Auckland, New Zealand

addendum to Rarotonga... we figured all those swells were tsunami-related water movement from that morning's underwater volcanic explosion near Tonga. Very exciting!


It was a total astonishment to approach Auckland before daylight, and be buzzed by all that neon after days and days on sea and at rural islands. Culture shock. Auckland is an architectural wonder...old stone buildings near the wharf which translate into modern highrises with swooping geometric shapes. It is temperate, and has a thriving organic agricultural movement. We lucked into one of the local farmers' markets, and spoke with purveyors of honey, lamb, vegetables, flowers, bread, olive oil.... The honey makers are 1/4 Maori. We purchased Pohutakawa honey - different from any other I've ever tasted. When I asked what is 'Pohutakawa', I learned it is a tree with large white flowers.

Then we hopped on a local bus and went up to the Auckland Museum, where the major permanent exhibit concerns the country's Maori heritage. We feasted our eyes on shell jewelry, capes made of feathers, canoes, paddles, pataka (ceremonial storehouses) of elaborate red (from hematite) and black wood carvings, all things made from flax - skirts, dresses, table mats; and elaborate headdresses of feather, bone, wood.

There was also an exhibit of Sir Edmund Hillary, commemorating the one year anniversary of his death. It was a 9-minute film of his ascent of Everest, and the actual ice axe used. What I was most struck by was Hilary's insistence on sharing the achievement with Tsenting Norgay (sic), because most accounts I have read of mountaineering seem to omit the participation of the local sherpas.

Then a long and scenic walk back to the harbor along Parnell Road, an area of Victorain timber villas which have been transformed into boutiques, shops and restaurants. The recent influx of Chinese and Japanese immigrants was apparent in the myriad restaurants with those cuisines. I can tell you that the fashion industry is thriving in New Zealand - lots of local designers, using local materials, like the fabulous New Zealand wool.