New Zealand – A Good Meeting

Slowly making my way inland toward Taupo where I’ll be staying with Lee. I left New Plymouth still dehydrated I think. I was drinking and carrying a lot of water but it takes at least a day for your body to absorb it so I’ve been told.
I think the satnav on my phone took me the most picturesque route but it was also an unsealed road that the loggers use. I’m just glad I am a slow driver, there was debris on the road from rockfalls and some local drivers are maniacs.
I stopped in Taumarunui a small town for some lunch. I wish I’d taken the name of the cafe, I had the best pot of tea there, it was in an arcade and I didn’t realise they were about to close (at 2pm!) Anyway there were a group of people eating and I placed my order. The proprietor locked the door and I was able to observe the group already present. I had noticed at least two women with the a chin tattoo. I had seen this only a couple of times since I’ve been here. I was disappointed in myself for the lack of Maori contact I’ve had, because after all, the Maori are the original settlers on these islands. (I’ll give a potted Maori History separately) Anyway most of the group left, leaving a couple and I was just too curious to leave it alone as usual.

So the lovely lady in the picture is Lois Tutetmahurangi and she gave me the history of the moko (face tattoo) and very kindly consented to a photograph. Her cousin who was with her encouraged her to “get it out there”. I got the impression she was from an important family in the area. She told me that when she was a child there were only eight women in her family with the moko but now they are claiming their ways and heritage back with many more having the tattoo
It has its basis in a spiritual journey by a couple to the underworld, the husband had only painted his tattoo on and wiped it off when he arrived so the deity of the underworld taught him to create the moko which he then brought back to the living world.
I looked up information about the moko, and the practice nearly died out when the European settlers arrived in the 1800s pushing there own ideals on the Maori. It denotes a person of high rank within society.
I have noticed that the Maori language is on all the signs and very present. I also note the Maori are claiming back the names of places the European settlers renamed, e.g Mount Egremont is once again Mount Taranaki. It is now very cool to be Maori and I’m pleased their identity is being kept.
I enjoyed my chat to Lois and her cousin. Of course only once I’d left I found I was burning with questions. They gave me a tip for a good day out too, The Forgotten World Highway which, I’ll reserve for when Lee arrives I think.

I drove onto Whakapapa reserve near to where was staying. Here I met a bird watcher who was kind enough to point out the whio or Blue Duck. It was interesting to hear that the locals are setting traps for the introduced predators (including hedgehogs) and the ducks that were decreasing are coming back slowly. I think I was very lucky to see this bird, they pair for life and are territorial, liking fast moving clean water.
I was also interested to note there are Kiwis here however being a nocturnal bird I was very unlikely to see one.
I did a short walk to a beautiful lagoon then headed to my B&B.