There are no words to describe how beautiful this country is.  We spent several days on the North Island and saw some really diversified things.

Here are the palm forests of the Waimangu Geothermal Valley.  These palms grow to be very tall and the dead palm fronds cover the stem where the roots are found making their way from the top of the tree down into the ground.

The valley has geothermal features like geysers, boiling water, and mud flats.  The valley was created by an earthquake in 1904 and another in 1917.  Before the quake there was a place called Fryingpan Flats, terraced pools, and thermal springs.  After the earthquakes the flats became Fryingpan Lake under which the terraced pools are now found.  The lake is hotter than boiling water and supports a very little life, mostly single celled bacteria.

Fryingpan Lake

The famous silver leafed fern which is so popular in New Zealand art.

A pretty blue pool higher up on the slopes.  It has a small geyser which erupts sporadically.  It is also hot and dangerous.

A small fumerole which blows off steam constantly.  The geothermal activity is so near the surface that even walking off the path is dangerous.  The earth’s crust is so thin here that only a little weight will break it.

Another view of Fryingpan Lake.

Up next, our Maori experience.  This felt a little like going to the shows in Hawaii that the Mormons sponsor, but we ate a great meal, heard some great singing, and saw some traditional dancing.

Dinner was lamb, chicken, salads, and other stuff.  It was all cooked underground like a luau.

The Maori came fro the South Pacific about 1300 years ago.  They settled New Zealand where they conserved the land and animals so that everything was in balance.  When the English first arrived they were afraid of this fierce band of warriors and it was not until the 1800’s that they started taking Maori land for themselves.  After years of trying to deal peaceably with this problem, the maori took the government to court and won back the right to their own land.  The first tribe we met gave the bulk of the land back to the city of Auckland for a park for all to enjoy while the second tribe just wanted a public apology and acknowledgement of what was done to them.  Very interesting.

The dances and songs are all a part of teaching strength and coordination with various instruments used in war.  The wide eye-ness and tongue sticking out are simple attempts to scare off enemies.  It works!

Next up is a flight to the South Island and the Alps of New Zealand.

It isn’t impossible to use words to describe the beauty of this land.  Flying in, the pilot took an extra circuit around the sound so we could marvel at how incredibly beautiful it is here.  The views from our hotel are astonishing and we have all loved watching the moon rise.

Our jaunt to Milford Sound was a five hour bus ride through more incredible scenery.  And the cruise around the fjord was always changing with each and every turn.  There were waterfalls everywhere we looked and the snow capped peaks provided a constant dramatic background.

A fern palm in ThenChasm.

The Chasm and very interesting pockmarked rocks lining the gorge.

Milford Sound and one of the many waterfalls.

More waterfalls.

Milford Sound, really a fjord, was discovered by Captain James Cook by a fluke.  He had sailed by the mouth of the fjord twice and didn’t see more than a bay.  Then one day in a storm and seeking shelter, he sailed farther into this *bay* and voila, the wondrous fjord we enjoyed today.  It is surrounded by the mountains and was a challenge to get to from the land side.  In 1938 a a tunnel as built which is still in use today.  It is a one way, low tunnel but no one complains.  The road wasn’t paved until the 1950’s and again, everyone loves it.

Our trip home was under a full moon which lit up the snowy landscape and gave us pleasant dreams.

So when the pictures I took today download to my iPad, I’ll give you the rest of the story!