Iri Ani The Witch's Blog

Iri Ani The Witch's Blog http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/ Welcome to my page. I believe that life is for learning and discovery and increasing our knowledge of the world around us, for without these elements we human beings can never have wisdom or compassion. It should be no surprise that my favourite things are reading, research and writing. I welcome discussion and comments on my posts. For people who turn on the loaded song, it is Te Arohanui sung by Whirimako Black in te reo Maori. Sun, 6 Jul 2008 09:50:09 -0000 Sun, 6 Jul 2008 09:35:38 -0000 Iri Ani The Witch's Blog http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/logo http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com 100 100 The Heart Is Slow to Learn, Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sang this beautiful song at Andrew Weber's 50th birthday concert in London 1998 the heart is slow to learn the heart is slow to learn these feelings that I feel are foolish but they're real I'm wise enough to see this love will never be I'd try to let us know there's still no letting go I know it's mad and you won't return but still as I have said the heart is slow to learn I'll never love as I have loved you why is love cruel I wish I knew say what you will it doesn't matter until I die there is only you until I die there is only you the heart is slow to learn the heart is slow to learn you'd think there would be a way to shut out yesterday perhaps if I just thought of all the times we fought I'd try to let us know there's still no letting go I know it's mad and you won't return but then as I have said the heart is slow to learn I'll never love as I have loved you why is love cruel I wish I knew say what you will it doesn't ma... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/video/item/37/The_Heart_Is_Slow_to_Learn_Kiri_Te_Kanawa Sun, 6 Jul 2008 09:35:38 -0000 Afghanistan: A Chronology of Events <a href="http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SG2lCAoKCq8AAHoYYUs1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SG2lCAoKCq8AAHoYYUs1/veiled-women-of-afghanistan_7333.jpg?et=yPVRvkc3%2BWc9Yibuuv5UHg&nmid=0" border="0"></a> Reading Latifa’s book My Forbidden Face, and following the comments from my last post, and today, a post from my friend Abdul, <a href="http://abdullatif99.multiply.com/journal/item/66/Sharbat_Gula_-_The_Afghan_Girl?replies_read=5">Sharbat Gula - the Afghan Girl</a> made me realise how sketchy my knowledge of Afghanistan and its history really is. So, as it's a really miserable wintry day here, I sat down and put this very summarised chronology together. It is sourced mostly from Latifa’s book and from various posts in Wikipedia. 1747  Although this is the year that the Afghan state was officially created, the land has an ancient history and various timelines of different civilizations, a fascinating history in itself. Excavation of prehistoric sites shows that people were living in what is now Afghanistan at least 50,000 years ago, and that farming communities of the area were among the earliest people to farm in the world. Now, in 1738, one Nadir Shah and his army, which included four thousand Pashtuns of the Abdali clan, conquered the region of Kandahar. In the same year he also occup... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/64/Afghanistan_A_Chronology_of_Events Fri, 4 Jul 2008 04:39:35 -0000 Attitudes Around Women's Bodies <a href="http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SGhZywoKCq8AAFe7KPI1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SGhZywoKCq8AAFe7KPI1/chador_two_arms_out.JPG?et=Vh47IN8pREqrvIcQ1T3YjA&nmid=0" border="0"></a> ... or I could retitle this - From the Sublime to The Ridiculous - or vice versa. Its been a wild wet windy weekend in New Zealand. I was reading a book by a young Afghani woman, Latifa, called My Forbidden Face. The book is about the lives of women in Kabul after Kabul was taken by the Taliban. Among other restrictions the women were suddenly required to be fully covered in a chador or burqa. Latifa tries a chador on for the first time. She writes, "Its suffocating. The cloth sticks to my nose. I have a lot of trouble adjusting the embroidered lattice slits in front of my eyes. 'So? Can you see me?' Farida asks. I see her as long as I stand directly in front of her. In order to turn my head, I have to keep some of the cloth clutched beneath my chin so that the eyeholes stay in place. In order to look behind me, I have to turn around completely. I can feel the rustle of my own breath inside the garment. I'm hot. My feet get tangled up in the material. I'll never be able to wea... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/62/Attitudes_Around_Womens_Bodies Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:14:15 -0000 John Rowles - If I Only Had Time John Rowles is an icon in New Zealand. He was born on the 26th March 1947 in Whakatane. His parents were Eddie and Phyllis Rowles, and his father Eddie played for the All Blacks (NZ's national rugby team) in 1938 and was also a talented singer. John had five sisters, Georgina, Carol, Gabrielle, Cheryl and Tania, and two brothers, Edward and Wally, but sadly young Edward died. John's first public performance was at age ten when he entered a local talent quest and sang "All Shook Up" taking out first prize. While still at school he organised a group called the Shadows, (named after the original group), and John played lead guitar. His father managed the group and they played at local dances at weekends. John was encouraged by his father who even bought him his first electric guitar. John left school in 1962 (he was 15), worked for a while in forestry but when he was sixteen he went to Auckland and got a job in a club there, had a short spell with Sonny Day and the Sundowners and... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/video/item/36/John_Rowles_-_If_I_Only_Had_Time Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:50:54 -0000 Trade Me: The Novel To bring the people living in the upside-down-world of NotDownUnder up to speed, Trade Me is a New Zealand internet auction site with New Zealand‘s largest online audience. It was founded by Sam Morgan in 1999 and sold to John Fairfax Holdings Limited in 2006. The site has already spawned one book “Trade Me: Success Secrets” by Michael Carney in 2005 featuring tips and techniques on online auctioneering and bidding and stories about successful buyers and sellers. Now on to this novel which is anything but serious. Cristal66, who is an obsessive trader on New Zealand's Trade Me auction site, buys a second-hand men's designer jacket from her favourite seller Jade24 and gets much more than she bargained for (pun intended). In a world in which the worst catastrophe is to get negative feedback, a chain of events is unleashed which includes intense online auctions and bidding wars, industrial spies, cheating husbands, wives and lovers, a hip hop band and even a cheeky Australian pa... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/reviews/item/11 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:05:23 -0000 Che Fu & Aaradhna - Spin One As all those who read my blogs know, the Maori New Year begins with the first new moon after the reappearance of Matariki. This year, the new moon rose on the 5th of June so our New Zealand New Year has started today, the 6th of June. Matariki and her six daughters are now clawing back the sun from the north. And its a beautiful unwintry day right now in Paradise (aka Aotearoa/NZ). So I am posting this cheerful video featuring both Che Fu and Aaradhna to celebrate our New Year. Kia ora. A bit about Aaradhna - she recently she released her first album which is titled "I Love You". A singer/songwriter of Samoan and Indian descent, she has been in New Zealand's music scene for about two years mostly in collaboration with other artists. Her first ever recorded song was a duet with Adeaze, the uber-popular anthem "Getting Stronger" that ended 2004 as the 2nd most played song on Kiwi airwaves. The Wellington-born singer is now fast becoming known as the go-to girl for local rappers whe... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/video/item/35/Che_Fu_Aaradhna_-_Spin_One Fri, 6 Jun 2008 01:55:53 -0000 Hayley Westenra - Pokarekare Ana This song is so famous in Aotearoa/New Zealand that in 2002 it got a whole television documentary Pokarekare Ana which was just about this song. Pokarekare Ana is a love song which was first heard in the north of Auckland around the beginning of World War One. It then drifted to the East Cape, where it was modified into an action song telling of Paraire Tomoana's 1912 courtship of Kuini Raerena. It is now known and sung world-wide. Pökarekare ana ngä wai o Waiapu, Whiti atu koe hine marino ana e. They are agitated the waters of Waiapu, But when you cross over girl they will be calm. E hine e hoki mai ra. Ka mate ahau I te aroha e. Oh girl return to me, I could die of love for you. Tuhituhi taku reta tuku atu taku rïngi, Kia kite tö iwi raru raru ana e. I have written my letter I have sent my ring, so that your people can see that I am troubled. Whati whati taku pene ka pau aku pepa, Ko taku aroha mau tonu ana e. My pen is shat... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/video/item/34/Hayley_Westenra_-_Pokarekare_Ana Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:08:55 -0000 Matariki <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SENOhQoKCq8AAEI-SUc1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SENOhQoKCq8AAEI-SUc1/matariki.jpg?et=tTPutAJzuzUm0L8vLmpDpQ&nmid=0&nmid=98978661" border="0"></a> I had to research this one myself last year after a friend reminded me that it was nearly Matariki and I realised that I didn't know a lot about it beyond the bare fact that it existed. So this is what I found out and posted on 360 last year (with some slight editing and upgrading for this year). Matariki (the stars in the sky) Matariki is the Maori name for the small distinctive cluster of stars that are more commonly known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, in the Taurus constellation. In New Zealand this star cluster comes into view only once a year, low on our north-eastern Horizon and can be seen in the last days of May or in early June just before it dawns. Presuming that it’s not raining of course and right now in Canterbury we have rain. So I can't see anything. Puanga The bright star Puanga – or Rigel – also emerges at about the same time as Matariki, and for some iwi (tribal groups) it is the appearance of Puanga rather than Matariki that has significance and is celebrated. Iw... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/61/Matariki Mon, 2 Jun 2008 01:46:03 -0000 What Price Winning... <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SD92SAoKCq8AABlzlOU1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SD92SAoKCq8AABlzlOU1/spray-orange.jpg?et=qrHnK8V3zf8iQMCndAh%2CYw&nmid=0&nmid=98529437" border="0"></a>When I went to look for an image for this post Google found for me the most horrific images of children and people with birth defects from Agent Orange. I can’t bring myself to post them but if you google Agent Orange, selecting images, I am sure you will find them too. You will need a strong stomach. The Image: A light plane sprays some of the 19 million gallons of defoliant used in Viet Nam. Each plane could destroy 350 acres of forest per run. A spray run took less than 4 minutes, used 1,000 gallons of Agent Orange and was often sprayed by 3 planes flying side by side. That meant 1 run equalled 1,000 acres of jungle destroyed. I would like to dedicate this post to all those who have had their lives ruined by Agent Orange. Kia Kaha. The war in Vietnam lasted from 1959 to 1975. In Vietnam it is often referred to as the American War. It was fought between the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and their allies, and the US-backed Republic of Vietnam in the south. It ... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/60/What_Price_Winning... Fri, 30 May 2008 03:50:35 -0000 Public Apology to NZ Vietnam War Veterans <img class="alignleft" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SDzInwoKCq8AACE@edA1/Tvr-RadioWeek.jpg?et=Z82F4G%2CD1oD6%2BPjhd8TnPw&nmid=0" border="0">Taken From The New Zealand Herald Wed 28 May 2008 The New Zealand Government will publicly apologise to Vietnam War veterans and their families, recognising the servicemen were not treated fairly when they returned from war. The apology, which will be made in Parliament on Wednesday, was agreed to in a memorandum of understanding between the Government, the Ex-Vietnam Services Association and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association in 2006. The memorandum, a $30 million package that resulted from a report on the veterans' concerns, also includes an ex-gratis payment of $40,000 for those with prescribed medical conditions and a $25,000 payment to the spouses of veterans who have died. "The apology will recognise that Vietnam veterans were not treated fairly on their return to New Zealand after the war," Prime Minister Helen Clark said. "Those who served in Vietnam, like other New Zealand soldiers before and after them, undertook their duties bravely, loyally and profess... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/59/Public_Apology_to_NZ_Vietnam_War_Veterans_ Wed, 28 May 2008 02:53:39 -0000 Remembering Coleman A. Young & The Tuskegee Airmen There have been many people who have done great things in our world and they are not always remembered or even known. This powerful post by one of my contacts is one of these and well worth taking time to http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/links/item/20/Remembering_Coleman_A._Young_The_Tuskegee_Airmen Wed, 28 May 2008 00:54:28 -0000 Baby No-Eyes "There's a way the older people have of telling a story, a way where the beginning is not the beginning, the end is not the end. It starts from a centre and moves away from there in such widening circles that you don't know how you will finally arrive at the point of understanding, which becomes itself another core, a new centre. You can only trust these tellers as they start you on a blindfold journey with a handful of words which they have seemingly clutched from nowhere; there was a hei pounamu, a green moth, a suitcase, a birdnosed man, Rebecca who was a mother, a man who was a ghost, a woman good at making dresses, a teapot with a dent by its nose." (pg 28, Baby No-Eyes). And thats what this story is. Baby No-Eyes is a novel which starts after the beginning where the present is always the pivot, the centre of the spiral, looking outward to the past and future that define it. It is a novel which merges some controversial actual events (land occupations and body tissue theft) w... