Siti munirah suid lab exercise

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THE BEAUTY OF NEW ZEALAND

ARTICLE BY SITI MUNIRAH

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NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is a small country, similar in size to Great Britain or Japan. With a population of only four million people it’s also gloriously uncrowded. Māori were the first to arrive in New Zealand, journeying in canoes from Hawaiki about 1,000 years ago. A Dutchman, Abel Tasman, was the first European to sight the country but it was the British who made New Zealand part of their empire.

In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, an agreement be-tween the British Crown and Maori. It established British law in New Zealand and is consid-ered New Zealand’s founding document and an important part of the country’s history. The building where the treaty was signed has been preserved and, today, the Waitangi Treaty

Grounds are a popular attraction.

You’ll find amazing Māori his-toric sites and taonga (treasures) - as well as beautiful colonial-era buildings - dotted throughout the country. A walk around any New Zealand city today shows what a culturally diverse and fascinating country we have become.

Maui - no ordinary manMaui is the gifted, clever demi-god of Polynesian mythology responsible for fishing up the North Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

After a miraculous birth and upbringing Maui won the affec-tion of his supernatural parents, taught useful arts to mankind, snared the sun and tamed fire. But one of his most famous feats was fishing up the North Island.

Fishing up an islandDespising him, Maui’s four brothers conspired to leave him behind when they went out fish-ing. Overhearing their plans, Maui secretly made a fishhook from a magical ancestral jaw-bone. Then one night he crept into his brothers’ canoe and hid under the floorboards.

It wasn’t until the brothers were far out of sight of land and had filled the bottom of their canoe with fish that Maui revealed him-self. Then he took out his magic fishhook and threw it over the side of the canoe, chanting pow-erful incantations as he did so.

The hook went deeper and deep-er into the sea until Maui felt the hook had touched something. He tugged gently and far below the

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hook caught fast. It was a huge fish! Together with his broth-ers, Maui brought the fish to the surface.

Maui cautioned his brothers to wait until he had appeased Tan-garoa the god of the sea before they cut into the fish. They grew tired of waiting and began to carve out pieces for themselves. These are now the many val-leys, mountains, lakes and rocky coastlines of the North Island.

Te Ika a Maui - Maui’s fishTo this day the North Island is known to Maori as Te Ika a Maui or Maui’s fish. Take a look at a map of New Zealand to see the fish’s head in the south and its tail in the north. The South Island is also known as Te Waka a Maui or Maui’s canoe, and Stewart Island or Rakiura is known as Te Punga a Maui or Mau’s anchor stone.

Auckland- The Coromandel

Journey from the exciting urban hub of Auckland to the coastal paradise of the Coromandel. Cloaked in native rainforest with dazzling white sand beaches and picturesque coves, The Coroman-del is a relaxed seaside paradise.

Take the shorter route across the base of the Peninsula, or the scenic drive along the Firth of Thames. Whichever route you choose, allow time to see two of the Coromandel’s must-see at-tractions.

Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove is a picturesque photo spot, and at Hot Water

Beach you can dig your own natural spa. You can see both these attractions in one day - but you’ll need to time it carefully, as you need to be at Hot Water Beach within 2 hours of low tide to access the naturally heated water.

Spend the night in the beach town of Whitianga. It’s got a good range of accommodation, shops and restaurants - expect to eat some excellent seafood while you’re here.

Central Auckland is a hub of urban delights set against beauti-ful coastal scenery. It’s not hard to see why this is regarded as one of the most livable cities in the world.

Find world-class shopping, din-ing and entertainment all around you in the city centre. Splurge on designer fashion, indulge in Pacific-Rim cuisine overlooking the harbour and discover buzzing waterfront precincts.Auckland Zoo is home to the largest collection of native and exotic animals in New Zea-land, set in 17 hectares of lush parkland and just minutes from central Auckland.

There is lots to see and do all year, including events, animal encounters, behind-the-scenes experiences and more!

Our behind-the-scenes experi-ences are your chance to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most beautiful and endangered creatures! Imagine helping a keeper wash down an elephant, coming eye-to-eye with a tiger, or feeding lunch to a lemur.

A fascinating mix of bubbling mud pools, Maori culture and ad-venture, Rotorua is a region that offers a multitude of experiences. Explore the bubbing mud pools and geysers of Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley, or get your adrenalin pumping with some of the great adventure activities on offer. Visit Te Puia to experience Maori culture and learn about the fascinating history of New Zealand’s indigenous people. For those that love getting outdoors, try a walk or mountain bike through local trails that wind through giant Redwood forests.

