It all started when director and producer Peter Jackson was traveling around the North Island in New Zealand. He was looking for a suitable location to film his new project. While flying around the area in a helicopter, Peter spotted a farm called Alexander. The owners of the farm – the Alexander brothers – lived and worked here since 1978. It is worth noting that at that time they owned 1250 sheep and 300 Angus bulls. The farm brought a good income, and the Alexanders were not going to change anything in their lives. However, an acquaintance with the director turned everything upside down. The family became infected with the idea of creating Hobbiton and agreed to build an unusual village. Work began on the reconstruction of the sheep farm in 1999. It took almost a year to build the sets! In total, more than 400 people worked here.
Peter Jackson didn’t want to build the sets out of cardboard. Absolutely everything in Hobbiton was built for real. The New Zealand Army was even involved in the work. For example, for example, the road to Hobbiton 1.5 kilometers long was built by soldiers. The houses of hobbits are made of wood and plastic. Moreover, beautiful gardens were laid out all over the area and a living barberry fence was made.

As a result, 44 hobbit houses, a mill, an arched bridge, the Green Dragon pub and even winding streets appeared on the site of the former sheep farm. At the end of the filming process, Hobbiton was not dismantled, but left as it was. The owners of the farm are so imbued with Tolkien’s ideas that they decided to preserve an unusual fairy-tale village for tourists. True, on the condition that the guides will free them from the constant questioning of visitors.

In Hobbiton there are daily excursions. It is possible to see absolutely all local attractions. The only thing – you can not get inside the hobbit houses. But to have a snack and a beer in the famous inn “Green Dragon” is easy. Don’t forget to bring your camera, Hobbiton is a great place for fun photo shoots. By the way, all tourists are given food for hand sheep. In addition, here it is allowed to feed milk to very young lambs.

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General information

Tongariro is one of the oldest reserves in the world, as it was opened in the 19th century. It is also the first national park to be established in New Zealand.

According to historians, the creation of the park is largely due to the chief of the local tribe, who in 1877 gave British settlers three sacred volcanoes with the condition that a protected area would be created around them. Those agreed to fulfill the conditions, and subsequently around the volcanoes grew a full-fledged reserve, the status of which was finally formalized in 1894. Today the area of the national park is approximately 79.5 thousand km². Since 1993, Tongariro has been under the protection of UNESCO.

Relief

A large part of the reserve is made up of deserted rocky areas, among which you can find small areas of greenery and water bodies. In the center of the reserve are three sacred volcanoes (Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu). They are scientifically active, although only the last one erupts.

Lake Rotopunamu

Another geographical attraction of the park is Lake Rotopunamu. It was formed about 10 thousand years ago after a landslide. The peculiarity of the water body is the absence of above-ground runoff.

Flora and fauna

The northwestern borders of the park are occupied by dense tropical forest. You can also see areas overgrown with beech trees. Mountain, red and silver beech are especially common here, as well as manuka, which is very ornamental. Other representatives of the local flora include ferns, mosses and lichens, heather and bluegrass.

Tongariro National Park, waterfall, rocks

The animal world of Tongariro is also unusually diverse. Birds are especially abundant here, and visitors can easily see gray kiwi, tui, gray warbler and New Zealand falcon. The reserve is also home to endemic animals – several species of bats. Ermines, rabbits, rabbits, muskrats and opossums are not uncommon here.

Entertainment and recreation

Tongariro offers its visitors a lot of entertainment. There are many hiking trails in the park. Some routes can be completed in a day, but there are also those that will take at least 3 days. You can relax in numerous lodges and cottages.

Kiwi Bird

The one-day route through the volcanic terrain is particularly popular. Its length is a little over 19 kilometers. You can walk it in 7 and a bit hours in summer, in winter the walk will last a little longer. It is advisable to make the crossing only in clear, dry weather, as there is a risk of serious damage in strong winds or low visibility.

Other activities include rafting, fishing, mountain biking and rock climbing. And in winter, the reserve turns into a popular ski resort. Numerous ski elevators are provided for the convenience of visitors.

Since some scenes from the popular movie “Lord of the Rings” were filmed in the reserve, visitors can go on an excursion to the places where the plot unfolded.

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Seven kilometers west of the town in a beautiful forest, lurks as small as the town, but known throughout the country, the mirror lake Metison, travel to which is no less popular than the glacier itself.

