Left Christchurch after breakfast and drove to Kaikoura. This was our first long drive in NZ. The journey took about 3 hours and the road was single track most of the way. But what they said about NZ roads was true. There was VERY little traffic – if you can see two cars it counts as a traffic jam. We drove through rich farm land and then some dramatic scenery up and down hills and mountains. As we got near to Kaikoura, the road dropped down to sea level and followed the coastline. The view was amazing.
Our motel had a view out over Kaikoura Bay – deep blue sea with mountains beyond
. Lunch was at a local hotel and I (Alan) had the famous Marlborough Green Lipped Mussels. They were delicious. Much bigger than the usual black ones we have but also a bit chewier.
The afternoon was one of the highlights of this holiday so far. We had booked a Maori Culture Tour. Not one of the large "culture performances show and meal", but an intimate tour led by a Maori who told stories about his tribe and also explained some of his cultural heritage. It was a very private tour – 3 people and so we had an unparallelled opportunity to ask questions and find out about old ways of life and life in more recent times.
We first visited a Pā – a fortified place used in times of war. We received a formal welcome (karanga), said by a woman of the tribe, followed by the welcome speech (powhiri). We were given an explanation of the Maori way of introducing oneself – first acknowledging one's ancestral mountain, river and canoe, followed by tribe and personal name
. We then introduced ourselves in a similar fashion (Victoria Peak/Pearl River for me Mendips and the Avon for Hamish..). Then we were taught the hongi, the nose touching greeting. Afterwards, we went to have a look at the marae, which was the meeting house of the tribe, built on the site of an earlier one which had been destroyed in a fire. There we were treated to more stories about the various Maori tribes who had inhabited the area and in particular, how there was a peaceful takeover of the land by the Ngati Kuri. Alas we were not allowed to see the inside of the marae because some unscrupulous photographers once went in, took photos and started selling postcards of the carvings. Never heard of copyright ! So he did us out of the pleasure of seeing the carvings.
The guide then took us to South Bay. On the way, we practised a Maori song. In South Bay he showed us sculptures of Maori legends, especially one about the legendary hero Maui fishing up the North Island out of the sea and the place where he braced his foot became the Kaikoura peninsula
. Here he also talked more about Maori culture, family relationship, the medicine men/women and also the land his tribe owned and lost. Many tribes are still in dispute over the way their lands were seized after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The local tribe finally received compensation which has been invested for use in education, health and for cases of hardship.
This was the end of the first part of the tour. Our guide then invited back to his home and met some of his family. We had tea, sang our song and even wove flax. We have the pictures to prove it !
The second part of the tour is a walk in the Puhi Puhi Valley Reserve. Our guide explained the various plants which the Maori used for food and for herbal remedies – we tried some tea made from the New Zealand Pepper Plant which has cleansing properties. We also saw the three oldest trees growing in the area two of which were over 500 years old and the oldest was over 800 years old. If they could only talk, they could tell us a thing or two. Actually we had to sing our song to honour them but Hamish was worried that his singing might kill them. The forest was heavily logged but these survived because they were growing close to the school for the loggers. For the latter part of our walk, we were accompanied by a Fan Tail. A bright little bird that gets its name from the way it spreads and closes his tail very quickly.
The whole day was a real eye-opener and gave us a small insight into traditional Maori ways.
But our guide is a man of today too – he wanted to know if we watched Coronation Street and could tell him what was going to happen as they are a year or so behind the UK ! Bizarre !
Kaikoura – crayfish capital of NZ
Monday, May 10, 2010
Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand
Other Entries
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1Getting ready
Apr 2812 days priorLondon, United Kingdomphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 9 -
2A few Days in Hong Kong
Apr 3010 days priorHong Kong, Chinaphoto_camera15videocam 0comment 8 -
3HK and Auckland
May 037 days priorHK and Auckland, New Zealandphoto_camera2videocam 0comment 2 -
4Auckland
May 046 days priorAuckland & Queenstown, New Zealandphoto_camera20videocam 0comment 2 -
5A day in the Fiorlands
May 073 days priorQueenstown, New Zealandphoto_camera28videocam 0comment 4 -
6From Queenstown to Christchurch
May 082 days priorChristchurch, New Zealandphoto_camera13videocam 0comment 5 -
7TranzAlpine Railway Journey
May 091 day priorChristchurch, New Zealandphoto_camera19videocam 0comment 1 -
8Kaikoura – crayfish capital of NZ
May 10Kaikoura, New Zealandphoto_camera13videocam 0comment 6 -
9Nelson to Wellington
May 111 day laterNelson, New Zealandphoto_camera20videocam 0comment 3 -
10A cultural Day in the Capital City
May 122 days laterWellington, New Zealandphoto_camera10videocam 0comment 6 -
11Back in Auckland
May 144 days laterAuckland, New Zealandphoto_camera12videocam 0comment 4 -
12Chilling out on Waiheke
May 166 days laterWaiheke Island, New Zealandphoto_camera18videocam 0comment 2 -
13Geothermals and Sulphur
May 188 days laterRotorua, New Zealandphoto_camera21videocam 0comment 5 -
14Thermal Wonderland
May 2010 days laterRotorua , New Zealandphoto_camera10videocam 0comment 5 -
15Homeward Bound
May 2111 days laterAuckland, New Zealandphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 5
Comments

2025-02-14
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Sybil
2010-05-12
This place is soooo blue! Will you be making your rendition of the Maori song available on youtube?
Jeremy
2010-05-12
Can't wait to see your hand-woven flax garments...
Koen en Wim
2010-05-12
Tena korua!
Dat zouden jullie nu moeten verstaan... ;-)
Wat een bijzondere ervaring bij de Maori's. Dat is iets wat wij niet hebben gedaan helaas. Uiteraard zijn wij wel op een walvisexpeditie geweest. Gaan jullie dat nog doen?
Mooie foto's!
Geniet lekker verder. Het weer is hier bar: koud en regen. Het lijkt wel herfst!
Groeten vanuit een koud en nat Nederland van Koen en Wim.
Øjvind og Allan
2010-05-12
Hej Alan og Hamish. Tak for de hyggelige rapporter fra NZ - det er spændende at følge jeres rejse og vi nyder de flotte billeder. God fornøjelse med den videre tur! Mange kærlige hilsner fra Øjvind og Allan
Rob de Koning
2010-05-16
All the pictures your posting are wonderful!
Somebody is doing a great job.
Keep enjoying this wonderful journey! It's fun to read all about it.
Vicki
2010-05-21
Is NZ the only other place in the world that screens Coronation Street?