Te Moana-a-Toi

Te Moana-a-Toi, known as the Bay of Plenty, is the region where Rotorua is located. "The name Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi recalls Toi, a famous tupuna (ancestor) with connections to many hapū  (families, tribes) throughout Te Ika-a-Māui (the North Island). The bay has been home to his descendants for many generations."

Mokoia Island, Lake Rotorua, Bay of Plenty (BOP), North Island, New Zealand 

I am in despair over not finding corn tortillas. You can get "taco kits" which do not appeal to me. I sent for a box of American ingredients from Martha's Back Yard in Auckland, including corn tortillas (which were eaten in one dinner with the young elders & sisters,) and Nestle's chocolate chips. I use a lot of chocolate chips, which you can only find in very small packages here, unless you are lucky enough to live near the Costco in Auckland. The Cadbury chocolate chips are of course superior but ruinously expensive, and the others are, as I said, in small packages. I saw this Indian corn & wheat flour Makki Roti, Indian flatbread made in Australia, in the Monster Fruit store (this kind doesn't have chili powder in it,) which tastes surprisingly good with refried beans and the excellent Bay of Plenty avocados.

Monday night we walked the 500 metres to Rangipahere Street in Ohinemutu to visit Karla, who moved back to Rotorua not long ago. 

Karla is so much fun. She was adopted and considers herself an Ohinemutu Maori. She lives on Maori-owned land and has a 6-person hot-springs tub on her family lot for cold winter nights. She showed us her family photos and made delicious hot chocolate with New Zealand pink marshmallows, which were a revelation. You don't find great big bags of puffy white marshmallows here (I sent for some from Martha's Backyard so I could make Rice Krispie Treats) but the pink ones were outstanding in hot chocolate.

We had a Family Home Evening lesson and Elder Rooks had long enough arms to take a selfie, although it is blurry. I turned out to be the taller one when it came to us shorter ladies, which is not saying much. We are coming back for another Family Home Evening with Karla in two weeks.

White bluebells growing under our mailbox

It rained a lot yesterday, so there are puddles in Kuirau Park on our walk to the second hand stores where we are looking for a bed or two for our spare bedroom. We could have used beds already when the Welshes came and may need them in the future, in case any of you want to visit.

There are seagulls in Rotorua, not as large or obnoxious as California gulls, but obvious close relatives. They were all over the rugby field. We took the little path which is somewhat raised above the puddles. Elder Rooks found a golf ball on the rugby field, lucky him. 

These are red-billed gulls, "the commonest gull on the New Zealand coast. Except for a colony at Rotorua, it is rarely found inland."

I believe this is an oak tree, although who knows when you are half way around the world.

We found a nice clean single bed with a pine bedstead, which we bought at a good price and had delivered to our house from the Hospice Shop on Eruera Street. Elder Rooks came back later to get a $5 golf club so he could practice his swing and keep himself in shape for a return to golfing next year.  I took advantage of the opportunity to return to the yarn shop across the street and pick up more yarn, since possum-merino yarn has become expensive and the Cottage Flair shop still has 200 metre skeins at the old price. 

There is enough space in this little bedroom to accommodate another bed of this size. New Zealand single beds are smaller than American twin beds, although you can get Long Singles and King Singles, probably to accommodate the many Samoans and Tongans living on the island. 

Wall art on the side of a building

We happened upon the Sulphur City Soapery...

...where I bought a few bars of nicely scented soap "with volcanic clay".

On the walk home, we came across this interesting looking tree, which looks like it has orange loofah sponges growing on it. I think I have it narrowed down to Callistemon Pinifolius, the pine-needled bottlebrush.

These bottlebrushes are closely related to Melaleuca trees

The Serenity Bridge, which appears to have long buds of wisteria getting ready to bloom

Wanting to learn how to weave the Harakeke, New Zealand Flax, which grows in large clumps all over, I brought my scissors with me in case I found an available plant. Elder Rooks is afraid I will end up in a Rotorua jail, however, and how would that look? although I have been assured it is acceptable to cut a few leaves off of any plants that are not growing in someone's yard. I found a potted Phormium Tenax in the garden section at The Warehouse and planted it in a sunny spot in our back yard. It is supposed to grow vigorously. Maybe by the end of summer six months from now, I will be able to harvest some. Meanwhile, I carry my scissors with me in case Elder Rooks is not paying attention.

The day before our Zone Conference, Elder Rooks checked the tires on our Corolla and found one of them at 27 pounds. It had been running low since before the car was assigned to us. There is road construction on one end of Tarewa Rd where we live, which complicates all of our travel now. The local tire shop said the tire could not be repaired because it had already been unsuccessfully patched. So we had to locate the Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto Service (which I hadn't found in my original search because I didn't spell Tyre right,) because it is the company the LDS Missionary Department does business with in New Zealand. The process would take two days. We were able to catch a ride to Tauranga with the Fairy Springs sister missionaries, which was a treat.

Sheep grazing on the greening grass on Pyes Pa Road

Tauranga, where we hold our zone conferences, including the Te Moana-a-Toi and Gisborne Zones, including 21 missionary companionships and three senior missionary couples

Sister Cleverley, who has adapted amazingly to driving conditions in New Zealand, was our driver. She is hoping she remembers how to drive on the right side of the road when her mission is over next Spring. 