History

Apparently, Fox Glacier, like its nearest neighbor Franz, was once part of a larger glacier that formed thirteen thousand years ago, during the last ice age, but then separated and became an independent glacier. Fox Glacier then reached the Tasman Sea, but gradually retreated, forming new landforms in the process, particularly Lake Matheson. The first inhabitants of these places were the Maori, and they gave the glacier its name. There is a legend that Fox Glacier, like Franz Glacier, is the glaciated tears of a desperate maiden, Hina Huketer, who grieved for her beloved Tu Awe. Te Moeka o Tu Awe-“Tu Awe’s bed”-or deathbed. That’s the Maori name for the glacier.

There is information that the first European to see the Fox Glacier was a young Leonard Harper. He visited the glacier in 1852 and even called it “Albert”. But this name did not survive, as Harper did not register his discovery. In 1865, gold was discovered in the area of the glacier and throngs of prospectors flocked here. A settlement of 600 people sprang up on the site of the present town of Fox Glacier. But the gold rush passed quickly and the area was deserted. It was remembered a little later. In 1872, the Fox Glacier was visited by the country’s Prime Minister William Fox, and the glacier was named after him. From that time, probably, the glory of the world-famous glacier began. In 1998, after the adoption of the law on settlement of claims of the Ngai Tahu tribe, the glacier changed its European name and became officially called Te Moeka Tuawe.

Glacier

Beginning its journey at 2,600 meters above sea level, the Fox Glacier descends towards the coast and stops at three hundred meters, creating a spectacular contrast with the tropical greenery of the rainforest. Fox is larger than its neighbor Franz, as it is thirteen kilometers long. It is fed by snowfall, which forms an approximately thirty kilometer annual layer at its headwaters. The huge area of snow accumulation at the top of the glacier is 36 square kilometers, which is larger than the area of all of Christchurch. The snow compacts, turning into ice. Over time, it accumulates hundreds of meters and this ice under pressure rolls down the glacier bed into the wet forest, where it is warmer and rains, being another three hundred meters thick. This can be compared to the effect of toothpaste squeezed out of a tube. The speed of the ice flow is ten times faster than other glaciers, so the landscape of the ice sheet is constantly changing. The action occurs because of the particular shape of the glacial valley and the large accumulation of snow and ice at the top. As it moves, the ice breaks, forming deep gorges and creating a very beautiful but also very dangerous landscape. Downstream, the Fox Glacier is melting, feeding the Fox River with its meltwater. It has been melting for the last hundred years. In addition, the melting of the glacier is also affected by global warming. In 2006, the glacier was retreating one meter per week.

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Franz Josef Glacier is the “fastest” glacier in the world. In a day the ice travels a decent distance, about 2 meters per hour. Thanks to the melt water there is the Taiho River and several lakes. Numerous waterfalls descend from the mountains surrounding the peculiar canyon.

There is a very beautiful and sad legend connected with the Franz Josef Glacier. The girl Hinehukatere loved mountains more than anything else in the world. One day she decided to show the local beauty to her young man – the boy Tawa. Alas, the young men were caught in a landslide, and Tawa could not escape. Hinehukatere cried so hard that her tears gave rise to a glacier. So it’s no coincidence that the landmark is called “Hinehukatare’s Tears” in the Māori language. The length of Franz Josef Glacier is 12 kilometers. You can go horseback riding around it.

The first mention of Franz Josef Glacier dates back to 1859. It was then that it was seen by people sailing nearby on the ship “Marie-Louise”. Six years later, German explorer Julius von Haast gave it a name in honor of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph.

Interestingly, it is the world’s “fastest” glacier. In a day the ice travels a decent distance, about 2 meters in an hour. Thanks to the melt water there is the Taiho River and several lakes. Numerous waterfalls descend from the mountains surrounding the peculiar canyon. The Franz Josef Glacier descends from the Southern Alps and passes through the temperate wet New Zealand forest.

Not far from this attraction is the small town of Franz Joseph. This peculiar tourist center has cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, hotels and even a helipad. Why do you think it’s here? Simple. From here tourists climb the main field of Franz Josef glacier by helicopters. Local companies offer a variety of options to see the glacier: there are small walking tours, and there are complex multi-day hikes. In any case, you will need comfortable sports clothes, mountain boots, spiked “cats” and ice axes.

