I met Andy “Blue Duck” during an overnight stay at the Mt. Fyffe Hut. The next day, we drove from the Kaikoura Ranges to one of the inviting surf beaches on the east coast near Kaikoura – a stone’s throw away, as the mountains here reach right down to the coast. Andy is also a bit of an artist (and a life artist), was building his own house at the time, and is the creator of the “giant throne” in Kaikoura town centre.
Taniora is a young Maori who works at the Museum in Auckland – Tamaki Paenga Hira. He performs traditional Maori dances for visitors on the museum tours. At the end of his fascinating performance, I asked him for this portrait and a brief chat. He was a great source for learning more about the past and present of Maori culture.
Over Easter, I was busy working as a hut warden in Tongariro National Park along with many other colleagues. You can take on jobs like these even without a work permit, as you only get a subsistence allowance for it – the dreamlike time in one of New Zealand’s most beautiful places is free (as are the warden rooms in the mountain huts, which are often comfortably furnished with gas cookers, heating, sinks, etc.).
Megan and Heidi, two New Zealanders, both worked there for a summer season as Hut Wardens. Our tasks included maintaining paths, bridges, and hut facilities, checking tickets and overnight fees, and providing hikers with information about the park and, above all, the weather. After five days in the wilderness, we always enjoyed the comforts of a house available in Turangi for our days off, for things like a shower and personal grooming. We quickly got rid of the money we’d saved in the park due to the lack of things to buy: fresh fruit and vegetables, a cold beer in the pub…
“Ten Foot Tall” are two of the most well-known street artists from Christchurch. You could admire them every weekend at the famous ‘Arts & Crafts Market’ in the old university.
In every National Park, rangers at the visitor centre or out on patrol provide you with a wealth of information and good advice, maintain trails and huts, and fight for the preservation of endangered animals or habitats. They also ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the beauty of New Zealand’s nature, whether it’s a short stroll by the side of a highway or a multi-week trek through the wilderness of the backcountry. They do a fantastic job and know what they’re talking about. So please listen to them!
For one day, Guy took me red deer hunting deep in the rainforest of a remote valley in Fiordland, New Zealand. First, we travelled by boat for half an hour to the end of a side arm of Lake Te Anau, then spent hours pushing through the almost impenetrable thicket. Hunting is very popular in New Zealand because the forests are rich in game populations that threaten and displace the native flora and fauna. Therefore, hunting here also has an aspect of nature conservation. Unfortunately, we weren’t successful; we were about 10 metres from the deer, we could hear its breath, but since we couldn’t see it through the dense bushes, we weren’t allowed to shoot. At least we managed to catch some fish on the way back on the lake, so dinner was saved.
Feel the power and pride of the Maori as you look into this woman’s eyes.
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