New Zealand: Magnificence in miniature

It is this never-ending display of the best that the outdoors has to offer which attracts most visitors to New Zealand. The show also extends to the world of wildlife. Forests are alive with animals and birds, including rare species that have disappeared elsewhere but flourish on this isolated island terrain.

The world's smallest marine dolphin and rarest sea lion are found only in New Zealand waters. The tuatara, the oldest living reptile, has a life expectancy of 300 years and traces its lineage back 190 million years.

But it is the bird life that most fascinated, entertained and amused me.
Nowhere else may you encounter the kea, the only alpine parrot, or hope to see the endangered takahe, a large flightless bird.

Walking through the woods, you're often treated to an overhead concert that ranges from chirps and peeps to other less familiar sounds. I was able to identify clicks, creaks whistles, laughs and, emanating from one treetop triller, what I can only describe as similar to the ring of a cell phone.

Best known is the kiwi, a whimsical creature indeed, with its pear-shaped body, sturdy legs, plump backside and long beak. While kiwis are observed during chance encounters, the best opportunity for seeing them is during an organized nighttime spotting excursion, an exercise as unusual as the bird itself.

Lending an overlay of colorful history to New Zealand as a showplace of nature is the enticing story of the Maori. When the first European settlers landed in the early 19th century, they found the plains and forests inhabited by a Polynesian people who had arrived there about 800 years earlier after crossing the sea from other islands in double-hulled sea-going canoes. Today, about 15% of New Zealand's population of four million is of Mairo (pronounced MAH-ree) descent.

The Maori have maintained a rich culture that embodies their interaction with both the natural and spiritual worlds. Central to their beliefs is a close connection with the environment that combines respect and efforts to protect it. The Maori world-view links everything and every one in an extended family.

Introductions to the Maori people and lifestyle are constant -- in tongue-twisting place names for lakes, mountains and other natural attractions, and colorful legends that seem to explain virtually every aspect of life. Visitors may observe and experience Maori customs and lifestyle during presentations at marae (meeting places) and other venues.

The spiritual richness of the Maori culture is augmented by the warm friendliness of the kiwis, as New Zealanders refer to themselves. The beauty of the countryside is as varied as opportunities for exploring and enjoying it. For more information about this magnificence in miniature, log onto newzealand.com.

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