Okere Falls (or Kaituna Falls), is situated around twenty minutes from Rotorua. It’s a place which offers not only shade from the summer’s heat and a native bush walk, but a series of white waterfalls that funnel a fast-moving flow of water.
by Cate
After a good rainfall, the current is swift creating volumes of white, like a cake with tips of white frosting.
by Cate
Each waterfall has a character of its own.
by Cate
And, all are raft and kayak friendly — if you could call it that.
by Cate
I walked this track twice on different days. On both occasions there were kayakers making their way downstream and over the falls. And on both occasions, I missed photographing them.
by Cate
So, the plan is to came back to this area in a few weeks time – when I return to Rotorua — and spend a few hours there, photographing kayaks and rafts coming down these beautiful falls.
But if I don’t, I’ve found a clip for you to see what I’m talking about.
Okere Falls is a historical area and a sacred place to the local Maori. You do need a vehicle to reach this place.
Caffeinated Traveller
There was a certain kind of air surrounding the wooden building I was staring at — a presence, an aura — something I could feel but couldn’t express in words.
Maori would call this ethereal quality Mana, or respect, something or someone who is held in high regard, a word that simply cannot, even in the best possible way, be explained in English.
by Cate
I inched forward taking in the building – the lines, the colours, the wood paneling, and the carved facades. Closing my eyes, I listened carefully for the karanga, a call of welcome sung by a kuia – respected lady. She stood in the courtyard, proudly wearing an ornately carved greenstone around her neck, and a tattooed chin fading with age. Like the building she too had presence. She opened her arms and began her karanga — Haere Mai, Haere Mai, Haere Mai – Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.
I responded by calling my own greeting and waited for the kuia to call me forward. But her voice caught by the wind slowly drifted away — and then stopped. Only the wind continued, wailing its eerie tune.
Opening my eyes I looked around searching for the voice and the old woman. There was nothing but empty buildings, and steam wafting through the air like mist. I was alone.
On a cool early morning in summer I stood in front of one of Rotorua’s sacred Marae’s, not as an honoured guest but simply as a curious tourist.
by Cate
Rotorua is where several Maori groups – iwi – continue to live on ancestral lands scattered around the geothermal region. Ohinemutu is one such place in the region. A small village set among steaming pools, and a nose smacking parfum de sulphur fragrance, on the shores of Lake Rotorua. It is home to Ngati Whakaue, one of the first iwi to settle in this area.
A first impression of this small quiet village is deceptive. There is a patina of poverty covering the village – a result of governmental policies – and an endless battle for Maori. But there is also richness in this tribal land, where Ngati Whakaue clans unite as one, where decision-making means consensus; and where the tribe’s Mana is felt throughout the area.
In Maoridom, the Marae – meeting place – lays at the centre of the community and its people. It’s a combination of tangible and intangible properties. The meeting-house dominates the complex with its size and scale, indicators of buildings importance. Intricately carved poles and panels depict ancestral gods and chiefs, tribal lineage and tribal lore.
by Cate
Ohinemutu is a small village within Rotorua town, but it’s pace of life differs to the rest of the urban area. While tour buses pull up along the lake front, letting out groups of tourists, packing the walkways, Ohinemutu welcomes smaller groups. The older couple driving through New Zealand in a rental, backpackers who want to get away from tour buses, and travellers interested in indigenous art and cultures.
by Cate
Around the complex lies other buildings of special interest – arts and crafts workshop and St Faith’s Church. This church’s exquisitely designed interior depicts Ngati Whakaue’s religious journey.
Access to Ohinemutu is very easy, walk past the Lakeside café and behind through the carpark and follow the signs.
Note: to translate Maori words into English click here: Maori dictionary
Caffeinated Traveller
Film director Peter Jackson is synonymous with visually stimulating movies like the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, King Kong and the more recent Lovely Bones — but he is also known amongst a small group of people as helping to kick start the large scale renovations of an aging historic lady in Wellington – the Embassy Theatre.