There are more than 60 glaciers in Westland National Park. But the most famous of them are Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier. You can make such a journey on your own or with an experienced guide. By the way, tourists can also make an excursion through the grottos and tunnels of the glacier. Keep in mind that very close directly to the glacier can not be approached. The fact is that at any moment a rockfall can begin here, or suddenly fly huge blocks of ice.

Franz Josef Glacier can be visited at any time of the year.

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William Larnack, who came to New Zealand from his native Australia in 1867 on the wave of the gold rush that swept the country, himself chose the place for the future castle, and it must be said that he was not mistaken with the choice. The castle stands on a hill across the bay from the town of Dunedin and the port of Chalmers, with stunning views of the bay and the ocean. The owner of the castle, a shipowner himself, has seen every ship that has entered the harbor. It must be said that it was on Larnaca ships that the first refrigerators were installed, which allowed the export of New Zealand meat to Europe to finally begin.

The construction of the castle lasted three years and was completed in 1871, but its interior decoration by craftsmen from Europe continued for another 12 years! Materials for the construction and decoration of the castle came from all over the world: marble from Italy, slate from Wales, floor tiles from England, glass from Venice and France. Local precious woods were also used – ceilings made of kauri, floors made of rimu and paneling made of honeysuckle. In 1885, a ballroom of 280 square meters was added to the castle. Larnac spared no expense in building his dream home. He called it The Camp. This name is tiled in the lobby of the castle.

William Larnac was an influential politician and a successful businessman. He moved to New Zealand from New South Wales after accepting a position as Governor of the Bank of Central Otago. He was a banker, shipowner, farmer and MP with progressive views. For example, he supported Kate Sheppard’s fight for women’s suffrage. Her portrait is featured on the modern New Zealand $10 bill.

Eliza, William’s first wife, who bore him six children, died in 1880m at the age of 38, when their youngest daughter Gladys was still an infant. Two years later William married Eliza’s half-sister Mary, but she too died five years later at the same age of 38. On January 27, 1891, William married for the third time to a woman from a noble and influential Wellington family, Constance de Basie Brandon. The groom was 57 years old and the bride was 35. The groom’s youngest son Douglas Larnac was only 7 years younger than his new stepmother, so it is not surprising that Douglas and Constance fell in love. Their tumultuous romance developed in the castle and its beautiful gardens. Constance became pregnant, but was going to get rid of the child without revealing the secret to her husband, however, Douglas wrote a frank letter to his father. On October 12, 1898, in his office in the Parliament House, William Larnac shot himself. He left no suicide note. The official reason for his suicide was impending bankruptcy and the loss of his parliamentary seat, but Owen Marshall, the author of the novel The Larnacs, insists on a more romantic version – a wife and son liaison. Be that as it may, the truth is forever hidden in Dunedin North Cemetery in a crypt built as a miniature replica of Robert Lawsen’s First Church.

William Larnack left no will, which seems rather odd considering his situation and suicide. After his father’s death, there was a struggle for inheritance between his children, but the eldest son Donald did everything to disinherit his brother Douglas, a traitor and “patricide”. In 1906 the Larnac family sold the castle to the Otago Regional Government for £3,000. Since then, the castle has been used as a hospital for the mentally ill and, during World War I, for soldiers with disturbed minds. From 1918 to 1967 the castle changed hands and was reduced to a very poor state of repair. When Barry and Margaret Barker from the USA bought the castle in 1967, it was almost in ruins. The Barker family has worked hard to restore the castle building and its interiors. Today, Larnaca Castle is one of the main attractions of Dunedin, where it is a pleasure to visit. The Barkers bought back and returned the once sold out Larnaca furniture, paintings and crockery to the castle so that visitors can see the original items and furnishings from the late 19th century. The gardens of Larnaca Castle are a work of art by landscape designers, past and present. In good sunny weather, which is not often enjoyed by the locals, the castle gardens become a paradise. As you walk along their intricate paths overlooking the picturesque bay, pictures from the past come to mind. William Larnacus is on the tower of the castle, gazing at a ship entering Chalmers harbor. Eliza, in an elegant dress, walks arm in arm with her eldest daughter Kate. And here is Douglas and Constance kissing passionately in the gazebo over the cliff…..

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A nonchalant stroll from the car to the bus at the Whakatu depot: a cheery good morning from the bus driver, nothing else. At the port, a similar response. Perhaps the port staff were just being polite. A bold move out into the open and away from between the buses: a few curious stares but that is often the case when visitors are struck by my striking native looks.