About 2 hours’ drive from Roto-rua lie the Waitomo Caves. On your journey, the quaint English town of Cambridge has a range of shops and cafes, or stop at Otorohanga Kiwi House to meet our national icon.

Waitomo Caves

The Waitomo Caves are a fasci-nating labyrinth of underground sinkholes, tunnels and rivers beneath rolling green farmland. Take a walking or boat tour, try black water rafting, or zip line through the darkness.

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Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty region is home to spectacular beaches, juicy ki-wifruit and New Zealand’s only active marine volcano.

When James Cook arrived in 1769, he anchored off a great bay ‘full of plantations and vil-lages’ that was, he noted ‘a bay

of plenty’. The Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, is no less plentiful today. Around Tauranga are hect-ares of orchards and gardens pro-ducing everything from kiwifruit and citrus fruit to avocados. Add to this bounty the local wines and the plentiful fresh seafood and you just know that this is a place where you will dine well.

Mount Maunganui, a short distance from Tauranga, has spectacular beaches which are a magnet for surfers all year round and voted New Zealand’s best by TripAdvisor. For the adventur-ous, there’s skydiving and for those more keen on terra firma, blokarting (small land yachts) will blow the cobwebs away.

Visit White Island – a quick helicopter ride from Whakatane – and you can walk, yes, on an ac-tive volcano as it hisses, belches and rumbles. It’s that same geo-thermal activity that provides the hot pools and spas that you will find in many places where you can relax and let the world slide by. There is plentiful accom-modation in the area; everything

from bed and breakfasts through to hotels and boutique lodges.

One of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of this coastal destination, alongside the Pacific Ocean, is to jump on a boat and go fishing.

Reef fishing, game fishing and diving are all popular pastimes in the Bay of Plenty and a range of day and overnight charter experi-ences are available. The region’s warm, settled climate makes it the ideal location for these activi-ties year round.

When fishing around the offshore rocks and reefs, the catch of the day often includes snapper, kingfish, tarakihi or kahawai,

otherwise known as Australian Salmon.

These are all excellent eating fish and you won’t disappoint friends and family when you return home with this for dinner.

There are distinct seasons to target specific species. The colder water of autumn and winter is

suitable for deep sea fish such as hapuku (groper) and warehou. As the ocean currents start to warm up, snapper, kingfish and marlin are popular with sport fishers.

Arguably one the most exciting fishing events in New Zealand with up to 1,000 entries is the One Base Fishing Tournament organised by the Tauranga Game Fishing Club. This annual event usually takes place in early March with prizes for snapper, kingfish, yellowfin tuna, shark and marlin.

Also based in Tauranga is Bonze of Bonze Lures. Apart from building a reputation as a master craftsman of game fishing lures, Bonze was awarded the ‘Overall

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Top Atlantic Release Captain 2009’ by the prestigious Bill-fish Foundation for tagging and releasing marlin.

Whilst other winning skippers from the northern hemisphere were arriving to the awards ceremony in private jets, Bonze’s ticket to Miami was funded by the generosity of his fellow kiwi fishing writers who were deter-mined to get him there to accept his trophy.

Divers can explore shipwrecked vessels, local reefs and island outcrops in popular spots like Tuhua (Mayor Island) and the Astrolabe Reef.

For an absolutely unique experi-ence divers can take to the waters around New Zealand’s only active marine volcano, White Is-land. Diving here is world class, offering clear waters, prolific fish life and volcanic terrain.

People gathering shellfish such as pipi and tuatua along the long stretches of coastline at low tide are a common sight.

Snorkelling for delicacies such as Paua (a type of abalone), rock lobster, kina (sea urchin) and green lipped mussels are also very popular.

The plentiful local kaimoana (seafood) is creatively prepared, and served in seaside cafés, award-winning wineries, top-end restaurants and seafood festivals.

Short walks in the Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty region offers numerous walking trails from short strolls to multi-day adven-tures. Below we have listed a few

of our favourite walks in the Bay of Plenty region.

Tauranga City WalksCity walks include a number of estuary and waterfront trails and a historic city trail taking in twenty historical places of inter-est including the Elms Mission House, the oldest European heri-tage site in the Bay of Plenty.