In the days of classical design, an era where people dressed up to go out, buildings like the Embassy had status. Luxury was prevalent, a result of rapid growth in consumer wealth and its sidekick — frivolity. War had passed and the depression wasn’t in sight. At that time, 1924, the Embassy made its entrance on to the theatre scene: grand, ornate and one of a kind, it took the name of the De Luxe theatre and there it stood through changes in government, world wars, international struggles against communism, hippy love; and the dot.com era. But early in the new millennium circumstances changed. Gollum, Frodo and a gold ring had come to town and the Embassy had to present herself to the world.
by Cate
My first experience at the Embassy was in the year 2000 when Julia Roberts portrayed Erin Brockovitch, and Michael Caine played the loving eccentric addict in Cider House Rules. But the real Embassy experience happened at a different time in the evening, doing something that only wild fun-loving movie buffs would do — midnight viewing of Maria and the Von Trapp family. There I sat dressed up as the old nun, singing in line with the movie, wishing I was wandering over those alps with Julie Andrews and of course the ever handsome Mr Von Trapp. The Embassy, like many other film theatres worldwide, presented its audience with a true movie viewing experience – unbeatable.
After the renovations, the Embassy took on a new persona. This grand old lady still creaks when the ground underneath moves, but she really does shine. The Embassy’s beauty can be seen at any angle, in any light, anytime of the day, being carefully outfitted with marble staircases, ceramic tiles, wrought iron banisters and mirrors usually found in ballrooms or opera houses.
by Cate
Add a jazz lounge where musicians frequent, a wine bar, coke and popcorn being sold alongside lattes and home style snacks — then you get to understand the Embassy experience.
by Cate
Want to know more?
Seat prices are competitive with other cinemas throughout Wellington — depending on the day, time and movie event. For viewings and additional information here is the link: Embassy Theatre, Wellington.
Caffeinated Traveller
It’s raining outside and I’m sitting at the table trying to come up with a story. Just outside in front of my window are plantings of native species – ponga trees and their wide fronds, drooping flax bushes with spears of flower buds; and other species I don’t really know much about but have heard they could possibly be food groups – cabbage trees and a native hop bush.
The plantings of ferns and ponga trees are captivating. Green fronds neatly feathered like an ostrich fan meant for display, sit atop chocolate brown poles straight and narrow. In the centre of each plant, lies its heart with long stems of tightly wrapped coils swollen from sunlight, ready to unravel one by one, and become whole.
by Cate
To English speakers the fern frond has its place in everyday life as nothing more than a plant with a common name. In Maori the frond holds more value and is affectionately known as koru.
I have become accustomed to seeing the koru in Maori carvings, design and tattoos; and also on the tail of New Zealand’s airline – Air New Zealand.
by Cate
But the truth is, I have never thought of the koru as anything more than a nice design and piece of art. Like most people including visitors to New Zealand, understanding the meaning behind the koru was something I never considered until now.
by Cate
And then I found a Maori proverb which summed it all up:
Ka hinga atu he tete-kura ka hara mai he tete-kura
As one fern frond dies, one is born to take its place
Explanation: The koru is representative of growth, parenthood, genealogy/ancestry the frond or koru symbolises sustainability; passing on of life, stories and resources from one generation to the next.
The koru is also widely used in Maori tattoo – moko — design. To understand the meaning behind the tattoo enables people to understand the ancestry, status, strength and courage behind the tattooed face.
Here is a video which explains the design of the moko and the significance behind each area of the face being tattooed. It is worth looking at, and don’t worry, there is no tattooing going on.
It isn’t just Maori that use the koru. In Japan it symbolises peace and one British NGO has taken the Maori name and design as a symbol of sustainable development.
As for me? I will be visiting a jeweller for some creative koru designs on my wedding ring.
Caffeinated Traveller
