I'm reading a book called Straying from the Flock by Alexander Elder to get some background on New Zealand before I head out on my trip. I like this (p.37):
I realized that Shimmers [the cat] was a hard-working animal with an important role in the house. Klaus and Micha brought back carpets from the many countries that they visited and Shimmers made sure those carpets stayed in place. He moved from one carpet to another, following the sun throughout the day, and at night he held down the carpet in front of the fireplace.
I never knew my cat (Ariel) was doing such important work all day!
In an earlier post on my Kiwi Project, I mentioned that "Aoraki means Cloud Piercer in Maori" and that Mt. Aoraki was buffeted by fierce winds called the "Roaring Forties". I found an interesting legend about both those things. Here's a quick summary:
Aoraki and his 3 brothers were sailing their canoe when it struck a reef and capsized. The 4 men climbed onto the reef and sat down. They were caught by the wind and frozen in place. As they turned to stone, they became the South Island of New Zealand. Aoraki was seated the highest on the reef and became the tallest mountain.
In thinking about Mt. Aoraki/Mt. Cook, I think it will be even more awe-inspiring than our mountains here in Colorado. Sure it's a couple thousand feet shorter. But it starts from SEA LEVEL! Our mountains start from a mile high or so... In a couple places in the book (so far) the author mentions going from 'glacier to rain forest' or from 'palm trees to snow' in a few hundred feet!
Additional info:
Mount Aoraki Legend:
http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/HeManawa/LegendAoraki.asp
http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/newzealand/a/aorakilegend.htm
Straying from the Flock by Alexander Elder, p. 81
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