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/reviews/item/10 Mon, 26 May 2008 00:47:37 -0000 Te Upoku O Te Ika - In Conclusion <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SDigPQoKCq8AADCkFYM1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SDigPQoKCq8AADCkFYM1/Waitangi%20Treaty%20house.jpg?et=kjPPqmDrrkO4xICsPqqWIg&nmid=0&nmid=97669567" border="0"></a> pictured: Te Whare Runanga, Maori meeting house (wharenui) at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. This part of the series is an update to the original Y!360 posting. The Waitangi Tribunal was established in 1975 following the passing in Parliament of the Waitangi Treaty Act 1975. The Tribunal is a permanent Commission Of Enquiry charged with making recommendations on claims brought by Maori relating to actions or omissions of the Crown that breach the promises made in the Treaty of Waitangi 1840.  The Waitangi Tribunal inquiry process contributes to the resolution of Treaty claims and, in that way, to the reconciliation of outstanding issues between Maori and Pakeha. The Waitangi Tribunal 2003 In 2003 the Waitangi Tribunal found that the 1839 deed by which the New Zealand Company purported to have purchased the Port Nicholson block was invalid, conferring no rights on the company or its settlers. New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, was seen to have been settled by colonists through the... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/58/Te_Upoku_O_Te_Ika_-_In_Conclusion Sat, 24 May 2008 23:19:53 -0000 Te Upoku O Te Ika - Part Two <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SDdIkgoKCq8AACA-Kd81"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SDdIkgoKCq8AACA-Kd81/Wellington%201843.jpg?et=NGNfLgh7twhLo1wEIAVrWw&nmid=0" border="0"></a> Wellington Land Claims Court 1842 The whole deal had been so badly done that the New Zealand Company land claims were brought before Commissioner Spain, in the Wellington Land Claims Court, as early as 1842! Colonel Wakefield had only three witnesses, believing that the matter was just a formality. He was soon to find that this was not the case. Commissioner Spain asked: "Was it explained to the natives [sic] before they signed the deed that they were selling their pa's [sic], burial grounds, and cultivated lands within the boundaries of the deed?" Colonel Wakefield replied: "The expression made use of was that they were selling all the land within those boundaries, but that reserves would be made for them; there was no special mention made as to their pa's [sic], burial grounds and cultivated land." Richard Dicky Barrett was asked to tell the court exactly the terms in which he had explained the deed of purchase. Barrett did so in Maori, which in turn was translated by the official court... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/57/Te_Upoku_O_Te_Ika_-_Part_Two Fri, 23 May 2008 22:57:55 -0000 Cornerstone Roots "Home" Well here's an interesting way to recycle an old Kiwi telly - it looks just like one I used to have in my own lounge, hehehe. Cornerstone Roots first formed in 2001, the original three piece outfit including singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Bri Ruawai, drummer Turongo Dixon and bassist Naomi Tuao. After the release of their debut single 'One Fine Day' in 2002, the following year the Cornerstone Roots released their debut album 'Soul Revolution' a gritty live rhythm track album described by some reviewers as "brilliant" and "impressive". Wellington musicians from Fat Freddy's Drop, Trinity Roots and the Black Seeds featured on that album and Jonathon Crayford made a guest appearance on keyboards. Cornerstone Roots have in the past opened for Jamaican legends Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Michael Rose with Sly n Robbie, Lee Scratch Perry & the Mad Professor. Festivals played include SoundSplash, Alpine Unity, Kaikoura Roots, Rhythm & Vines, Wild Food Festival, Destinations,... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/video/item/33/Cornerstone_Roots_Home Fri, 23 May 2008 11:39:03 -0000 Te Upoku O Te Ika - Part One <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SDYKpwoKCq8AAB5nM4E1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SDYKpwoKCq8AAB5nM4E1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SDYKpwoKCq8AAB5nM4E1/list.jpg?et=O4vHzYKXrn5H5Dy7zlrrPg&nmid=0&nmid=97370966&nmid=97370966" border="0"></img></a>This image to the left shows the list of items and their cost which were used by the New Zealand Company in 1839 to purchase a large piece of the area known to Maori as Te Upoko O Te Ika (The Head of The Fish), and now known to us all as Wellington, (the capital city of New Zealand). The legality of this sale was to become highly contentious later on. Those of you who have read my Sarah Ann and John Glynan series on 360 from approx. part seven to part thirteen may remember that those posts dealt with the preparation for and the battle at Boulcotts Farm and through to the battle at Horokiri (1845-1846). The troubles then had arisen directly from illegalities and other issues of the 1839 land purchase. The New Zealand Association, which was headed by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, had formed a company to promote systematic colonisation of the new country known as New Zealand. In 1839, as the company realised that annexation of New Zealand by the British Crown was imminent they sent Colonel Wi... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/56/Te_Upoku_O_Te_Ika_-_Part_One Fri, 23 May 2008 00:39:42 -0000 Multiply is Multiplying: Page Views Double to 600MM Year-over-Year This link to this article was posted in the MUDS group but for people who don't read in there... "Fresh off of yesterday’s report that traffic at Facebook and MySpace may be declining in the US, Multiply, the social network that prides itself on being about real world relationships, is showing some fairly impressive growth statistics. The site recently passed the 9 million registered user mark, and both monthly unique visitors and page views have doubled year-over-year (based on March’s data)" Click the above url to read http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/links/item/19/Multiply_is_Multiplying_Page_Views_Double_to_600MM_Year-over-Year Thu, 22 May 2008 04:15:33 -0000 The Story Of Hannah and James Wright: The Conclusion <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SCzcvgoKCq8AAFk-ln81"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SCzcvgoKCq8AAFk-ln81/the%20wright%20brothers.JPG?et=ieJbEq2WGzWrQVxLkNNHGw&nmid=&nmid=96250666&nmid=96250666&nmid=96250666&nmid=96250666" border="0"></a> The prizewinning whaleboat crew referred to in James' letter, below. Back row: George Henry Wright (1843-1912) cox, James Wright (1850-1912), William Wright (1845-1924), Front row: Alexander Wright (1847-1920), Joseph Wright (1851-1914)          The following is the text of a letter written by James on the 30th September, 1873, apparently in reply to a letter he had received. It seems as though it must be the first letter sent to the family in England in all those years for James is telling them the highlights of the thirty history in this country. All spelling and punctuation, (or the lack thereof), is original. Island Bay Station near Akaroa my Dear Brother and Sister i right to you all hoping this will find you all in good health as it leaves us at Preasant thank god i received your kind letter and News Paper we were so glad to hear from you Dear Brother we have twelve children  9 boys and 3 girls we have had fifteen three are dead Dear Bro... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/55/The_Story_Of_Hannah_and_James_Wright_The_Conclusion Fri, 16 May 2008 01:09:39 -0000 The Story Of Hannah and James Wright: Part Six <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SCuZKQoKCq8AADUwZLo1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SCuZKQoKCq8AADUwZLo1/james%20wright.JPG?et=peo32Po3oNuYtQ3skdnwyQ&nmid=&nmid=96091821" border="0"></a> The Island Bay Whaling Station The Island Bay Whaling Station which had originally been established by the tree men, William Green, Charles Brown, and Matthew Hall in 1852, had then passed into the hands of the Greenwoods at Purau by 1846. The Greenwoods made an agreement with John Moles and Samuel Williams to whale from the bay. The agreement had the Greenwoods supplying the whaling gear and. in return, they received half of the value of the oil and bone until the gear was paid off. By October of 1846 twenty men were working on two boats and had taken eighteen tuns, (or barrels),  of oil and a ton of bone. But at the end of that year, the American Samuel Williams, (also known as "Yankee Sam"), had packed up to travel down to Timaru where he established the first pub there. In May of 1847 the Greenwoods  sold Purau apparently with the Island Bay Station as part of a package deal to the Rhodes Brothers. George Rhodes ran the whaling operation from his Red House Bay base but then... