Traveling with Ray Owens

Today the morning began with a bit of a lay in. We did not arrive in our port until around 10:00. Consequently, no popping out of bed at the crack of dawn.

Tauranga port is where we docked. It is located in the Bay of Plenty and it is a lovely town with white sand beaches.

Timber is one of the top exports of New Zealand. They grow a lot of pine trees that are native to the USA. But the growing conditions and soil here are better and the trees reach maturity in about 25 years. Growing to maturity typically takes another 10 to 20 years in USA . It we would be interesting to know how much the timber industry has ready to harvest each year. Every port we have been to in New Zealand has had a port full of logs ready to ship.

Our destination today was Te Puia the Māori arts and crafts center. It was about an hour bus ride. Our trip took us through the kiwi fruit growing region of the country. Evidently they have cultivated three varieties of kiwi. The traditional green, an orange fruit variety and a new red fruit variety. The skin of the kiwi fruit is brownish, only the fruit of the kiwi changes.

We arrived at Te Puia just in time for a very good lunch buffet. Everyone raved about the food.

After lunch we experienced a cultural performance of the Māori. This is when our guide picked out the bravest and strongest, most intelligent and wisest visitor in our group to become chief of visitors. Naturally he picked me! Ok maybe he asked for a volunteer and I got my hand up first. I was chief of the visitors for the rest of the day. Nothing much changed. No one paid the least bit of attention to my chieftain commands nor any of my chiefly suggestions.

I safely met the challenge of the Māori warriors who came towards me brandishing weapons and making fierce faces. I maintained my poker face and stood my ground. The warrior then offered me the peace symbol (a fern branch). This allowed us to enter the community center of the tribe and we enjoyed the talented people dancing and singing. It was delightful.

Our next stop was the school where the traditional arts of wood carving, stone carving and weaving are taught to young Māori people. The students must apply to enter the school and the goal is to teach them how to become teachers of the craft. It was a busy place with lots going on.

Our next stop was the Kiwi bird conservation area. The kiwi bird is flightless. When people came here for the first time the only mammals that were indigenous to New Zealand were bats and sea mammals such as seals and whales. The kiwi birds had no predators so walking was not an issue for them and they thrived.

But with humans came many mammals including dogs, cats which were naturally predators of the Kiwi and they soon became endangered. Kiwi sanctuaries are a means of trying to insure a viable population.

Our last stop was the thermal features of this part of New Zealand. There were mud pots and geysers. They were pretty active, not as regular as some, but still very frequent.

It was a good day.

Tonight was our farewell show for our trip. The Viking Vocalists performed the music of the Beatles. You have never seen so many old codgers singing and swaying to the music of the 1960s. It was fun.

Tomorrow is a sea day. It is also a national holiday, New Zealand Day, the day of the signing of the treaty between the British crown and the Māori people at Waitangi.

So all the dock workers will be off on holiday so we will be hanging outside the port until we can dock in Aukland.