October 30, 2012
Māori history revealed in walking guide
Māori tourism could get a boost from a new book designed to open Pakeha eyes to some of the history under their feet.
Exploring Aotearoa is Peter Janssen's fourth book of short walking tours.
He says it was a way to wrap history, myths and legends, and natural history into 200 of the country's most accessible and memorable landmarks including volcanic summits, headlands, lakes, islands, pa and urupa, and hunting and fishing grounds.
He says it's another way to look at familiar places like the Auckland Harbour Bridge, which lands on a pa site on its northern site.
"I primarily wrote it for Pakeha because i think they make a sweeping generalisation that New Zealand has no history. We do have a history and it's a long history and its right there under our feet if we want to go and look for it," Mr Janssen says.
Exploring Aotearoa is published by New Holland Publishers.
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