No New Zealand travelog would be complete without talking about the national symbol – the kiwi. This very unusual flightless bird is now endangered and is only found in New Zealand. They are very difficult to see since they sleep in burrows in the daytime and feed at night by rummaging in the ground with their long beaks. The picture taken here is of a model of a kiwi taken at a rehab place in Rotoura. Here are some of the things that make this bird so unique:
· Their nostrils are at the end of the beak (so that they can smell the bugs that they eat in the ground)
· No tail and no visible wings
· Very large and powerful legs to run fast and kick predators
· Cat-like whiskers
· Very poor vision, but excellent hearing
· Have marrow on their bones
· The huge egg is about 1/3 the weight of the female. She is exhausted after laying her egg and fortunately the male does the incubation for 80 days. The female then can lay a 2nd egg in a couple of weeks, depositing it next to the 1st, and then she takes a long break to regain strength.
New Zealanders also consider themselves quite independent and unique and with pride refer to themselves as ‘kiwis’.
The last couple of days we have been gradually moving towards Auckland. We drove thru the large volcanic thermal area around Taupo and Rotoura. This is where the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ begins. There were numerous areas to visit, and we picked out 2 of them (Wai-O-Tapu & Te Puia). After seeing what they have here, we now appreciate much more the wonderful treasure that Yellowstone National Park is. The geysers, terraces, and vents here were interesting, but were small in comparison and not nearly as colorful.
In our travels we passed Lake Taupo - the largest lake in New Zealand which covers 619 Sq. km (239 sq. miles). It was formed in ~186 AD in a huge eruption that ejected pumice 50 kilometers (30 miles) in the air and it is estimated that the volcanic debris would cover all of New Zealand over 13 ft.
Today, as we near the end of our journey, we thought that we would learn more about the first people in New Zealand – the Maori people that arrived in here around 1,000 AD. So, at Te Puia in Rotoura we watched a weaving demonstration (using flax), wood carvers at work, learned about some of the Maori customs, and were entertained with some of their songs and war dances.
· Their nostrils are at the end of the beak (so that they can smell the bugs that they eat in the ground)
· No tail and no visible wings
· Very large and powerful legs to run fast and kick predators
· Cat-like whiskers
· Very poor vision, but excellent hearing
· Have marrow on their bones
· The huge egg is about 1/3 the weight of the female. She is exhausted after laying her egg and fortunately the male does the incubation for 80 days. The female then can lay a 2nd egg in a couple of weeks, depositing it next to the 1st, and then she takes a long break to regain strength.
New Zealanders also consider themselves quite independent and unique and with pride refer to themselves as ‘kiwis’.
The last couple of days we have been gradually moving towards Auckland. We drove thru the large volcanic thermal area around Taupo and Rotoura. This is where the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ begins. There were numerous areas to visit, and we picked out 2 of them (Wai-O-Tapu & Te Puia). After seeing what they have here, we now appreciate much more the wonderful treasure that Yellowstone National Park is. The geysers, terraces, and vents here were interesting, but were small in comparison and not nearly as colorful.
In our travels we passed Lake Taupo - the largest lake in New Zealand which covers 619 Sq. km (239 sq. miles). It was formed in ~186 AD in a huge eruption that ejected pumice 50 kilometers (30 miles) in the air and it is estimated that the volcanic debris would cover all of New Zealand over 13 ft.
Today, as we near the end of our journey, we thought that we would learn more about the first people in New Zealand – the Maori people that arrived in here around 1,000 AD. So, at Te Puia in Rotoura we watched a weaving demonstration (using flax), wood carvers at work, learned about some of the Maori customs, and were entertained with some of their songs and war dances.
Fragile looking Pied Stilt wading in a small stream in the ‘Frying Pan Flat’ – a rather bleak thermal runoff area.
Champagne Pool in Wai-O-Tapu
Beautiful light blue Huka Falls in Taupo.
Lady Knox geyser in Wai-O-Tapu – New Zealand’s answer to ‘Old Faithful’ – It goes off only at 10:15 daily when they trigger it by pouring soap down the vent to break the surface tension between the cold top water and hot water underneath
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