Page 14 - Boca Exposure - April '20

Page 14, Boca Exposure
New Zealand, Land Of The Long White Cloud…

By Don Kiselewski, “Land of the long white cloud.” Conjecture has it that The Bay of Islands on the northwestern tip of the
MCC, D.S., Palm Beach this was the first sighting of snow on the mountains that North Island is a great sailing area, and has a number
Gardens Travel Leaders frame the eastern coast of the islands. of interesting sights. The seamen from whaling ships
Some 130 million years Whakarewarewa, simply known as “Waka,” located gave the town of Russell its notorious reputation. It was
ago, New Zealand broke in Rotorua on the North Island, has become the heart at Wiatangi where the treaty was signed by the Māori
away, separating itself from of the Māori Nation, and is New Zealand’s portion of chiefs that gave Great Britain control of New Zealand.
Australia. Fifty million the “Ring of Fire.” Its landscape is accented by thermal Manginangina National Park is not far from Paihia. This
years later it split from activity, geysers and hot bubbling mud pools. The area is where the huge Kaori trees grow…they are about the
Gondwana, and twenty also boasts excellent fishing, agricultural exhibits and same size as our California giant redwoods.
million years after that not to be forgotten, an occasional vibration of the earth. Wellington, the national capital, is on the south end
it found its final resting A constant reminder of the effects of Mount Tarawera’s of the North Island. From the hilltops that surround the
place … 1,500 miles from wrath can be witnessed in the buried village below. city, there are tremendous vistas of Cook Straight, which
where it started, now separated by the Tasman Sea from Auckland is the port of entry from the United States. It separates the two main islands of the country. A unique
Australia. It’s no wonder that lying so far south in the is the country’s largest city with one out of every three of architectural structure, affectionately known as the “Bee
Pacific Ocean, it was one of the last places on earth to be New Zealand’s four million people living there. The city Hive,” formed the addition to the original parliament
inhabited by man. There is much discussion on the exact has everything to offer the urban culture traveler; shows, building when space for an addition wasn’t available.
origin of its first inhabitants. Scholars believe that their museums, sporting (especially sailing – the previous Located on the city’s waterfront is “Te Papa,” New
base was in the Austronesian society of Southeast Asia. home of the America’s Cup) and great vistas from the top Zealand’s national museum.
Nonetheless, a little over a thousand years ago, the of volcanoes that pop up all over the area. The abandoned New Zealand’s South Island is about the same size as
first visitors to take roots have been tied linguistically city’s sewage treatment plant was revamped by Kelly Florida, and like our state, has white sand beaches lapped
to Polynesia. These early visitors beat the Europeans to Tarlton into one of the finest aquariums in the South by beautiful blue waves. However, unlike our state, the
the islands by some 800 years. Called the “Vikings of Pacific. One travels on a moving sidewalk some 110 island reaches over 12,000 feet, less than 25 miles away
the Sunrise,” their descendants became known as Māori. meters long in an acrylic dome that snakes back and forth from the seashore. The Southern Alps run for 500 miles
Landing on the northeastern tip of the North Island of under the water in viewing the various marine life. Kelly, along the island’s western shore and got their name from
New Zealand, they made their way west stopping at the an explorer himself, also includes an excellent working
second lake, naming it Rotorua (second lake). Continuing exhibit of the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica. New Zealand on page 15
west they came upon a sight never before seen … the
horizon was snow white. So unusual was the sight that
they named the land after the sighting, calling it Aotearoa,

Māori house

Bath House in Rotorua

Yellow-eyed penguin

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