It was a little disappointing though. The fashion statement barely rippled the surface. It all came crashing down when my bus was loaded and we prepared to depart the port. I finished my introduction spiel and was about to take my seat.

“Excuse me”, said a gentleman in the second-row seat. “Could you tell me why you are wearing a skirt”?

“I am not a cross-dresser you know,” I said, struggling to keep the indignation out of my voice. “This is a traditional garment. It is a rapaki.”

We arrived on site at Hakikino. The reception here was very different. I had hoped that Ike’s arrival on site before we arrived might have prepared the way for our staff. He was dressed in his rapaki. No such luck. The wide-eyed looks and concealed grins did not go unnoticed.

By the end of that tour, I was much more comfortable in my rapaki, comfortable enough that is, to make it a permanent feature of all future cruise ship tours. That is as far as I wanted to go with it at this stage.

Wearing a rapaki does its challenges such as having staff make urgent gestures to you from behind visitors, that is when one is seated in front of the visitors. Manly sitting is not recommended: tuck the crossover between your legs or sit like a lady. I was not like my Scottish forbears you know; I did have a tarau on.
However, on one particularly hot day at Hakikino. I did do the Scottish thing. Oh my gosh: the freedom and the circulating cool breezes was indescribable. But, you can take things just a little too far.

We were invited to an exhibition opening at the MTG in Napier. By then we were feeling brave enough to take things a little further and appear in public. The opening of the exhibition took place in the foyer of the gallery. It was very hot in there and I was quietly applauding my decision to go ‘scottish’. That is until I went to stand up for the handshaking. There is nothing elegant about having to unstick clothing when in front of a whole host of people.

It reminded me of a story told by my mother.

She spoke of how she would play with the other kids at the marae. On this day they were having a tribal court sitting and the elders were inside dealing with local issues. The children were not allowed in but they sat under the window and strained to hear what was going on inside. She remembers that ‘Marge’ was the closest to the top and he relayed to the others what they were saying
“Reko is talking,” whispered Marge.
“What is she saying”?
“She said that Mere and the others were rude,” said Marge. “She wants an apology.”
“What did they say?”
“Reko said that when she got up and went to walk away the other woman laughed because Mere said that Reko’s bum was hungry, it was eating her dress”
Since that time, I have finished a tour and gone to pay my respects to my cousin Phillipa lying at Omahu marae. I had to go in my rapaki. I have worn it at our own marae in Waimarama where we were likened to the Fijian police.
I appeared at the Treaty of Waitangi Select Committee hearings held in Havelock North all rapaki-ed up. I had allowed plenty of time to finish my tour and get changed before my scheduled speaking time. I had not taken in to account that it was Art Deco weekend and I arrived at the hearings with only minutes to spare; no opportunity to change. I call this the ultimate reveal, that is, the rapaki’s ultimate coming out of the closet before the movers and shakers of Ngati Kahungunu.

I am well accustomed to wearing rapaki. It is a comfortable all-purpose garment. On a recent trip to Auckland, I noted that it was being worn by Maori there as well. I have plenty of inspiration for new designs.

My biggest problem now is figuring out how to have a mimi standing up while dropping a tarau holding up a rapaki and aiming in the right direction. I am a hand short.

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Huka Falls are formed by the turbulent flow of this river, which sharply narrows in the territory of the tourist park from 100 meters to 15 meters, turning from a calm wide river into a rapid stream that rushes through a narrow gorge. Every second 220 thousand liters of water pass through this section. This canyon appeared about 26 thousand years ago as a result of a large volcanic eruption, on the site of which Lake Taupo now stands.

The waters of the Waikato River are crystal clear and incredibly beautiful. This feeling of absolute purity is created mainly due to the huge number of sparkling water bubbles, which are formed due to the strong flow. In the upper part of the waterfalls are many small cascades, from which the water falls down from a height of up to 8 meters. The most beautiful section is located on the last eleven-meter step. The turbulent stream is furiously foaming and rushing down into the bright blue river surface.

Huka is certainly not Niagara Falls, but it is no less powerful. Even from afar it is clear: how powerful it is, that any obstacle on its way will smash into dust and dust. The Huka Falls offer a wealth of stunning opportunities for photographers and water scenery enthusiasts, while the Waikato River provides excellent conditions for Rafting on inflatable rubber boats. This is why the area is full of extreme rafting enthusiasts all year round, especially as the average annual water temperature is quite high, reaching 22 degrees Celsius in summer and 10 degrees Celsius in winter.

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