Mauao/Mount Maunganui WalksAt the entrance of the Tauranga Harbour, and alongside Mount Maunganui beach, stands Mauao, meaning caught by the morning light. At 232 metres above the beach, Mauao is the most cultur-ally significant mountain to the region’s three Iwi - Maori tribes.

The dormant volcano has a num-ber of walking tracks around the base and up to the summit.

The leisurely 3.4km stroll around the base track, overlooks vol-canic rock structures, native Pohutukawa trees, marine and bird life, and is one of the most popular walks in New Zealand.

Offering some of the best ocean and city views you’ll see any-where in the world - it’s easy to see why over a million people walk on the mountain each year.

Papamoa Hills Regional Park

WalkAnother impressive walk is the

Papamoa Hills Regional Park summit walk. The park is one of the most historic landmarks in the Bay of Plenty and is a unique mix of Maori pa sites, native for-est and farmland, offering spec-tacular views of the coast, out-lying islands and local kiwifruit orchards.

Mount Otanewainuku WalksOtanewainuku is another beauti-ful walk. Mount Otanewainuku is covered by native forest espe-cially rimu, tawa, and rewarewa and native bird life is abundant. The track to the summit is steep in parts, but the view from the top is worth the climb.

A viewing platform on the sum-mit offers panoramic views from East Cape to Mount Tarawera and Rotorua, and across the Ma-maku plateau to Mount Ruapehu.

Tuaha Kauri TrackTuahu Kauri track takes you into the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park, through native forest to the mag-nificent kauri tree Tuahu - one of the largest kauri trees in the country.

This walk ends at Hot Springs Road, and what better way to ease away the aches and pains of a day’s walking than a soak in these natural thermal hot springs.

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Waitomo is often top of mind when thinking of caving in New Zealand, however there are many awesome caving sites throughout the country for you to explore.

Spelunkers (cavers) say that New Zealand has some of the most challenging and spectacular caving systems in the world, but even first-time cavers can enjoy our underground scenery. Caving experiences range from a dreamy drift through a glow-worm grotto to a rip-roaring, rope-dangling, action-packed subterranean ad-venture.

In the North Island the best known caving area is Waitomo Caves in the Waikato region. There are caves that you can simply walk through; there are caves you can float through (this is called black water rafting); and there are caves that require ab-seiling, climbing and squeezing. Experienced operators here know how to turn you into a caver in a single day.

The South Island has several caving areas - you’ll find guided underground adventures in Nel-son, Fiordland and on the West Coast. Harwood’s Hole, just off the main Motueka-Takaka road in the Nelson region, is the deepest sinkhole in the southern

hemisphere. You can look into it, but be careful you don’t fall in - it’s 180 metres straight down.

Over the Mountain to Golden Bay

Ron Laughlin - On the Road

Our trip begins leaving Nelson and heading west for the ninety kilometre drive to the town of Takaka in Golden Bay. Turning on Route 60 at the crossroads with Route 6 in Richmond the drive takes us through the Tas-man wine region where 23 boutique wineries produce some of New Zealand’s top wines. We took a quick detour this time to the left at the Richmond cross-roads to Hart Road and visited the newly opened Fossil Ridge Winery cellar door. Had to pur-chase a nice bottle of chardonnay to have with dinner when we arrived in Golden Bay.

Returning to Route 60 the road takes you through the Waimea River Valley. On the right is Mc-Shane Road where a visit to the Grape Escape Gallery is a must. Another interesting place just down the road is the Hoglund Glass Works where their world famous glass designs are created. Next stop is the Mapua Harbour a spot you can enjoy a good meal

and a coffee at the Smokehouse Cafe located right on the water plus poke around the galleries.

Back on the road again and we are heading toward Motueka. Three places to stay overnight along here for camper vanners, one, the DOC camp at Ruby Bay (no animals), right on the beach and the other, one of our favou-rites, Kina Beach Reserve, where for three dollars a night per per-son you can enjoy a very peace-ful setting. Turn off onto the Kina Beach Road then to Cliff Road. It’s about 2 kms. The com-munity of Motueka also provides a good spot for overnight stop-ping for self-contained vehicles at their Beach Reserve. Turn right a the traffic circle as you enter Motueka and you will end up at the Reserve. It is an honesty box pay of $5 per vehicle. Water and toilets available.

