NZ's Early Maori Settlers, Birds, Natural Highlights: PBS Program??!!

This afternoon on our Central Ohio PBS station, WOSU-TV, they had on-air several travel shows by Richard Bangs called "Adventures With a Purpose". There was one show of interest titled "Norway: Quest for the Viking Spirit". This hour-long program examined Viking heritage and sights along the scenic coast that we explored in July 2010. See the link below for that cruise. Another review notes that Richard Bangs has spent more than 30 years as an explorer and is a pioneer for travel that that bill itself as "making a difference". Expedia.com called him "Indiana Jones with a conscience". This is my first time seeing anything from this series by Richard Bangs and I was impressed with the quality of this PBS program.

What about New Zealand? I did a Google search and found “New Zealand: Quest for Kaitiakitanga” that has been honored by several awards and offers some background and video for the unique area down under.

You might check out your library to get a copy to see this show, or it can be order from Amazon, etc. Web link to get more info, read the full New Zealand script:

http://www.smarttravels.tv/AdventuresWithPurpose/site/shows_newzealand.html

On this same page are links to Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa: New Zealand's South & North Islands DVD . . . and . . . Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa: Sydney & Queensland Australia DVD

From Adventures with Purpose “New Zealand: Quest for Kaitiakitanga”, they have information from the original Maori settlers to present-day tourists. It notes that all who have travel to New Zealand are awed by its natural beauty. The Maori concept of “Kaitiakitanga” sees humans as earthly guardians, assisting the Gods and ancestral spirits in protecting the environment and preserving cultural traditions. This program explores how this ancient practice of “caretaking” is finding new popularity across modern New Zealand in the form of ecotourism and sustainable practices.

This hour-long, high-definition video journey takes us the length of the country, from the rugged Southern Alps to the remote tip of the North Island. Along the way, he hikes through the iconic landscape of Mt. Aspiring National Park, ice climb on the Franz Josef Glacier and overnight in an environmentally friendly ecolodge. He is bicycling through windy Wellington, on Kapiti Island with native birdlife, seeing the majesty of giant Kauri trees, the geothermal wonders of Orakei Korako, and the sand dunes of Hokianga Harbor.

Among the highlights in glancing through the script about New Zealand: "there is something irresistible about its natural beauty, something ever-alluring about its deep culture; and something enigmatic about how it seems more pristine with each visit. New Zealand was the last major landmass settled by humans, by men and women in stout canoes who traveled thousands of miles across the Pacific. The descendents of those early Polynesian explorers, known as Maori, developed their own mythology and value system to help them survive in this mystifying new world. To the Maori, the landscapes are alive, and taking care of them is as important as taking care of one’s own family."

There is a feature on jet boats that were invented by a New Zealander who wanted a craft that could operate in the shallow, fast-flowing rivers of New Zealand. Doing such an adventure trip has been highly suggested by a friend who lived there.

On birds, this program made some interesting points: "New Zealand, an oceanic archipelago that evolved in isolation, was once the world’s greatest bird land. Before humans arrived on these islands, birds had no natural predators, and as a result, an incredibly diverse range of species evolved here. When the Europeans arrived in the early nineteenth century, they brought dozens of invasive mammal species that preyed on birds, including the shy kiwi bird for whom New Zealanders are nicknamed. Over the past thousand years the kiwi bird population has declined by 99 percent, and experts say that without protection this beloved symbol of New Zealand would soon become extinct."

In glancing through this script, there is lots of interesting background and perspective about New Zealand and its unique history, landscapes, etc. If planning a future NZ trip, as we are for early 2014, this program and/or script might be worth checking.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 83,179 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 106,897 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474