Journeys to New Zealand Aotearoa

Book excerpt: I visited New Zealand twice, in December 2017, and in March 2020. Both instances were while I was on the cruise ship, the magnificent Amsterdam, Holland America Lines flagship. This book reflects on my time in New Zealand during the first visit. The second visit was a time of increasing awareness of the dangers of Covid-19, soon causing many countries to close their ports to visitors. My review and analysis of New Zealand begin with its geography, reviewing the micro-continent, now reflecting but the remnant of a larger and now non-existent landmass. I focus on New Zealand's three main islands, its geography, flora, and fauna. I then discuss the arrival of the Maori, a controversial topic, with most scholars agreeing to the 1280 CE year when they arrived on these islands. An alternate view claims the Maori arrived here many centuries earlier, though no evidence validates this claim. Regardless of when they arrived, the Maori retain their own culture, cuisine, dress and way of living. Modern New Zealand’s history begins with the arrival of the famed English explorer James Cook in 1769, followed by English settlers. The arrival of Europeans changed the country and the way the Maori related to each other as well as to the new European arrivals. The Musket Wars saw the first change. These were wars fought between the Maori, with added lethality of using European weaponry. That consequence of the wars prompted the signing of the Waitangi Treaty, which many Maori chieftains agreed to in exchange for receiving Crown protection and citizenship. This Treaty, however, was in two versions: an English and another in Maori, resulting in the debate of what the Maori actually agreed to, and if they surrendered sovereignty by signing the document. The Treaty and its provisions are today the subject of controversy, with the government agreeing to compensations for Maori losses. Some of those losses resulted from confiscations during the New Zealand Wars when rebellious Maori were suppressed and the land was taken from them. I also review the different wars fought by New Zealand, first as a British colony, and later as an independent Commonwealth. New Zealanders are proud of their connection to the ‘Mother Country.’ When Britain was involved in the conflict, New Zealand immediately stood at her side, committing soldiers in her defense. also review the French attack on the Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace ship, an act sanctioned by the highest echelon of the French government. New Zealand was shocked by the reticence of Western world powers against this attack. The fact New Zealand stood alone in the face of this attack on its territory made it realize it had to adopt its own political agenda. Perhaps because New Zealand stood alone in the aftermath of this French attack on its soil bolstered its leadership to declare a national anti-nuclear policy. That policy resulted in harsh rhetoric and distance from the United States, though the ANZUS Treaty was not abrogated as a result. New Zealand today remains a member of the Five Eyes, consisting of a consortium of English-speaking countries that gathers and shares intelligence. New Zealand has a small but active Jewish community, primarily in Auckland and Wellington. I visited the Auckland Jewish community and was able to assess the country's relationship with the State of Israel. The section on My Visit reflects visiting Waitangi House in the Bay of Islands, Tauranga, Rotorua as well as Auckland. New Zealand is a beautiful country and I was enriched by visiting and becoming aware of its history, traditions, and people. I hope that the pandemic will be history to once again sail the waters and visit this distant land.