—Travels with Harry, a Photo Journal—New Zealand


	Travels with Harry - a Photo Journal—New Zealand
	*Travels with Harry, A Photojournal - New Zealand* New Zealanders, or "Kiwis," as they prefer to be called, are a friendly and adventurous people, who enjoy beer (and who brew some really good ones). New Zealanders live in the Southern Hemisphere, which explains why the folks entertaining Harry at left are wearing what they're wearing at a Christmas party. Northerners like Harry find this a little strange, but adapt quite readily when plied with intoxicating spirits, as Harry has been here. Harry, who claims to be Canadian, like so many other successful American entertainers, couldn't remember what the stuff at right was called, but it was a bottle of raisins and other fruits, pickled in vodka, and bore a striking resemblance (in both form and function) to what some folks in the Canadian Maritimes refer to as "Screech." This stuff is deadly. Imagine Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, saying, "This stuff is Deadly, Mate." You've got the flavor, if not the precise accent. Beware. At left, Harry sees the reflection of Auckland's Skycity SkyTower in the Phillips-Fox building. It's anyone's guess how often this picture's been taken. 328 meters tall, the SkyTower is the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere, and when (as is often the case in Auckland) the weather is clear, folks on its observation deck can see for over 80 kilometers throughout 360 degrees. Harry, right, looks East from the SkyTower's observation deck toward Rangitoto Island. One story below where he stands, a certain, unfathomable variety of people bungee-jump off the tower. Harry and his guardian declined the pleasure, electing instead to return to ground level and the pleasures of a good steak and ale house nearby. Harry finds a carving in the tradition of the Maori, (pronounced "MAY-o-ree") at the Tamaki Maori Village near Rotorua, in central North Island. The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, or at least they're the first people to arrive there and populate the place, well before the arrival of Europeans. They're Polynesians, who dealt with the problem of overpopulation of small, volcanic islands by building an oceangoing boat, packing up the family, possessions and livestock, and sailing off in search of a new island to colonize. The Tamaki village is a living diorama, that demonstrates Maori culture and traditional living arrangements. On the organized tour to the village, Harry's guardian Stark was elected the tour's "Rangitira", or chief, and for this honor he got the pleasure of weathering the Maoris' "Te Wero," or challenge, offered by a tongue-sticking Toa (warrior), armed with a spear. A simple, "Hey, How're y'doin'?" is more Harry's speed. Harry meets a young lad, just arrived from China. Although he speaks no English as yet (and Harry's Mandarin is pretty rusty), they get along famously, and the young gent makes it clear that he's been thoroughly schooled in the ways of plastic horses. The two met at a Christmas Paddock Party. As this photo will attest, Santa Claus opted for traditional attire, regardless of the sweltering Summer heat, but not for long. Many of New Zealand's technical types are fond of cars that either go very fast, or very far off-road, or both. This alleged Honda City actually has a V8 engine and the front ends of two 4WD Toyota Hilux "Utes" ("pickups" to Americans and Canadians) installed underneath and equipped with hydraulic drives, so all four wheels are individually powered and steerable. It can literally "crab" sideways down the road, which can be extremely disconcerting to those, like poor Harry, who've been unduly influenced by spiritous liquors. This whimsical signpost in Bluff, at the extreme southern end of South Island, gives one a sense of just how far away from home Harry is. *Click Picture for larger image.* Harry gets a healthy jolt of reality after he clears customs at Boston's Logan Airport: outside at the bus stop it's bitter cold and snowing. The southern hemisphere definitely has it's advantages. Join Harry, as he takes you via his photo-journal to Alaska, Australia, Germany, England and Japan. Or return to Harry's Homepage.

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