|
New Zealand > North Island
By Jessica Lloyd
Natural Wonders of the North - Volcanic Activity
 Besides
the North Island having two thirds of New Zealand's population, the north is
littered with volcanoes. Some
volcanoes are dormant and Auckland is built over many, but some are very much still alive
and given to occasional eruptions. Volcanic activity and the busy fault
lines which creak and groan up and down the country produce some intricate and
fascinating eco systems.
The Central Plateau is the main volcanic region of New
Zealand. Lake Taupo, a lake the size of Singapore, is very ancient and is
shouldered by high mountain ranges. The Lake was created when a huge volcano
erupted in 181AD, creating the massive crater. It is rumoured the Chinese saw
the red glow and ash from it. Rotorua is a geo-thermal hot-spot, with geysers
and hot water streams where you can swim, mixing the burning hot with the cool
of the rivers nearby.
The insides of the earth are so close to the surface here that it creates an
amazing natural landscape, with the Blue and Green Lakes and the pink and white
staircase being just a few. The volcanoes, Mt Tongariro, Mt Ruapehu, and Mt
Ngauruhoe, are normally tipped in snow even in summer. The surrounding
desert-like area is in parts used as an army training area, because nobody lives
there – there isn’t much around except tussock grass and snow for most of the
time. Winter sports are done primarily on Mt Ruapehu, where the ski-fields are
set up.
Vegetation and Wildlife of the North Island
 Because of high rainfall in most areas of the North, it is very green and lush.
Nothing goes without for long, and at times it may seem like the rain will never
stop. Actually it doesn’t just seem that way, it is that way! Councils are kept
busy during winter with landslides, floods, and things generally just falling
down on top of civilisation due to bad weather. The wet allows a great deal of
vegetation and animal life to thrive, with many birds, insects, and animals
being native to New Zealand. If wildlife watching tinkles your bells, New
Zealand is a fantastic stop, especially for keen bird-watchers.
The North North
Northland is spectacular because it is almost the final frontier. It is a bit
wild and rugged, and a lot less mauled by human paws. Some of the beaches up
north have some of the finest white silica sand found anywhere in the world, and
it is used for making high quality glass. Not mauled indeed. Northland has at
its tip Cape Reinga, the very top of New Zealand. If you can make it from Cape
Reinga to the Bluff (bottom of the South Island) in your travels, you are doing
well. Northland has many small towns, and even tinier settlements, some of just
a couple of hundred people. Of course every person is in ‘reasonable’ distance
to the nearest pub, as is a requirement by The People of New Zealand. No man or
woman should be denied the opportunity to mix and mingle with their friends,
neighbours and rivals. As is ritualistic in most English speaking countries,
pubs are an essential part of a community and serve as a meeting place, along
with a petrol station and second-hand shop.
The Lower North
This includes Palmerston North, and Wellington as the two main centres, plus the
usual assortment of nothing-but-a-speck small towns along the way, such as Bulls
(everything is called Bull-something, but we won’t go there), Dannevirke, and
Fielding.
 Wellington is far more exciting than Palmerston North by a mile. Wellington is
the cultural hub of our lovely country, and has more talented and creative
people living there than any other place in New Zealand. It also has more
software engineers than any other place in New Zealand, incidentally. It also
has more people aged 24 – 34 than any other place in New Zealand, with less
elderly and less children, so as you can see it is essentially where the gifted
go to mix with other gifted. With reasonable public transport and a live show
guaranteed every single night of the year, Wellington is a fantastic city to
live in, and visit. Just over 100,000 people live in the capital city, and
another 400,000 in surrounding areas. Artistic, creative, busy, very, very
hilly, windy, beautiful; welcome to Wellington.
Palmerston North on the other hand is a small city on a flat bit in the great
Manawatu. It is one of those places that has to struggle a bit to make a name
for itself as a tourist destination because there are many more beautiful places
to visit than there. It has its beauty spots, of course, and the city has
upgraded itself in recent years to become quite a handsome landmark.
Maori Culture
There are more people of Maori descent in the North than in the South, and
Rotorua has the largest population of Maori in New Zealand. This means that this
area is rich with history, museums, performances, and other culturally
appropriate things to do and see, for example eating a traditional hangi – food
cooked in the ground by means of a big hole, hot rocks, and flax (or tin-foil if
they are very modern). Some love it, some hate it, but you should really have a
taste.
Rotorua is certainly far from the only place with a very visible cultural
history. The history of New Zealand is dotted, like all other colonised
countries, with wars, theft of land by outright stealing, or coercion (Maori’s
believe land belongs to nobody and everybody, so it was an easy steal by
conniving, greedy Englishmen), and followed by the swift degeneration of an
ancient and extremely interesting, beautiful people. Everyone was forced to
speak English, and the children were, by ‘whatever means necessary’ made to
abandon their prior teachings. Bibles and alcohol were introduced, among many
diseases, and the ‘new land’ was delivered by a painful, bloody, anaesthetic-free
c-section.
Culturally, New Zealand is doing far better than most other countries who got
raped by western ‘civilisation’. The government is trying to make amends, as
stated by the Treaty of Waitangi. This is an important legal document which has
seen the partial return of land and money to the Maori people. This is a step
forward to trying to repair some of the damage done, but can by no means cure
this country of its ills. We’re getting there. The language is being revived and
there are children who are being completely taught Maori language, culture and
customs. Slivers of Te Rêo, the Maori language, are spoken by many people, and
most Kiwis know the basics which are taken for granted, for example kia ora –
hello – is as common as actually saying ‘hello’.
North Islanders
New Zealand is a very multicultural and diverse country, and you can find just
about any nationality on our fair shores, though mainly in the North Island.
Certainly not every place is a comfortable place for foreigners to make their
home, so generally cities are favoured by immigrants, in the North, typically
Auckland, Hamilton, and Wellington. New Zealand is a very mixed bag of colours
and flavours, much to its credit. Cultural diversity adds a richness to this
country that it could certainly do with.
With small towns making up the majority of the North Island countryside,
small-mindedness and boredom are common ailments. The cities and larger towns
are far more accommodating, and on a whole, most people appreciate and celebrate
our differences. There are a large number of immigrants from neighbouring
Pacific Islands, especially Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. Kiwi’s are renowned
internationally for their friendliness, which makes anywhere in New Zealand, not
just the North Island, a fun and enjoyable place to visit. Some small towns are
classed as ‘feral’ but you can figure that one out for yourself! Keep yourself
safe though, New Zealand has perhaps more than its share of psycho’s and weirdos.
The North Island Hot Spots
 It is quite unfair to compartmentalise this fantastic country into which places
are best for tourists to visit. There are so many, and the best spots probably
aren’t going to be any that you find in a tourist brochure. That’s why they’re
the best – because nobody else goes there, and this makes them special. Find
yourself a local, make friends, and the real treasures of the North shall be
yours. This is not always practicable, so if you are short on time and can only
make it to the North Island, its best to head straight for the internationally
recognised ‘best’ bits.
The Coromandel Peninsula (think Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach), Northland and
the Bay of Islands (think 90 Mile Beach, Paihia), the Central Plateau (Mt
Ruapehu, Rotorua, Taupo), Wellington, Hawkes Bay, and the rugged West Coast…
Where does it end? Go everywhere. Do it all. Then you will know for sure that
you haven’t missed anything! If you need more help deciding, see some of the
more detailed articles on this website.
|
|
|
|
