the main activities now. Possums and rats have been completely eliminated.
There are some notable developments in commercial land use. Since the elimination of farming subsidies 20 years ago, there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of sheep and cattle, Many farmers planted trees, vineyards, kiwi and other fruits. Plantations can also provide income to their owners as carbon credits if they are not cut.
However NZ is still a land of sheep and cattle. Huge dairy herds and flocks of sheep graze in small paddocks on the lowlands and wandering freely in lesser numbers on the poorer hiller land. Tunnels under many but the most minor of roads allow for movement of stock.

New Zealand is also notable in that its first nations, the Maori are much less brutalised by European settlement. The reasons for this are complex and don’t exonerate the European settlers who were frequently very destructive to Maori their land and way of life. But they have survived and are much closer to being equal partners in modern New Zealand than first nations in Canada and aborigines in Australia. The Treaty of Waitangi is the underlying constitutional document and although it has its ambiguities and has not always been respected, it is a living document which is constantly under review for improvement. NZ has maintained many Maori place names and nearly all the native plants are known by their Maori names rather than an English one. I am being coached in Maori pronunciation by Kiwis of many origins. In Paihia, I met a Maori family, paddled their canoe (a waka) and was given a traditional Maori welcome. Hone, the waka chief (not captain) gave us a spirited and animistic tour through the Maori worldview. Kiwis as a whole are a friendly lot, much given to extreme adventures such as canyoning, skydiving, bungee jumping and paragliding. And they poke very good natured fun at the Aussies, while trying to eliminate their least favourite Aussie import, the possum.

My travels on North Island took me to me along Ninety Mile beach to Cape Reinga where the Pacific meets the Tasman Sea, to Waipu, a town built by Scottish settlers from Cape Breton, to sulphurous Rotorua the most active thermal area in NZ, and to remote East Cape This the only place where I have encountered that iconic image of NZ, sheep and cattle travelling along the roads. Elsewhere they are using tunnels under the roads. Gisborne on Poverty Bay was Cook’s first landfall in NZ and a must see for me before going on to Napier, a charming Art Deco town on the east coast. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt very quickly and thoughtfully at a time when the rest of the world was languishing in the depression. There are fine art deco buildings throughout the centre of town in the industrial port area and an art deco residential neighbourhood. Naper cherishes and markets this architectural treasure. Finally I spent a few days in Wellington, the capital, a city built on hills and inlets, learning a lot about NZ history, natural and human, visiting Katherine Mansfield’s birthplace and doing a night walk in an urban bird sanctuary.

So now it is time to cross Cook Strait and explore the South Island.