Aotearoa. The Maori word for New Zealand can be translated as "Land of the long white cloud" or, alternatively, "Land of Abiding Day". In legend, the original Polynesian explorers who found the island followed the path of an enormous cloud of white smoke -- possibly from a volcano -- that led them to the island. Before their arrival, the archipelago that comprises New Zealand had only bats as native mammals; the rest of the population were reptiles and birds. There were so few land-based predators that many of the birds had lost their ability to fly, since there was really no need . . .
After a one-night stopover in Hawaii, we landed in Auckland on January 30th, still staying ahead of the coronavirus pandemic that was starting to alarm Asia and Europe . . . We spent three days in Auckland, relaxing and getting our bearings before heading south.
After a one-night stopover in Hawaii, we landed in Auckland on January 30th, still staying ahead of the coronavirus pandemic that was starting to alarm Asia and Europe . . . We spent three days in Auckland, relaxing and getting our bearings before heading south.
