FACES OF PARADISE 3: NEW ZEALAND BY BUS & TRAIN

New Zealand is chilly Polynesia. Not a biggie for today's visitor, although I did need to buy a woolly hat. It was, however, a major problem for the first Polynesian arrivals 800 years ago. Their precious cargo of breadfruit wouldn't grow – nor would taro, coconut, mangos or most anything else on the menu in Hawai'i and French Polynesia to this day. Giant birds, who couldn't fly and didn't know they needed to until then, fed the arrivals for a while. Captain Cook helped out with a donation of potato in 1769, by which time the Māori people had become skilled farmers and hunters of marine mammals.

The Māori have been called "The most successful Polynesians". In contrast to my own experiences of Hawai'ian culture (diluted by the US) and Marquesan culture (vanished by disease and missionaries), I was impressed by the vigor, visibility and relevance of Māori culture during my travels by bus and train. Troubles remain but New Zealand at least seems to be trying. It's functionally dual-cultural and bilingual. Official signage is in te reo Māori (Māori language) and English. Both major groups of New Zealanders have a tribal-ish name – the Māori (descendants of the original arrivals) and the Pākehā (people of European descent).

From subtropical North Island to the Alpine splendour of South Island, the impressive people of New Zealand – both old and new – are the stars of this photoessay and I thank them all.

Helen Leask, September, 2025.