Hawke’s Bay
Yesterday we were taken on a trip of Hawke’s Bay on the east coast of North Island. New Zealand is a mountainous country with some peaks at 12,000 feet but you are never more than 80 miles from the sea.
We visited one such peak at Te Mata Park when legend has it the ancient god Te Mata bit a huge chunk out of the land to create a gulch for his loved one. The views were quite breathtaking.
On descent we drove to Napier, a city destroyed totally in the 1931 earthquake and rebuilt in Art Deco style. It rather reminded me of the South Beach area of Miami. It was rather touristy but the traveller should beware as the sea is dangerous with every year a rip tide claiming an unguarded visitor dipping their toes in the water.
Our guide was knowledgeable on the Maori culture, indeed he was an elder of it. He explained that the Maoris were the first to arrive and claimed the land unlike the aborigine who was an itinerant. They defended their land with pride and valour. They are accepted and integrated into New Zealand life and account for about 30% of the population here.
We passed a Maori cemetery and the graves were colourfully decorated often with symbols to depict a life e.g. a beer bottle.
We then visited a Marae, a Maori meeting place.
There is no paganism as they have adopted Protestantism, Methodism or Catholicism.
A marae is where they meet on ceremonial occasions. Stories are told, the Maoris are warm hosts and raconteurs.
Visitors to the Marae sit opposite then summoned to rub noses with Maoris in an act of friendship.
Then food and wine is consumed.
Our guide took exception to rugby writers like Stephen Jones critcising the Haka.
Our guide said Kiwis were proud of their Maori culture, indeed thought of themselves as white Polynesians and to celebrate this the Haka was no different than say observing the national anthem or Poppy Day – and look what a fuss the was made when UEFA interfered in that.
The land around Hawkes Bay is rich and plentiful with fruits grown. We stopped for a delicious strawberries and there was squash, and apple orchards.
There is competition with the vineyards and this together with the lack of arable land are the main reasons why wine growing is constrained. The famous brand name should like Montana and Maria have vineyards here as well as the high end Te Mata which we were to visit.
Although we are in rural New Zealand after the commercial centre of Auckland, the same good values of integrity, inclusiveness and decency seem to continue. One cannot imagine that the fear of immigration that sustained the leave vote would hold much sway here. Indeed the leavers are young Brits who see a future in a more wholesome society here.