Category archive for ‘New Zealand’ at bioneural.net

Archive for the 'New Zealand' category

Maui's fish and the origin of myth

Published by Bruce on May 12, 2007 in New Zealand. 2 responses

I've always enjoyed the myth concerning the origin of New Zealand's North Island, said to have been hauled out of the Pacific by Maui and his brothers. This story is one of several so wonderfully captured in an illustration by Dittmer, reproduced in a book belonging to my grandmother, which I still have and recently re-discovered. But this myth has become something of a legend in itself, evolving throughout prehistory and during the cultural transition of colonisation to become a story that belongs to all New Zealanders regardless of ethnicity. The modern version was enacted before our eyes in Wellington earlier this week in the show Maui: One man against the gods.
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Uplifting, Uprising

Published by Bruce on May 4, 2007 in New Zealand. 0 responses

MAORI MARKet was recently held at the TSB Arena in Wellington, showcasing contemporary Maori artworks. Many of the works on display were world-class in both execution and price tag, the range including carving in wood, stone and bone, painting, woven cloaks and baskets, jewellery and pottery (the latter not being a traditional Maori art form). On the look-out for a piece to complement our Jeff Thomson wall sculpture, we felt drawn to Whakatikanga (Uprising), a diptych by Hawkes Bay artist Jackie Hawkins.
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Kiwi! Kiwi! Kiwi!

Published by Bruce on April 14, 2007 in New Zealand. 0 responses

Today on Kapiti Island Simone and I were lucky enough to see (and photograph) Apteryx owenii, the Little Spotted Kiwi—the rarest type (only about 1600 are left nationwide).
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100% Pure NZ on Google Earth

Published by Bruce on April 12, 2007 in New Zealand. 3 responses

In a "world first" partnership, Google Earth now includes content from 100% Pure New Zealand, the official site of Tourism New Zealand.
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Great NZ logos

Published by Bruce on March 30, 2007 in New Zealand. 0 responses

There are several symbols that are very strongly associated with a New Zealand identity: the kiwi, the silver fern, and the koru. Here is a small collection of notable logos that incorporate these symbols.
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The Queen Charlotte Track

Published by Bruce on March 12, 2007 in New Zealand. 1 response

The Queen Charlotte Track is a 71km walk between Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds in Marlborough, at the top of New Zealand's South Island. Access and accommodation options are good whether you plan to carry your own kit over several days or send it ahead by water taxi while you enjoy a leisurely day walk.
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