World on my postcards

This is the largest war canoe in the world was built for 1940 centennial commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi . The 35 metre canoe carries a crew of 90 paddlers and is regularly launched for annual commemorations of the Treaty signing.

The Emerald Lakes fill explosion craters near the summit of Mt Tongariro. Their brilliant colours are partly caused by dissolved minerals, washed down from the thermal area of nearby Red Crater.

  Lake Rotomahana occupies craters formed by steam-blast eruptions which accompanied the Tarawera eruption of 1886 and which destroyed the famous Pink and White Terraces and the earlier Lakes Rotomahana and Rotomakiriri. Now 20 times its original size, Rotomahana boasts the purest strain of Rainbow Trout in the world. Called the warm lake, Lake Rotomahana shores are abundant with natural marvels, including the world’s largest hot water spring. It is one of the newest eco-systems in the world and its flora and fauna are protected as a scenic reserve and wildlife refuge.  

 The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. They were believed to have settled into New Real Maori Warrior Chief Wielding a Mere in New Zealand around 1280 AD. The Maori people believed that combat was sacred to their ancestors and they fought to acquire mana spiritual power and prestige. Cannibalism was fueled by the desire to gain the mana of a foe defeated in battle. Unlike most native cultures, the Maori were never conquered. In 1807-1842, the Maori tribes began The Musket Wars, where Maori bought muskets from foreigners to use against enemy Maori tribes. The UK invaded New Zealand in the New Zealand Wars (1845-1872) and made New Zealand into a puppet state. The Maori still exist today, but their tribes are losing their native culture from modernization and over 150 years of British influence.

There are several languages of New Zealand. English (New Zealand English) is the dominant language spoken by most New Zealanders and is one of three official languages [ of New Zealand. The country's de jure official languages are Māori and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). Other languages are also used by ethnic communities.New Zealand adopted sign language (New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL) as an official language on 10 April 2006. It is now legal for use and access in legal proceedings including in court and access to government services. There are around 70,000 native speakers of Maori out of a population of over 500,000 Māori people,with 161,000 of the country's 4 million residents claiming conversational ability in Māori

                                         Interesting facts about New Zealand: 1. New Zealand’s Head of State is Queen Elizabeth. 2. They have two national anthems- God Save The Queen and God Defend New Zealand 3. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed on 6 February 1840, establish a British governor in New Zealand, recognized Maori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave Maori the rights of British subjects. 4. Captain James Cook drew the first map that put New Zealand definitely on the globe. 5. “Lord of the Rings” was filmed entirely in New Zealand. 6. Auckland City Sky Tower is the tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere at 328 meters. 8. With 2.5 million cars for four million people, including children, New Zealand’s car ownership rate is one o...