E noho rā, Aotearoa

The title of this post in the Maori language is "Good Bye, New Zealand."  Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand.  It means the "Land of the Long White Cloud."  Polynesians settled in New Zealand about 800 years ago and the first European landed on its shore in the 17th century.  When I started on this trip, I wanted to have a better understanding of the history of New Zealand.  As I was traveling, I was reading Michael King's book on the "History of New Zealand."  Today you see the peaceful coexistence of the Pakehas (Europeans) and the Maoris.  But it wasn't always so.  The early Europeans settlers wanted to make New Zealand like the country where they came from.  Naturally, the Maoris resisted and there were many battles over the years.

Regardless of its history, New Zealand is a beautiful country, formed over millions of years ago by the movement of tectonic plates, earthquakes, glaciers, volcanic eruption, etc.  About a month ago, I never expected to see so many beautiful places and did so many things.  I've shared most of the best pictures on this blog.  Just to sight-see in New Zealand is nice but to actually do the activities is where the fun is. Here are the activities that I did on this trip:

1. Learned surfing in Raglan
2. Black water rafting (in the caves) in Waitomo
3. Learned to do the Haka (Maori War Dance) in Maketu
4. Ate native Maori food in Maketu
5. Soaked in a geothermal spa in Rotorua
6. Hiked the Alpine Crossing and active volcanic region in Tongariro National Park.  One of the volcanoes had a small eruption 2 weeks after we hiked there and the hiking trail was closed.
7. Stayed at a sheep ranch in Whakaharo
8. Visited the famous Te Papa Museum in Wellington
9. Toured the sites where some of the scenes from the Lord of the Ring movies were shot in Wellington
10. Rode the ferry between North and South Island
11. Sailed and hiked in the Abel Tasman National Park
12. Tasted the best mussels (green-lipped) farmed in Nelson, near Abel Tasman National Park
13. Hiked the Franz Josef Glacier in the Franz Josef National Park
14. Tasted whitebait fish (a delicacy in New Zealand)
15. Had the best fish (blue cod and orange roughy) and chips in Queenstown
16. Stayed near the famous Mount Cook and saw a glacier lake
17. River Rafting in a glacier-fed river in Rangitata
18. Sadly, saw the earthquake-hit area of Christchurch
19. Whale watching in Kaikorua
20. Swam with the dolphins in Kaikorua
21. Fishing and eating crayfish in Kaikorua
22. Saw the setup for the premiere of The Hobbit but missed it by 1 day

It's been a wonderful experience, especially traveling and doing things with twenty-something year -olds.  It makes me feel young and wanting to keep doing this forever.  I am sure I will be back in New Zealand in the future.  I've learned and experienced so much.  But, there is more to see and do.

E noho rā, Aotearoa!

Mount Cook on a cloudy day