Our meetings were inspirational and instructive, as usual. Here the Belnaps, who live on Ohope Beach outside of Whakatane, and I are asking Pres. Nikoia about the media referral system used by the LDS Church. It was warm in the chapel but cold everywhere else in the building, as usual.

Our Fairy Springs & Tarawera District Elders and Sisters. Five of us are from Idaho, two from Utah, one from Texas, one Samoan and an Aussie. The best missionaries in the mission.

The trip home, under cloudy skies.

Invasive yellow gorse grows wild along the roadsides. A legume, it has flowers and leaves common to the pea family.

On Friday night, we were invited to dinner with the Toma family, who live in Hamurana. Eddie and Margie Barber were also invited, so we met at their house and they drove us up the west side of Lake Rotorua under drizzly skies. I caught this shot of a rainbow over the lake.

The Tomas, with seven children, live in this beautiful home with a wonderful wind-swept view of the lake.

The view from their balcony

Sis. Toma is an exceptional cook, and their children are all adorable. They are trying to be a bilingual Japanese-English family, but the younger children are less interested in learning Japanese. The dinner was delicious and we had a wonderful visit.

Mr. Pukeko in a rare sunshiny moment this week. It has been cold and rainy all week and we have had to keep all the tomato plants, which are getting quite tall by now, indoors day and night. 

Pūkekos

 I did a lot of cooking this week, as it turned out. Sometimes weeks are just like that. I was finally able to get a pūkeko screech on video.

I got this photo with my Panasonic camera

Only one screech, but you get the idea

Mr. and Mrs. Pukeko in action

Rewa and her husband Robert. She is the Relief Society President in the Fairy Springs Ward, and Robert is a proper English gentleman. They are both very kind.

I was looking for yarn shops since two of my sisters knit exquisitely and I wanted to bring them home New Zealand yarn. I located Cottage Flair within walking distance of the Centre Mall, so we walked there one afternoon. There was a lot of quilt fabric, but I do not have a sewing machine here in New Zealand, sadly. Knitting and crocheting is a lot more portable. 

So I got a couple of skeins of expensive possum/merino wool blend, also some beautiful Symphonie knitting needles which are made in India. I had to try them out. So I will have to make a return trip to the yarn shop.

We passed a gift shop, so Elder Rooks talked to the rather shy and quiet Korean owner while I found these beautiful possum-merino gloves and socks. Opossums, which are not indigenous to New Zealand, are considered invasive, so the possum fur, which is hollow like polar bear fur, is combined with merino wool to make soft and very warm clothing. The knitwear is somewhat looser than regular merino.

Many scilla bulbs were planted by the thermal stream behind our house long ago and are blooming for my enjoyment.

Elder Rooks was concerned about his work on Mary's gutters. He created his own tools to clean out the caulking to his satisfaction. We borrowed a ladder from the missionary sisters so he could finish the job.

He washed all the windows, since we are having many guests this week.

Among these were the newly-called Fairy Springs elders, including the new district leader Elder Cowell, on the left, from Sydney, and Elder Kema, on the right, from Texas

Sister Cleverley and her new companion Sis. Ufagalilo from Samoa. We fed this group the easy way, by ordering TakeAway from Wendy's Fish Shop. It was enjoyed by all and none left. We had the Tarawera group the next night but I don't have any pictures. They got tacos, since I ordered corn tortillas from Martha's Back Yard, and I made flour tortillas. Also found canned refried beans. The new Elder Jones is from Idaho and the new Sister Linton is also from Idaho. This makes six out of the ten missionaries (including us) in Rotorua from Idaho. There must be something we need to learn from New Zealand and take home to Idaho.

The Welshes joined us for dinner on Saturday night. They are senior missionaries serving with the Young Single Adults at the Hamilton Institute of Religion. Charlene Welsh is sister to Connie Smith, who we served with in the Meridian Temple as ordinance workers. We were so glad to see them. They were here to attend both of our wards and talk to the bishops. The Danielsons, another senior missionary couple serving in Self Reliance, also came to both wards on Sunday, so there were plenty of missionary badges all around.

On Sunday, Marion invited us for lunch, so we followed her to her house in Lynmore. It was cheerfully decorated and she obviously enjoys cooking, and learning as much as she can. We had waffles with whipped cream and syrup, New Zealand bacon, and cucumbers and tomatoes, along with a delightful discussion.

The drive back from Lynmore under cloudy skies.

Sunday at 5:00 we had a rather impromptu Family Home Evening, having announced it that day during our meetings. But six ladies showed up. We had a gospel discussion followed by friendly talk over refreshments. I made an apple slab pie and other ladies did not come empty-handed. Elder Rooks didn't seem to mind being outnumbered.

Mr. Pukeko, just being a chicken

Whakarewarewa Valley

Ronnie, a member of the Tarawera Ward, invited our group of missionaries to see the Pohutu geyser from a different angle than we saw in Te Puia, and a performance of Maori dances in the main hall.

