Sewage Drain
Someone's desperation
Te Puke's crowning jewel; it is the kiwifruit capital of New Zealand
Hawke's Bay
Kaikoura
Nelson
Waitomop.s. It was crunchy because when we extracted the worms, we weren't quite ready to eat them and so put them in the fridge! Bloody amateurs!
A little background on Waitangi Day:
On February 6, 1840, Maori leaders of different Iwis (tribes) signed a treaty with the British Crown about the distribution of the land and to whom it belonged etc...
And I will stop there. Out of respect for Kiwis (Maori and Pakeha alike), I will refrain from explaining political dealings in relation to New Zealand, because I am aware that people can get upset. I have gotten different accounts of the history behind the Treaty of Waitangi and the subsequent issues that have been brought forth since that day. I do not wish to upset anyone and therefore have chosen to stay on a less controversial platform and tell you of my experiences on that day and leave it at that.
If you are interested in learning about the treaty, I recommend that you read up on it yourselves. Here is a website you can check out:
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/category/tid/133
Preparing the canoes (wakas) for the sea
The church minister announced, when he first started the service, that it was too early to talk politics and to refrain from doing so. When John Key went to the podium, he spoke of the courage and hope that the Treaty signified and how it was such an important part of the history and modernity of New Zealand.
Another man, one who I can't name because I didn't know what he looked like and the names got confusing after a while, went up to the podium and said "The Treaty of Waitangi was signed at 8:30am on February 6, 1840 and it died that same night". So much for the non-politics of the pre-dawn! It was a speech rife with passion and frustration. There are still many Maori that resent the implications of the treaty and would like to see it ammended.
View of Te Ti Bay from the Treaty Grounds
After the service, light was just starting to paint the sky. There wouldn't be anything going on until 8:30am, so I went back to the Backpackers and then met up with Pauline and Moana. We chatted for a while over tea before we headed back out.
At 8:30, the wakas were to go out onto the water. This was called the Waka Karakia. Karakia means prayer. I was really excited to see strong (and hot!...I'm still a woman) Maori men represent their people with the wakas, symbols of the time the Maoris first came here from Hawaiki (legendary homeland encompassing much of the South Pacific). Pauline hung out with me along the water, my own personal guide! I was lucky because I had been afraid of seeing much of the day without really knowing the significance. They didn't start until 9:30am (island time!), but I got a chance to get lots of questions answered.
Below: Man doing the haka as a preamble to the wakas going out.
Below: Commentary on the significance of this prayer
Below: Finally going out on the water!
Kids jumping from the bridge
In the past, Waitangi Day has sometimes been a bit aggressive with unruly protests. This year there were protests, but they were peaceful and quite interesting. They were a two dozen or so meters from the NZ Marines and their marching band.
Protester with full Ta Moko (facial tattoos);can't see well because of bad lighting, it's the best I could do for now
Another protester: sign says Support it or F*!k Off; in support of sovereignty
One of the groups of protesters' slogan
Leader of that protest group with the female ta moko on her chin, holding a traditional wooden staff with Paua (abalone) shells decorating it
Fellow protester almost completely tattooed.
Below: The song the protesters sang about love in Te Reo Maori
As you can see, the flags the protesters were holding are not the same as the current New Zealand flag. This white flag represents the supporters of the sovereignty, that is to say, the agreement Maori leaders had made amongst their people a few years before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. They are protesting the current state of affairs in New Zealand and wish for a reconnection with the orignal treaty amongst Maori peoples.
So as the protesters were doing their thing, so was NZ's Marine Corp. It was quite a funny contrast actually. There they were, all lined up, stoic. And as if that weren't enough, there was a marching band and their accompanying cheesy cruise boat music. Made me smile!
Standing stoically
Below: The Marching Band!
At noon, the big fighter ship (frigate? destroyer? I don't know what they're called!) shot off 21 guns blasts that sounded more like canons than a gun salute.
Maybe it was just a general term?
After the salute, I walked down to the stage area where little boys and girls were performing the kappa haka. I’ve shown you different variations of the haka; at a Maori Village in Rotorua (and therefore touristic), in Tauranga by a local young man (and apparently a very blatant sexual advance which I didn’t know about until Shani so kindly told me of the lyrics he used... weeks later!) and now the haka done by the future of this country. They were awesome.
Below: The Boys
Below: The Girls
In addition to the haka, there was a Scottish Pipe band from Whangarei that played. And that brings me to the next Mystery Article. If you can guess where this song comes from, you will receive a souvenir from New Zealand (it won’t be for a while though, because I’m broke and haven’t found a job yet).
Below: Whangarei Pipe Band
The show continued, but I decided to keep wandering and went over to a war waka (war canoe). The video below shows you how incredibly big this canoe actually is. It’s amazing!
Below: War Waka Video: each carving represents an ancestor
I slowly wandered back to Pauline and Moana and on the way I saw the men bringing the wakas back on land.
Below: Their combined efforts in carrying such a heavy piece of wood!
When I got back to the mirimiri tent, I sat next to Moana, watching the ladies at work and Moana again asked me to go up with them. I had paid for my bed at the backpackers until that Sunday. The women were leaving that Friday. I decided to forget about the money and go with the ladies. They had adopted me. I was to go on a new and exciting adventure, under the wings of my lovely Maori hosts.
Next time, I'll tell you what happened with them! I have a few families in New Zealand now. I'm blessed.
Lydia
Andy and Pedro (wearing my bikini top!)
Vanessa
Jiri
Oliver
Matthias
From Wikipedia:
Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro (water) and ponos (labour) is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, or mineral wool.
Plant physiology researchers discovered in the 19th century that plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water. In natural conditions, soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir but the soil itself is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant's water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to thrive. Almost any terrestrial plant will grow with hydroponics, but some will do better than others. It is also very easy to do; the activity is often undertaken by very young children with such plants as watercress. Hydroponics is also a standard technique in biology research and teaching.
p.s. I bought this at a fruit and vegetable store. It stayed fresh all week. Wonderful!
