Te Ika a Maui: North Island

We began our explorations of Te Ika a Maui (the Maori name for North Island) in the city of Wellington

The capital of New Zealand is known for its lovely blue harbor and relaxed vibe. It is also the windiest city in New Zealand but we were lucky not to get blown away. Here’s a view from a hill that we reached via cable car.

Walking around at the top of the hill, we came across a planetarium. What a lovely find it was!

While we had learned about the Southern sky before, this was unique as it shared information about how the Maori saw the sky through their gods and legends. They see a woman on the moon…

And we came across another name and story about the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, cluster. This highly visible cluster has had a special place in folklore and literature in ancient and modern times. It is called Matariki by the Maori.

Ohakune, our next stop, is a bustling ski resort in the winter but a ghost town in the summer. The quiet was fine with us. In the background is the still active volcano, Mt. Ruapehu, which last erupted in 2007. Because it had been in a level 2 state of activity for the past few weeks, we kept a healthy distance from it!

Some people never grow up….Besides its close proximity to Mt. Ruapehu and the Tongariro National Park, Ohakune is also known for growing carrots, which really are the sweetest we’ve ever tasted. A good comparison (and people from Georgia will understand this) is Vidalia onions.

Another active volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe, as seen from within the Tongariro park, has one of the most starkly beautiful landscapes we have ever seen.

We walked out on the Tomo Lakes track, one of Tongariro’s many trails – and the solitude and beauty made it another “thin place” in our book. For those of you not familiar with the term: some people say that “Thin Places” are places of energy where the veil between this world and the eternal is at it’s thinnest and you can sense the beyond. Others, especially those who are versed in Celtic spirituality, say that they are places where the boundary between heaven and earth is so thin we can sense the presence of God more easily.

However, the peace and tranquility were somewhat disturbed when we walked past this sign as we were walking closer to the mountain – eek! You are reminded in Tongariro that volcanic eruptions created New Zealand and that activity can resume at any time.

One of the tourist attractions we visited in Rotorua was the Tomaki Maori Village, where this Maori fellow is showing off the meal that our group will soon enjoy. It’s called hāngi and consists of lamb, chicken, sweet potatoes (called kumara), and stuffing, cooked all day using heated rocks in a pit oven. It was delicious.

And we’ll leave you with this image – clouds or UFO? Seen over Ohakune, the ghost town…