After leaving for Auckland and the 3 hour trip, we looked for interesting places to stop.
First was a coffee shop downtown that had great coffee and doughnuts on Fridays. Mine was a marscapone, rosemary, and apricot filled. It was yummy but it has been 3/4 year since my last donut. Now I remember why.
Katikati is a small town of 8000 that is new Zealand’s #1 small town. We saw a sign that it has mural art. It has graphic art on the buildings and worthy of a stop.
They built a restroom and little garden area to reproduce a Kauri bush shed and dam. This is one of the oldest bush settlements and they had photographs of original buildings and bush workers.
Back in Auckland we headed to Eden park. The Australian and Pacific tectonic plates meet in this area 200 km below the Sea. It’s activity has created many volcanoes and islands. Auckland has over 50 volcanoes.
Mt. Eden is also known as Maungawhau and was formed by two simultaneous eruptions 28,000 years ago. Fire fountaining created what we saw as it spewed volcanic ash which collected around it creating a cone.
1000 years ago, the Maori people arrived by canoe, Waka, from the Haiweke/Polynesian island they originated. Aotearoa which is New Zealand was formed.
Over the years, settlers had wars and took over indigenous land. After some time the 14 lands (maunga) was restored to the 13 Maori tribes known as iwi. It is collective ownership that allows for shared responsibility and unity. A trust was created and an authority to oversee it.
This is why New Zealand is one of the few or only places that embraces and protects indigenous culture.
After, we walked to the stadium. I’ve never been to a rugby match before.
