The Friday 56 is a blog hop by Freda’s Voice and the rules are simple:
- Turn to the nearest book.
- Open it on page 56.
- Post a sentence or two.
- Join the linky.
- Go crazy on the linky.
” ‘In our village,’ Koro Apirana told us, ‘we have always endeavoured to live in harmony with Tangaroa’s kingdom and the guardians therein. We have made offerings to the sea god to thank him and when we need his favour, and we have called upon our guardians whenever we are in need of help. We have blessed every new net and new line to Tangaroa. We have tried not to take food with us in our boats when we fish because of the sacred nature of our task.’ ”
– Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
This post is part of the April 2015 A to Z Challenge. Find the challengers via the Blog Sign-Up or on Twitter using #AtoZChallenge.
The first time I visited New Zealand’s capital Wellington, I didn’t get a chance to really see the city. We arrived at dusk and only stayed because we had to catch the first Inter-Islander ferry to Picton on the South Island the next morning. My main impression was of a windy place, but that might have been because I only really saw the train station and harbour.
Continue reading Wellington, the windy city →
This post is part of the April 2015 A to Z Challenge. Find the challengers via the Blog Sign-Up or on Twitter using #AtoZChallenge.
New Zealand’s North Island is home to the country’s fascinating geothermal activity, ranging from mudpools to active volcanoes. It is also the centre of Maori culture, which makes for a compelling combination.
The smell of sulphur is overwhelming at first. It is absolutely everywhere, but I find that my nose gets used to it within a few breaths. Steam comes out of the bubbling, boiling mud pool in the center of Rotorua.
The city in the heart of New Zealand’s thermal wonderland is known for its geysers, mud pools and natural spas. But it is also home to one of the biggest Maori cultural institutions in the country and worth every minute you will spend there. And if breathing those sulphuric fumes is the price to pay, then I am happy to pay it – after all there is a lot to distract you.
Continue reading Rotorua – Kapa haka and thermal wonders →
This post is part of the April 2015 A to Z Challenge. Find the challengers via the Blog Sign-Up or on Twitter using #AtoZChallenge
Did you know that one of the world’s most accessible glaciers can be found in New Zealand?
Fox Glacier, or Te Moeka o Tuawe as it is called in Maori, lies on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park.
It’s not only accessible, but it is also one of only a handful of glaciers worldwide that reach all the way into a lush, temperate rainforest!
Continue reading The Eternal Ice of Fox Glacier →
Studying, blogging, reading and writing with a large cup of coffee nearby
Study. Read. Write. 