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/54/The_Story_Of_Hannah_and_James_Wright_Part_Six Thu, 15 May 2008 02:04:52 -0000 The Story Of Hannah and James Wright: Part Five <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SCkVDAoKCq8AAEjPHJ81"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SCkVDAoKCq8AAEjPHJ81/grass%20seeders%20threshing.jpg?et=cHU9BuVUR1Y9sGfRuaheCQ&nmid=&nmid=95766518&nmid=95766518&nmid=95766518" border="0"></a> Right: Grass seeders threshing seed from cocksfoot grass on Banks Peninsula The Two Volcanoes of Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula was formed through volcanic activity. It is comprised of two large volcanoes which were active less than half a million years ago. Their craters were enlarged over the centuries by the eroding action of streams and they were then invaded by the sea during the postglacial world-wide rise in sea level beginning about fifteen thousand years ago. Those two volcanoes now form the harbours of Akaroa and Lyttelton. The Akaroa Harbour was the larger of the two volcanoes and both have been considered extinct until recently when a steam fissure has opened up. The volcanoes may in fact be just dormant. Originally the peninsula was in fact an island, but the island became connected to the Canterbury Plains when the growing alluvial plain reached the base of the island. They are now juxtaposed in stark contrast, a steep mountainous peninsula beside a barren plain. Banks Pe... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/53/The_Story_Of_Hannah_and_James_Wright_Part_Five Tue, 13 May 2008 04:24:15 -0000 The Story Of Hannah and James Wright: Part Four <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SCgBngoKCq8AADa4tzk1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SCgBngoKCq8AADa4tzk1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SCgBngoKCq8AADa4tzk1/Banks%20Peninsula%20map.JPG?et=tkh73OciLmPin0R%2CfAN3Uw&nmid=&nmid=95632873" border="0"></a> Left: map of Banks Peninsula showing the whaling stations and settlements. A (hopefully) reasonably concise history of Banks Peninsula. Banks Peninsula, (Horomako), was important for Maori because it combined the resources of forest and sea and was close to the productive wetlands near the coast, also handy to Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere), and Wairewa (Lake Forsyth) - renowned eel and flounder fisheries. The Peninsula is within the traditional boundaries of the Kai Tahu iwi (tribe). Their most important pa was at Kaiapoi which was also a centre of trade in pounamu (greenstone). Captain James Cook sighted and misnamed the peninsula as Banks Island in 1769. He did not land there and so the first recorded European landing on the peninsula was not until 1815 or 1816 when a sealing ship put into Akaroa to trade for potatoes and flax. Akaroa is Kai Tahu dialect for Whangaroa which means "long harbour". Schools of Humpback, Minke, Right and Sperm whales migrated past the New Zealand coastline fro... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/52/The_Story_Of_Hannah_and_James_Wright_Part_Four Mon, 12 May 2008 08:59:25 -0000 The Story Of Hannah and James Wright: Part Three <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SCaFngoKCq8AAFgKHNU1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SCaFngoKCq8AAFgKHNU1/1842Wellington.jpg?et=JLj7od5%2Cr1EpmKM0l2uhjA&nmid=&nmid=95443329&nmid=95443329&nmid=95443329&nmid=95443329" border="0"></a> The First Day The colonists who had arrived on the previous four immigrant ships had already been flooded out from their original infant settlement location at Petone and had now migrated to the other side of the harbour. The passengers of the Martha Ridgway were therefore duly landed at Pipitea Point. Pipitea Point was thickly clad in native bush and close to a Maori pa. Here the new settlers were accommodated in tents which were quickly erected on the rising ground. Most of the immigrants had not been able to bring many household goods with them (due to the limitations of space on the ship), and they had no cooking facilities but some people felled a large tree and then they cut small hollows into it. They then filled those small hollows with clay and these were used as fireplaces. It has been recorded that these unusual fireplaces were very effective in use, one woman later told how she learned to fry fish that day on her family's dugout fireplace. In that First Year... The settlers... