Tauranga, NZ January 31, 2018

Sorry this post is so out of order, but I still have not figured out how to get these posts to appear in the sequence I want.

Countryside near Tauranga, NZ.     Below is the interior of the Maori Meeting House with weavings and carvings.   A wharenui (literally "big house") is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a marae. Wharenui are usually called meeting houses in New Zealand English, or simply called whare (a more generic term simply referring to a house or building). 

This is the view of the nearby area from above Tauranga, NZ.  Seventy-Five percent of NZ's is used for agriculture or forestry.   

Center section is a woven design and edges are carvings in the Maori Meeting House (wharenui).  

You must take your shoes off before entering the Maori Meeting House. (Wharenui)  It is used for peaceful meetings and celebrations.  Any controversial conversations take place outside the house.  

We went to a Maori Marae.  The marae is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies.  We were greeted by this young man during the welcoming ceremony.  He laid down the branch to see if we had come in peace.  Our leader picked up the branch to indicate we had come in peace.  This young man attended  a Maori school for his education.  About a dozen students performed the Haka and several other songs/dances.  

After the welcoming ceremony, we went down a line of community members and had to  bump foreheads and touch noses.  I don't really recommend this greeting...

Inside their house of peace, there were decorative weavings, painted timbers and other carvings.  This building is for important events such as celebrating the birth of a child, a marriage, or a funeral.  Funerals last for three days.  All people that come to the funeral must be greeted with the same ceremony.  If a Maori were to leave and return, the person must experience the greeting ceremony upon return.   

A new baby is covered with this mat and then blessings are bestowed upon the child.

This is a wedding wrap.  The bride and the groom are wrapped in shawls like this.  Another interesting part of the wedding is that the bride's family and the groom's family and the bride and groom all spend the wedding night in the Meeting House.  

Woven tapestry and wood carvings in wharenui.  

Wharenui

FACEBOOK  Tauranga, New Zealand is a large harbor located along western Bay of Plenty.  The Maori arrived here in the 13th century and today comprise 17% of the population.  Today, the majority of the people are of European descent at 83%.  Tauranga is known for its bubbling mud pools, the thermal fields of Rotorua.  Seventy-five percent of New Zealand land is used for agriculture and forestry.  In this area, there are many kiwifruit and avocado orchards.

I enjoyed the views as we traveled to a Maori Marae, the meeting grounds.  Used for religious and social purposes, it is a communal or sacred place.   When we arrived, we experienced a Welcoming Ceremony in a cleared area in front of the Maori Meeting House.  Teenagers that attend a Maori School performed for us.  One young man was our greeter. He performed several rituals and laid a branch on the ground.  In picking up the branch, our leader indicated that we came in peace.  Anyone that comes to the Marae must be welcomed.  If there were a funeral, every guest must be welcomed with this ceremony.

After our welcome, we went to a hall on the side where the students performed the Haka and Maori songs and dances.  There are lots of Haka videos on YouTube, some are tied to rugby events.  After the students' performances, we were given snacks and an opportunity to shop.

We then transferred to the Wharenui or big house.  We passed along a receiving line where we had to touch foreheads with each of the Maori as a greeting.  Shoes must be removed before entering the wharenui.  The wharenui is a communal house of the Maori and the focal point of the marae.  The wharenui is used for peaceful meetings and celebrations.  Inside are decorative weavings, painted timbers and carvings.  On the day a couple marries, the bride, groom and both of the families spend the night together in the wharenui.  A funeral will last for three days and the family and anyone they invite will spend the nights in the wharenui.  To celebrate the birth of a child, the child is wrapped in a shawl with feathers woven into it and blessed.

This day was an interesting cultural experience.  In traveling back to the ship, I noticed a lot of new development.  The area is growing.

Auckland, NZ 1/28&29/18

This is the City of Sails - Auckland, New Zealand. 

Sky City and Sky Tower

The Ferry Building

Tarlton's Aquarium

Tarlton's Aquarium - Shark Tunnel

I loved Auckland.  Great bustling city.  It was a holiday on Monday and there were many activities in the harbor area and throughout the town.

My friend and I did the Hop-On, Hop-Off Yellow Tour Bus after the included excursion.  It was a great value.  We had our passes for 24 hours and it included a ferry to a quaint neighboring island, Devonport.  We climbed an extinct volcano called Mt. Eden and were amazed at how far we could see in all directions.  In the early evening when we took the ferry to Devonport, we climbed another extinct volcano to enjoy the view.