Leaving Motueka and after Riwaka, heading toward Golden Bay, you will pass by several fields of hops growing. Just be-yond them the road to Kaiteriteri turns right. If you got the time you can drive through this area up to Marahau and circle back to Route 60. If you are interested in kayaking the Able Tasman Park region this is where you go. It is an interesting drive well worth

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the time spent. The Able Tasman, New Zealand’s smallest National Park, lies between Marahau on this side of Golden Bay and the Pohara area on the other side of the mountains with no roads between.Check at the Information Centre in Marahau for the complete run down on what’s available.

Now it is time to cross the Takaka Hill over to Golden Bay. Make sure you have checked your vehicle’s water levels. This is a steep and twisting road all the way up to the crest of 791 metres and the same on the other side going down. Needless to say the drive is spectacular with vistas overlooking the mountains of the Kahurangi National Park, Tasman Bay and Golden Bay. Stop at the parking area provided at the entrance to the Ngarua Caves to get a bird’s eye view of Tasman Bay and a close look at the eerie style of marble and limestone outcroppings here on “Marble Mountain”.

Just a short drive past here on the right is the entrance to Har-wood’s Hole where serious spe-leologists explore the 183 metre open hole. Worth a visit but be warned the eleven kilometre dirt road is twisting and narrow for vans and buses. We gave it a go several years ago and haven’t had the nerve to do it since.

To us the drive down the other side of the mountain and stop-ping at the Harwood Lookout over the valley and Golden Bay is one of our favourite stops in the country. It feels as if you have left the rest of the world and dropped into a Shangri-la. I note the vast majority of Kiwi’s I meet have never been to Golden Bay.

At the base of the hill is Upper Takaka and the road to Cobb Reservoir. We have been told that it would not be wise to take our bus on the road to the Reservoir so we haven’t. From here it is 22 kilometres to Takaka, the heart of Golden Bay. A small community lining one street with lots of al-ternative shops, cafes and galler-ies and friendly people.

Golden Bay is reknowned for its craftspeople. It would take days if not weeks to see them all. The town has a very laid back style reminiscent of the 60’s with a lot of European visitors who begin their trek of the world famous Heaphy Track on this end. It is a four to six day tramp across the Kahurangi National Park to end

up north of Karamea on the West Coast.

A major attraction to visit is where the purest water in the Southern Hemisphere, if not the world exists, Waikoropupu (Pupu) Springs. Great place to meander through the bush on raised wooden tracks crossing the waters flowing from the spring.

A place where we have enjoyed staying the past two Christmas holidays is the Pohara Beach Holiday Park. Five hectares on a wide expanse of Golden Bay beach front. One of the last re-maining beach front parks filled with Kiwi families enjoying their holidays.

Two kilometres past the camp you will find the Pohara Boating Club (POP).On the cliff tops and up the val-ley you will discover the remains of the old cement plant and be-yond you pass through a hole in the cliff to gain access to Wainui Bay. Stop at the signposted car park and take the 300 metre walk up the cliff to have a look at the Able Tasman Memorial plus get

a beautiful picturesque outlook of the bay for the trouble.

Returning to Takaka let’s head on to Collingwood once touted during the busy gold rush days as becoming the capital of New Zealand. Today it is a quiet little town of around 300 residents. Route 60 ends here at the Col-lingwood Motor Camp where we have enjoyed a few stays. The

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Courthouse Cafe is the place to stop for a decent cup of coffee. This is also where you can hire a ride out onto Farewell Spit.

From Collingwood it is 22 kilometres to the Puponga Farm Park where you can get a great view from the cafe overlooking Golden Bay and Farewell Spit. Several walks available one of which is to the lighthouse and a gannet colony. If you don’t plan to hire a ride out to Farewell Spit

this will be the closest you can get by vehicle.

Two very interesting side trips while in this area is the road south out along the Whanganui Inlet. After Collingwood turn left at Seaford. The road becomes metal a short way in but easily travelled. We have gone in as far as at the head of the Paturau River where there is a great place to park overnight. You will pass through Mangarakau on the way where they can boast a small but fabulous cafe during season. Ths

drive is a great adventure very few people ever take the time to enjoy.

Another place to explore is the road out of Collinwood toward Aorere. This is the area where the Heaphy Track begins and where the location of the Aorere Gold Field is and where you can park under the Devil’s Boots. There is a very fascinating res-taurant and gallery along the way to visit called the Naked Possum

just down a sign posted country side road.