One of the memorials along vault-lined Tukiterangi Street

A few days earlier, on Saturday, we made the trek to the Saturday market to find oranges from Gisborne, which we did. They aren't quite as sweet as those from earlier in the season, but still good.

It was drizzly rain on our way to the Village. Fortunately Elder Joyce and Elder Rippon had been to Ronnie's several times before, or we would have been completely lost. 

The Village houses 70 Maori people, Ronnie told us, but has never recovered its status as a tourist attraction since the pandemic. Te Puia is more grand and well funded and well-attended. There are several gift shops here, but only one is open.

New Zealand flax, phormium tenax or Harakeke, growing near Ronnie's house. It is a tough-fibered relative of aloe vera and of the daylily, hemerocallis, with leaves up to 10 ft. long. It is called flax because its use rivals that of linum, the flax of the northern hemisphere. The length of the leaves makes it possible to create clothing, fishing lines, nets, baskets and cloaks. It grows everywhere in and around Rotorua.

Elder Rippon and Elder Joyce making Ronnie smile

The little Catholic church of the village. It is here where I first saw the vaults of the cemetery. Ronnie was agreeable to us photographing headstones, as long as we were respectful and discreet.

The main hall where the Maori dancers performed

More vaults and their guardians

Elder Joyce with his guardian friend

"The Blueys" is the geothermal pool beside the Pohutu geyser. It is accessible from Whakarewarewa Village, and villagers can bathe there.

The Blueys and Pohutu geyser under cloudy skies. Whakarewarewa and Te Puia were once a large combined reserve, but are now separate entities.

Many of the vaults had no headstones and were mossy and crumbling. I had to scramble to find some of the headstones, and Elder Rippon gallantly took some pictures for me

This is the last Monday before transfers on Tuesday, and several of our missionaries will be assigned to other areas. Sis. Cleverley is having a hard time saying goodbye.

Our group of elders and sisters

Love song performed in the Whakarewarewa main hall

Here the women are doing the poi dance, using the round balls originally made of Harakeke flax wrapped around bulrush. The long-stringed poi were used in battle by the men. The dances help with flexibility of the wrists. These women did dances with both short-string and long-string poi.

This is Chris, known by the elders and sisters as their beloved Sis. K. She is a good friend of Ronnie's. After finding out we were here, she came to join us and say goodbye. Sis. Nonu is finding it hard.

We stopped at the little gift shop. In the corner this lady was scraping New Zealand flax with a sharp mussel shell.

Ronnie promised to show us the steam baths and cooking area for the village. On the way we passed Tuhoromatakaka Hall, which is in disrepair and not being used.

One of the houses in the geothermal area. Harakeke grows here, and a few hardy shrubs.

The main cooking pool, at boiling point, surrounded by a fence

The pool is named Pare Kohuru, which means preventing murder. We wonder what may have happened here.

Sweet corn boiled in a string bag. The corn was originally boiled in bags woven of Harakeke.

Steam cooker, if you are so inclined

The little hut where the man was preparing sweet corn to cook

There was a raised bed garden with cold-season vegetables. It will soon be springtime.

Ronnie demonstrating the filling of baths, with a sluice from the geothermal pool using a wet rag (hanging out of her hand) to stopper and unstopper the sluice.

The sluice running into the filling pool. Ronnie says you are supposed to bathe in the nude, which is why she takes showers at home.

The community dressing room, with no door on it. Another reason why Ronnie showers at home.

We had an impromptu dinner at Chris's house for Sis. Lui's last night in Rotorua. Sis. Pancheri will be getting a new companion. We brought fish and chips from Wendy's Fish Shop, which Chris declared superior and abundant at a good price.

After dinner, we made cream puffs at Sis. Lui's request for the recipe. Sis. K. graciously allowed us to take over her kitchen. We each ended up with a plate of cream puffs to take home.

On Thursday, after feeding 11 for dinner, including the new transfers, two new elders, and a friend, (fortunately I had enough food and there were enough forks and chairs,) Elder Rooks and I met with Margie and Eddie, who is undergoing cancer treatment. They have been instrumental in providing the Fairy Springs ward with activities that bring people together. They wanted to show us the lakeside park where groups can have barbecues and enjoy the play equipment and beautiful view of the lake.

You can see Mokoia Island in the middle of Rotorua Lake. It is a lava dome that formed when the Rotorua caldera collapsed. It is uninhabited.

We finally called the sexton of the Rotorua Crematorium and Cemetery, with over 12,000 headstones and memorials, to photograph for Billiongraves. The sexton not only gave us permission to photograph this cemetery, but also the large cemetery in Kauae, with over 5,000 memorial sites.

My little six pack of tomatoes is growing fast. We will have to transplant them soon, again. It will be a few weeks before we can put them outside at night

Also the herbs. I bought a rosemary and marjoram plant at the Saturday market and they are doing well alongside the basil and thyme.

Mr. Newcomer Purple Swamp Rooster tends to go at top speed, rushing everywhere. He comes out early even when it is cold. Mr. Pukeko is older, bigger, and only comes out when it is warm. He had better watch out.