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Kumeū River
The Kumeū River drains the northern Waitākere Ranges near Auckland, New Zealand, running past the town of Kumeū before merging into the Kaipara River. Description The river begins north of the Te Henga Road ridge, north of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. It flows north to the townships of Waitākere, Auckland, Waitākere and Taupaki. When the river reaches Kumeū and Huapai, it flows due west, meeting the Ahukuramu Stream. The Kaipara River begins at the confluence of the Kumeū River and Ahukuramu Stream. The river has a number of tributaries, including the McEntee Stream, Mangatoetoe Stream and Pakinui Stream. History The stream is in the traditional rohe of Te Kawerau ā Maki. Historically the upper river catchment was dominated by a Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, kahikatea forest, and was used for a number of purposes: to hunt kūkupa (kererū, or New Zealand wood pigeon) and harvest Phormium tenax, harakeke (New Zealand flax) and toetoe (''Austroderia'') for weav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of island countries, sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The Geography of New Zealand, country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps (), owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. Capital of New Zealand, New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland. The islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable land to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and subsequently developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight and record New Zealand. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand Government
The New Zealand Government () is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most other parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifically to the Ministry (collective executive), collective ministry directing the executive. Based on the principle of responsible government, it operates within the framework that "the reigns, but the government rules, so long as it has the support of the New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives".Sir Kenneth Keith, quoted in the Cabinet Manual'. The ''Cabinet Manual (New Zealand), Cabinet Manual'' describes the main laws, rules and Constitutional convention (political custom), conventions affecting the conduct and operation of the Government. Executive power is exercised by Ministers in the New Zealand Government, ministers, all of whom are sworn into the Executive Council of New Zealand, Executive Council and accounta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rivers Of New Zealand
The rivers of New Zealand are used for a variety of purposes and face a number of environmental issues. In the North Island's hill country they are deep, fast flowing and most are unnavigable. Many in the South Island are braided rivers. The navigable ones were used for mass transport in the country's early history. Statistics The longest river in New Zealand is the Waikato River with a length of . The largest river by rate of flow is the Clutha River / Mata-Au with a mean discharge of . The shortest river is claimed to be the Tūranganui River (Gisborne), Tūranganui River in Gisborne, New Zealand, Gisborne at long. Some of the rivers, especially those with wide flood plains and stop banks, have long road bridges spanning them. The Rakaia River is crossed by Rakaia Bridge, the longest bridge in New Zealand at . The third longest bridge is the Whirokino Trestle Bridge on State Highway 1 crossing the Manawatū River. Over of rivers have been mapped in New Zealand. Uses Bef ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rivers Of The Auckland Region
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it runs out of water, or only flow during certain seasons. Rivers are regulated by the water cycle, the processes by which water moves around the Earth. Water first enters rivers through precipitation, whether from rainfall, the runoff of water down a slope, the melting of glaciers or snow, or seepage from aquifers beneath the surface of the Earth. Rivers flow in channeled watercourses and merge in confluences to form drainage basins, or catchments, areas where surface water eventually flows to a common outlet. Rivers have a great effect on the landscape around them. They may regularly overflow their banks and flood the surrounding area, spreading nutrients to the surrounding area. Sediment or alluvium carried by rivers shapes the landscape aro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Auckland Libraries
Auckland Council Libraries, usually simplified to Auckland Libraries, is the public library system for the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It was created when the seven separate councils in the Auckland region merged in 2010. It is currently the largest public-library network in the Southern Hemisphere, with 56 branches from Wellsford to Waiuku, two research centres, mobile library services, and an extensive heritage collection. History In November 2010, Auckland's local councils merged to create the Auckland Council. As a result of this process, the seven public library systems within the region were combined to form Auckland Council Libraries. The following library networks were amalgamated, forming Auckland Council Libraries: * Auckland City Libraries * Bookinopolis (in the Franklin District) * Manukau City Libraries * North Shore City Libraries * Papakura Library ServicesThe Sir Edmund Hillary Library * Rodney Libraries * Waitakere City Libraries The process of amalgamation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taniwha
