The legend of New Zealand

by Stephanie - 25/01/2011 13:55:00

The Māori name for the North island,
Te Ika a Maui, means "The fish of Maui".

The legend of Māui, a clever, gifted demigod, pretty much sums up the South Pacific idea of a hero. After a miraculous birth and upbringing he won the affection of his supernatural parents, taught useful arts to mankind, snared the sun and tamed fire, and fished out of the sea the islands of New Zealand.  

There are numerous Polynesian legends of Māui fishing up new land, with Te Ika a Maui (the North Island of New Zealand) the largest.

Disliked by his four older brothers, Māui would be left behind when they went fishing. So one night, he secretly made a fishhook from a magical ancestral jawbone and crept into his brothers' canoe and hid under the floorboards.

It wasn't until the brothers were far out of sight of land, and they had filled the bottom of their canoe with fish that Maui jumped up, took out his magic fishhook and threw it over the side reciting magic incantations.

The hook went deeper into the sea until Māui felt the hook had touched something. He tugged gently and far below the hook caught and together with his brothers brought the fish to the surface.

Māui cautioned his brothers to wait until he had appeased Tangaroa the god of the sea before they cut into the fish, but the brothers grew tired of waiting and began to carve out pieces for themselves. These are now the many valleys, mountains, lakes and rocky coastlines of the North Island.

There are many places throughout New Zealand associated with this particular Māui legend including the South Island that is also known as Te Waka a Maui or the canoe of Māui and the Stewart Island or Rakiura also known as Te Punga a Maui or the anchor stone of Māui.

Aotearoa, New Zealand is one of three centres of Māui legends the others are Hawaii and Tahiti. Māui also features in the folklore of Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Tokelau as well as many other South Pacific islands. Despite the geographic spread, the stories remain essentially the same today.

According to legend, Māui eventually met his death while attempting to kill the goddess of death, Hine nui-te-po.

- Take a year out with a New Zealand Working Holiday!

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Poor Knights Islands: top dive site in New Zealand

by Stephanie - 11/01/2011 14:30:00

Two clown nudibranch in the coral reef off
Poor Knights Islands. Photo: Jon Radoff

Just twenty three kilometres off New Zealand’s Tutukaka Coast are a cluster of islands that are a top international site for diving as well as snorkelling and kayaking. Despite their name, the Poor Knights Islands are anything but, and should be on every keen divers' to-do list.  

The islands are washed by warm currents swept south from the Coral Sea and are part of a complete marine and nature reserve - and pending World Heritage Site. The islands have an astounding Maori history and their 11 million year old volcanic origins provide spectacular drop offs, walls, caves, arches and tunnels to explore. 

The whole area is full of unique plant and animal life both above and below the waterline. Over 125 species of fish can be found in the waters off the islands along with soft corals, sponges, vibrant anemones, large kelp forests, sting rays, gorgonian fans and many others. The islands’ famous arches are fascinating to explore, with countless animals competing for space on the walls and in the warmer months, squadrons of stingrays can be seen in the waters of the archways.

Diving the Poor Knights can truly be called a once-in-a-lifetime experience as the area is very different to other diving coral reefs or even the nearby New Zealand coast. Many of the subtropical fish living in the marine reserve are found nowhere else in New Zealand.

Nursery Cove and some of the shallower parts of South Harbour are great venues for novice divers but experienced divers can find spectacular and challenging dives all around the islands.

If you are not a diver there are still plenty of ways to explore islands, including a simple sightseeing cruise or a combination cruise of sightseeing along with snorkelling and cave explorations. A number of charter dive boats operate from Tutukaka Harbour, which is 30 kilometres from Whangarei.

The Whangarei Official Tourism Website can help with more information. Visit: http://www.whangareinz.com/

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Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

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