The trip to Golden Bay is unique from the marble strewn mountain entrance, the beautiful bays and shorelines, Farewell Spit, the towns along the way, plus the many interesting galleries and craft shops scattered throughout the region. To us it represents a peaceful place far removed from everyday life and one not to miss.

More information on the New

Zealand Travel Guide website - www.newzealandtravelguide.net

Gisborne, the largest settlement in Eastland, is the first city in the world to see the sun each day.

In this relaxed and tucked-away part of the country, the world moves slowly; horses and bare feet are common forms of trans-port. You might wish to take a

car but you’ll also want to take your time.

Drive along the Pacific Coast Highway and Maori culture is evident in every settlement you see. There are carved meeting houses, beautifully painted Maori churches, and conversations in Te Reo. Venture up Mount Hikuran-gi, the sacred mountain of the Ngati Porou people, and you’ll see giant carvings of figures from Maori folklore.

Deep in the misty Te Urewera

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Ranges, descendants of the ‘Chil-dren of the Mist’, the ancient Tuhoe tribe, still live in harmony with the forest around the village of Ruatahuna. You’re unlikely to come across them if you go hiking in Te Urewera National Park, but hire a local guide and you’ll learn some of their stories and legends while exploring the largest untouched native forest in the North Island.

Waitomo Caves – New ZealandA tiny silhouette of a person abseiling down a sun drenched 100m cavern. I stare awe inspired at the photo. Does that place truly exist? Convincing myself the answer must be yes and it wasn’t a Photoshop masterpiece, I add it to my bucket list – and most importantly, quickly make plans to tick it off. This experi-ence had to be included as part of my New Zealand itinerary.

Once on Kiwi soil, the Waitomo Caves can be found a two-hour drive south of Auckland or a one hour’s drive from Hamilton. We arrive and anticipation mounts. Donning a t-shirt, tights and runners, I jump up and down to get the body warm and pumped for the adventure ahead. I’ve never been canyoning. Sure, I’ve abseiled at year 6 camp, but that was the extent of my cav-ing experience. It didn’t matter. In no way do you need to be an expert to take on this experience. As long as you’re over 15 years of age, relatively fit and ready to take on a challenge, anyone can venture down to The Lost World.

Our guides, Sarah, Brad and Telli popped around from behind the desk and I instantly know we are in good hands. As we make our way in the van to the site near the

caves, we indulge in the obliga-tory Kiwi / Aussie banter. Both their knowledge of the caves and their love for their jobs become apparent.

My sporty outfit was put to the side as I squeeeeze my body into a black wetsuit. Booties cover my feet and white gumboots are put on over the top. I’m zipped into a tight wetsuit mate-rial jacket. A helmet complete with GoPro on top and a har-ness, weighed down with all the gadgets one would need to take on the Grand Canyon, completes my outfit. I no longer walk but waddle under the weight of my gear. I’m sure that’s not how the pros do it but that’s the technique I’m rolling with.

We make our way (some walk while I waddle) to the entrance to The Lost World. As I walk out onto the platform, the cavern

I had seen in the photo comes into view. Sunlight streams from above in large heavenly columns. The lush greenery lining the towering rock walls glistens in the light. “It’s a great day for it”, says Brad. He stands and ad-mires the beauty in front of him. Despite taking people down into The Lost World sometimes up to

twice a day, seven days a week, it’s refreshing to see he is still blown away by the beauty of his office.

He’s also quick to point out that we’re here to explore so we best get on our way. Easier said than done. This requires a 100m abseil combined with a dash of courage, a squashing of any fear of heights and unfortunately, a huge wedgie (the ‘joy’ that comes with most sports requiring a harness). Once I’ve overcome removing myself from the platform, the 30-minute descent is quite relaxing and the view unsurpassed. I pull the rope up and down, controlling how fast or slow I want to go – all the while Brad is there to help if need be; his presence reassuring.

Once we hit the ground, it’s time to get wet. We squeeze ourselves between rocks and plunge into icy water. The water

rushes through my wetsuit and I can’t help but squeal – such a girl I know! Wading through the canyons, I can’t wipe the smile off my face, particularly when it comes to climbing up a small waterfall. The water pounds my helmet and makes it difficult to keep my footing. I make it and clamber over the top victorious.

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