In Māori mythology, taniwha () are large supernatural beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers (giant waves). They may be considered highly respected kaitiaki (protective guardians) of people and places, or in some traditions as dangerous, predatory beings, which for example would kidnap women to have as wives. Etymology and Pacific analogues Linguists have reconstructed the word ''taniwha'' to Proto-Oceanic *''tanifa'', with the meaning "shark species". In Tongan and Niuean, ''tenifa'' refers to a large dangerous shark, as does the Samoan ''tanifa''; the Tokelauan ''tanifa'' is a sea-monster that eats people. In most other Polynesian languages, the cognate words refer to sharks or simply fish. Some anthropologists have stated that the taniwha has "analogues that appear within other Polynesian cosmologies".A. Asbjørn Jøn,The Road and the Taniwha in ''Australian Folklore: A Year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waitematā Harbour
The Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is matched on the southern side of the city by the shallower waters of the Manukau Harbour. With an area of , it connects Ports of Auckland, the city's main port and the Auckland waterfront to the Hauraki Gulf and the Pacific Ocean. It is sheltered from Pacific storms by Auckland's North Shore, New Zealand, North Shore, Rangitoto Island, and Waiheke Island. Etymology The oldest Māori language, Māori name of the harbour was Te Whanga-nui o Toi (The Big Bay of Toi), named after Toi-te-huatahi, Toi, an early Māori explorer. The name ''Waitematā'' means "Te Mata Waters", which according to some traditions refers to a mauri stone (a stone of Religion of Māori people, Māori religious significance) called Te Mata, which was placed on Boat Rock (in the harbour south-west of Chatsw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portages Of New Zealand
Portages in New Zealand, known in Māori language, Māori as or , are locations where Waka (canoe), waka (canoes) could easily be transported overland. Portages were extremely important for early Māori people, Māori, especially along the narrow Tāmaki isthmus of modern-day Auckland, as they served as crucial transportation and trade links between the east and west coasts. Portages can be found across New Zealand, especially in the narrow Northland Region, Northland and Auckland Region, Auckland regions, and the rivers of the Waikato, Waikato Region. A number of historic portages were considered for potential sites for canals during the colonial era and the early 1900s. Since the early 1990s, portage crossing events have been held on the Ōtāhuhu portage. Northland Region Mangapai portage The Mangapai portage connected the Kaipara Harbour in the west to the Whangārei Harbour in the east. The portage extended from the Wairoa River (Northland), Wairoa River, overland throug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Austroderia
''Austroderia'' is a genus of five species of tall grasses native to New Zealand, commonly known as toetoe (from Māori).Toetoe hosted on the NZ Landcare research Maanaki Whenua website. Page accessed 20 November 2010. The species are ''A. toetoe'', ''A. fulvida'', ''A. splendens'', ''A. richardii'' and ''A. turbaria''. They were recently reclassified in 2011 from the genus '''', although their distinctiveness had been recognized as early as 1853. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phormium Tenax
''Phormium tenax'' (called flax in New Zealand English; in Māori language, Māori; New Zealand flax outside New Zealand; and New Zealand hemp in historical nautical contexts) is an evergreen perennial plant native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island that is an important fiber, fibre plant and a popular ornamental plant.Roger Holmes and Lance Walheim. 2005. ''California Home Landscaping'', Creative Homeowner Press The plant grows as a clump of long, straplike leaves, up to two metres long, from which arises a much taller flowering shoot, with dramatic yellow or red flowers. Despite being commonly known as 'flax', harakeke is of the genus ''Phormium'', a monocot, and is a leaf fibre, whereas flax (linen) is of the genus ''Linum'', a rosid, and is a bast fibre (which comes from the stem of the plant). The two plants have an evolutionary extremely distant relationship with each other. The fibre has been widely used since the arrival of Māori people, Māori to New Zealand, origin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kererū
The kererū (''Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae''), also known as kūkupa (Māori language#Northern dialects, northern Māori dialects), New Zealand pigeon or wood pigeon, is a species of pigeon native to New Zealand. Johann Friedrich Gmelin described the bird in 1789 as a large, conspicuous pigeon up to in length and in weight, with a white breast and iridescent green–blue plumage. Two subspecies have been recognised; the second—the Norfolk pigeon of Norfolk Island—became extinct in the early 20th century. Kererū pairs are Monogamy in animals, monogamous, breeding over successive seasons and remaining together when not breeding. They construct nests with twigs in trees, with a single egg clutch. Found in a variety of habitats across the country, the kererū feeds mainly on fruits, as well as leaves, buds and flowers. Although widespread in both forest and urban habitats, its numbers have declined significantly since European colonisation and the arrival of invasive mammals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dacrycarpus Dacrydioides
''Dacrycarpus dacrydioides'', commonly known as kahikatea (from Māori) and white pine, is a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand. A podocarp, it is New Zealand's tallest tree, gaining heights of over a life span of 600 years. It was first described botanically by the French botanist Achille Richard in 1832 as ''Podocarpus'' ''dacrydioides'', and was given its current binomial name ''Dacrycarpus dacrydioides'' in 1969 by the American botanist David de Laubenfels. Analysis of DNA has confirmed its evolutionary relationship with other species in the genera ''Dacrycarpus'' and ''Dacrydium''. In Māori culture, it is an important source of timber for the building of waka and making of tools, of food in the form of its berries, and of dye. Its use for timber and its damp fertile habitat, ideal for dairy farming, have led to its decimation almost everywhere except South Westland. Kahikatea seeds have fleshy structures called receptacles attached to them, which encourage bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
