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1996
Around the world (NEW ZEALAND )
Bec2004-09-20 11:38:03
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a lot for gawking tourists, such as these unusual black swans on Rotorua Lake.
This lawn bowling green and the building housing the arts and history museum in the background would not be out of place in the English countryside were it not for the palm tree on the left. I can imagine that such a scene must be very exotic for the asiatic visitors who make up the majority of the tourists I have seen in New Zealand. The center of Rotorua is a very busy place, full of hotels of every class and description, of Maori souvenir shops, of restaurants, taverns and bars and of various tourist attractions such as Maori Hangi banquets, Maori culture shows and Polynesian Hot Pools.
The area around Rotorua is also well stocked with tourist attractions, there are parks and walks, gondola rides, tourist farms, mazes, geyser fields shown here and even a reconstructed Maori village at Whakarewarewa.
Generally I don't care too much for concentrated of tourist attractions as those found in and around Rotorua but I admit I did find the Maori village interesting and well presented even if somewhat artificial. I found that there seems to be a renewed interest for the Maori culture in museums and tourist centers all over New Zealand but have not been able to determine to what extent this interest went beyond the obvious commercial aspects.
Fine Maori carvings can be seen in museums and tourist centers like this one all over New Zealand but what is the status of the Maori people in today's white Kiwi society? From here I travelled to Paihia in the beautiful Bay of Islands region and spent a few days more in Auckland before flying to Melbourne in Australia. I did meet someone of Maori descent but did not get a clear answer to the above question so I guess I'll have to go back...
Copyright Bernard Cloutier
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See photographs from:
New Zealand Gallery