My second day on the HOHO bus, I visited Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium.  It was awesome.  Very clean and remarkably, it was built underground in an abandoned sewage facility.  I also went to the beautiful Holy Trinity Cathedral.  I got off the bus at the Queen Street stop and found my way around an Asian section.  For less than $100., I had foot reflexology, facial and got a haircut.  Each one was excellent.  Turned out to be a great day.

Headed to Rotorua (Tauranga), NZ tomorrow.  I don't know why almost everywhere we go has two names.

Aukland at night from our ship after the performance Te Puawai "Mana", an authentic Maori cultural folkloric show.  

Aukland and surrounding area from the top of the extinct volcano, Mt. Eden.

Beautiful Holy Trinity Cathedral.  Amazing stained glass windows.

Downtown Aukland where our ship was docked.  It was great to be in walking distance to the downtown area and not driving 45 minutes or more to get there.  

Savage Memorial with reflection pool and gardens at Bastion Point.  

Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell stained-glass windows

View from Mt. Victoria another extinct volcano of Devonport.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Tug boats pushing each other around.  Boys and their toys.

Largest colony of penguins on display in Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium.  They make 3 to 5 tons of snow every day.  

Auckland Domain's Winter Garden in a greenhouse.  Constructed after WW I.

Busy harbor - more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world.

Wharenui (big house).  Maori gave Bastion Port to the Europeans for a defensive point.

View from Mt. Eden

Devonport Harbor

Devonport 

View from Mt.Victoria, Devonport

View from Mt. Victoria, Devonport

Interesting tree in Devonport

Te Puawai "Mana", an authentic Maori cultural folkloric show

Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium Turtle Rescue

Kelly Tarlton's Shark Tunnel

Seahorse Kingdom

Bishop's Office

St. Mary's Church

Savage Memorial and garden honoring beloved Prime Minister

View from Mt. Eden

View from Mt. Eden

Scott's Hut 1911 Antarctic Expedition

Antarctic Expedition Quarters

FACEBOOK  Auckland, NZ has a lot to see and do which made for a busy two days.  This is a culturally diverse city nestled between two harbors.  There are more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world.  Auckland is considered the "City of Sails".

The first day, we did the short included tour and then we chose the Hop-on, Hop-off bus to get around town and spend time where we wanted.   We stopped by the Sky Tower and the Auckland Domain Winter Garden.  There were beautiful displays of flowers in green houses that were built after WW I surrounded by lovely green areas.   Bastion Point offered views of Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbor.  The Maori tribe Ngati Whatua gave this land to the Europeans for a defensive point in 1885.  There is a Maori Marae on site as after much controversy which included 506 days of protestors occupation the land was returned to the Maori instead of being developed.  This stop also included the Savage Memorial, an art deco obelisk with reflecting pool and beautiful gardens to honor a beloved prime minister.  The next stop was Mt. Eden, an extinct volcano and believed to be the home of a Maori god.  The 360 degree views were amazing.

After dinner on the ship, we took a ferry to nearby Devonport.  This was another part of our Hop -on/Hop off package.  We walked around the picturesque town and then climbed to the top of another extinct volcano, Mt. Victoria.  The views were great and they are trying to refurbish the former guns from the days when a fort was located on this vantage point.  We returned to the ship in time to see Te Puawai "Mana", an authentic Maori cultural folkloric show.  

Day two, I was back on the Hop on/Hop off bus.  I got off at Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium Sea Life which is located underground in a former sewer facility.  It was one of the nicest aquariums I have visited.  There are 13 theme zones and 30 live animal displays including Scott's Hut from 1911 Anarctic Expedition, the largest colony of penguins on display requiring 3-5 tons of snow daily, turtle rescue, shark tunnel, seahorse kingdom, and more.   Back on the bus, I went to Holy Trinity Cathedral with beautiful, modern stained glass windows and St. Mary's Church.  Next, Parnell's Rose Garden was a lovely cottage style garden.  I finished my day by getting off in the Theater area and happened into an Asian section.  I had reflexology, facial and haircut for less than $100. total.  All the services were great.  

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Auckland.  I don't have all the information on how far we've traveled but it was 6,847 nautical miles from Los Angeles to Auckland.