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/51/The_Story_Of_Hannah_and_James_Wright_Part_Three Sun, 11 May 2008 05:43:15 -0000 The Story Of Hannah and James Wright: Part Two <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SCV9GgoKCq8AACxA94U1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SCV9GgoKCq8AACxA94U1/a5981atl.jpg?et=7Vcq7DbTjTljdKEpGPPOcg&nmid=&nmid=95340429&nmid=95340429&nmid=95340429&nmid=95340429&nmid=95340429" border="0"></a> Ports were essential to early settlements, and their promoters liked to talk up the advantages of their anchorages. Wellington Harbour which was an excellent deep-water harbour, featured prominently in the New Zealand Company propaganda. This view was drawn by Charles Heaphy in 1839, and lithographed by T. Allom and published in 1843. It was technically accomplished enough and at first sight appears remarkably accurate. But the amount of flat land has been exaggerated, the hills have been softened and shortened, and the Hutt River (centre right) has been made to look improbably fit for navigation. Maori called this place "Te Upoku O Te Ika", which means "The Head Of The Fish". Europeans renamed it "Port Nicholson", and Maori had transliterated that right back to "Poneke". In the future it will be known as Wellington. Arriving at Paradise aka Poneke I am imagining Hannah and James standing beside each other on the deck of the Martha Ridgway as she finally sails into harbour on the fou... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/50/The_Story_Of_Hannah_and_James_Wright_Part_Two Sat, 10 May 2008 10:54:07 -0000 Pioneer / Six Months in a Leaky Boat - Split Enz This video clip seems to me to "go with" my Hannah and James blog, there is the leaky sailing boat, and the long long voyage travelling some 13,000 miles from one side of the world to the other. The song "Six Months On a Leaky Boat" was released on Split Enz's 1982 Time & Tide album, however it attracted some controversy in the UK when some people assumed the song was taking a swipe against the British during the Falklands War; consequently the song was removed from radio play lists in Britain. Split Enz actively denied these allegations, their song had actually been recorded in January 1982, some months before the Falklands conflict. Six Months On A Leaky Boat When I was a young boy, I wanted to sail around the world That's the life for me, living on the sea Spirit of a sailor, circumnavigates the globe the lust of a pioneer, will acknowledge no frontier I remember you by, thunderclap in the sky, Lightning flash, tempers flare 'round the horn if you dare ... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/video/item/32/Pioneer_Six_Months_in_a_Leaky_Boat_-_Split_Enz Fri, 9 May 2008 13:57:32 -0000 The Story Of Hannah and James Wright: Part One <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SCQmLgoKCq8AAC-NFG41"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SCQmLgoKCq8AAC-NFG41/CranbrookStDunstansChurch.jpg?et=neV0u7rJUITy%2CHJO3chwLA&nmid=&nmid=95191674&nmid=95191674&nmid=95191674" border="0"></a> The Parish Church Of St Dunstans, Cranbrook, Kent, England where James and Hannah were married in 1837. The church is still there. This story about Hannah and James is also the story of the first thread of my family history in Aotearoa/New Zealand. It is also one of the many stories of European colonisation of our country. People who were reading my blogs over on Yahoo 360 will recognise this story. Hopefully those of you who have not seen it before will enjoy reading it. The story is in seven parts. <big><big>The story begins in England...</big> Hannah Austain, (or Austen or Austin), was born in the town of Cranbrook in Kent, England on the 8th of March, 1821. She was a daughter of John and Mary Austain, (or Austen or Austin). There is a lot to be said in favour of standardised spellings hehehe... James Wright, (sometimes spelled Wraight), was also born in Cranbrook, Kent; his birthdate was the 9th of August 1816. He was the 2nd son of eight children of James Wright and Elizabeth Drury... http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/journal/item/49/The_Story_Of_Hannah_and_James_Wright_Part_One Fri, 9 May 2008 10:46:33 -0000 Yahoo! 360° - Yahoo! 360 Product Blog Finally they are speaking to us. About time too! My thanks to Purple Ice Princess for the alert. Here's what they say: "Hi Everyone, Here’s the latest news on the transition from your 360 page to your new profile on Yahoo!: It will be taking place sometime in the second half of 2008. We don’t have specifics on the date to share just yet, but you’ll be among the first to know. For now just keep this in mind: 2nd half ’08.... " Click the above url to read http://irianithewitchnz.multiply.com/links/item/17 Fri, 9 May 2008 02:49:59 -0000