Recent Posts

• New Zealand Places: The Heart of New Zealand - Part Two - July 21st, 2008
  This is the second article about wellington. Click Here to view the first one. Wellington is located on the southern end of the North Island, on the shores of volcanically created Lambton Harbor, which is a part of Cook Strait. Clamped between a gulf and hills, Wellington had to extend along the coast for two kilometers, and it can be easily walked across. You can get the best panoramic views of Wellington from mount Victoria. From here you can see the Lambton harbor in which the port of We...
• General: Maori Jade Amulets - July 19th, 2008
  In my previous article titled Greenstone in Maori Culture I promised to tell more about different Maori medallions which are made from greenstone. So I am keeping my promise, and here we go: Tiki - It has a number of meanings, most common being - a fertility symbol (look - the hands are on the loins). It is also a token of good will, and Maori present it to their friends or person they respect. Spiral - Koru. The Koru is inspired by the uncurling fern fond, whic...
• Photo of the Week: Ambury Regional Park - July 18th, 2008
  Ambury Regional Park is located in Auckland, and it is surprising what a beautiful nature you can see in just  ten minutes drive from the city center. You can also have a close encounter with farm animals at the park and even milk a cow (from July to November) if you want the experience. Though some people might thing that regional parks in New Zealand are not as beautiful as national parks, I strongly disagree with them and as a proof bring this photograph.
• Experiences: Lindsay McLeod - Photographer from Dunedin - July 3rd, 2008
  It was a Sunday afternoon when me and my girlfriend were walking on Stuart street in Dunedin aiming for the famous railway station building. On our way we saw a sign saying "Photo Gallery Open" and pointing into one of the old doors. We became curious and decided to come in. We came inside and saw old stairway leading to a mysterious place above us. Intrigued we climbed upstairs and entered the open door with the sign "Photo Gallery" (maybe it was a little different sign I don't remember exactly...
• Activities: Christchurch Gondola - June 26th, 2008
  For those who like a more relaxed experiences but still with just a tiny touch of adrenaline, Christchurch offers the Gondola Ride. Located in the Heathcote Valley, only 15 minutes from the Christchurch city center, it is a very enjoyable and exciting experience. You park your car at the base station (public transport is also available) and go up in the gondola to the summit station, enjoying the beautiful views as you smoothly gain altitude. At the summit complex you have a gift shop (which is...
• News: Kiwi found in the Opuiaki Forest - June 24th, 2008
  These news are very exciting for all Kiwi fans of New Zealand. For the first time in ten years (!) North Island Brown Kiwi was found in the Opuiaki Forest, which is located near Tauranga. In the DOC they think that the birds are even breeding! DOC ranger Lance Dew and his dog Jet (which was especially trained to track Kiwis) found a pair of brown Kiwis in the Opuiaki's dense native bush after spending 9 hard nights following their scent. The found kiwis have been tagged with radio transmitters a...
• New Zealand Fauna: Tuatara - The Surviving Dinosaur - June 22nd, 2008
  Most of the people mistakingly think that Tuatara is a lizard, while Tuatara is actually dinosaur. Really, it is one of the only survivors of a dinosaur group Sphenodontia that existed about 200 million years ago. All of the other members in this group became extinct 60 millions years ago. Tuatara Facts 1. The Diet Tuatra eats mostly invertebrates such as beetles, weta, spiders, worms and millipedes. Sometimes lizards, seabird chicks and eggs are also enter their menu. The bad thing is t...
• Tramping: Volcanic Auckland - June 3rd, 2008
  I live in the heart of a busy, sprawling metropolis: Auckland, the commercial powerhouse of New Zealand. I live here because this is where I work, the high-paced throb of the city beats in tune with my heart. It’s busy, people work fast, they live fast, move fast. It’s no New York, but rates consistently as the 5th top city in the world for quality of life. What does any of this have to do with tramping? Well, this city of Auckland is distinctively New Zealand. I know of few cities where ...
• New Zealand History: Attempt at Immortality - June 1st, 2008
  This is the second post about Maui - the most important figure in Maori mythology. My first post is titled King of New Zealand's Mythology Maui remained with his parents in the underground world, and soon began to notice strange things that aroused his curiosity and pushed him towards his next feat. It turned out that most of the food in the underground world was given to Grandmother. Once Maui went to visit her, and while being there traded from Grandmother magic Jaw in exchange for food. G...