Kōwhaiwhai

 Kōwhaiwhai (Ko - fy -fy) is a traditional Māori  art form used to decorate waka (canoe) oars and the rafters of whare (fa-ray, meeting halls) in colors of red, black and white. Each pattern represents different aspects of life. These designs have been adapted to many different modern art forms. (artsonline.tki.org.nz)

Kōwhaiwhai decoration on the main meeting hall at Te Puia

Over the last weekend there was a stock car race at the Paradise Valley Raceway in Ngongotahā Valley. We watched with interest as the latest residents of the AirBnb backed not two, but three gigantic rigs full of stock cars down the lane and proceeded to park them ponderously on the lawn. For some reason, the grass doesn't get ruts from this sort of activity, in spite of all the rain. I congratulated Wayne, one of the drivers, for his amazing backing-up trailer skills.

They were here for several days and were the winners of the racing trophy. They said they would be back.

Kimy Clendon, a recent convert, with Elder Hubbard and Elder Marble. She is warm and kind and I wish I had her sense of style. She always looks good.

Kimy is devoted to making sure the missionaries are taken care of. Here she is with Sister Brown and Sister Perkins.

I have been trying different cheeses, and although NZ has good dairy products, I haven't found anything remotely resembling Darigold Colby-Jack. Although the mozzarella is very good. Tasty Cheese is a type of white cheddar.

President Nikoia called us one evening and asked us to be present for the ophthalmologist visit of Filipino Elder Genoguin, stationed in Taupo an hour away, who was driven to Rotorua by Taupo missionary Elder Fermanis, a Kiwi. Elder Genoguin, diagnosed with a detached retina, was directed to go to a consult in Hamilton for possible surgery. We haven't heard how things turned out. 

I have been interested in the striking designs on Maori halls and houses. This is a building on Tarewa Road with the Kōwhaiwhai design on the roof line. Mokopuna means grandchildren.

The missionaries going home want to buy ties for their fathers, especially with the silver fern or one of the Kōwhaiwhai designs. 

Kōwhaiwhai on the rafters of the meeting hall at Te Puia

Patterns on the front of a child care center

Different patterns found at Twinkl.co.nz

Puhoru represents speed, swiftness and agility, storms and tempests

Pātiki represents the flounder, symbolizing generosity and hospitality

Ngaru represents cutting of the ocean waves by the waka, canoe

Marama, the moon, or Ngutukākā, beak of the kākā bird

Mangōpare, the hammerhead shark: strength, courage and power

Kōwhai Ngutukākā, flowers of the  kākā  beak plant

Koru--unfurling fronds of a fern, also, the waves of the ocean, and energy flow

Koiri--the koru pattern turning back into itself. Self reflection, nurturing, and flourishing.

Kōwhaiwhai tiki fence at Government Gardens

Typical traditional Kōwhaiwhai of the Te Arawa tribe of Rotorua Lakes, from The New Zealand National Library

New Zealand National Library

Wiki, who is recovering splendidly from her surgery with the help of Robbie and physical therapy, is keenly interested in her whakapapa, genealogy. She came over one day and we looked up her family on FamilySearch.org. She was thrilled to see names of her relatives and ancestors.

Elder Rooks and I took our daily walk to Spotlight, so we could get a sewing kit for Elder Watson, who will be learning simple mending.

Another day, our walk took us to the tallest building we could find in Rotorua, which seems to be the Pullman Hotel

There was a basketball tournament going on at the Events Center which some of the basketball-playing missionaries really wish they could go to.

A map of the Rotorua bus services, with the usual Kia Ora greeting in several languages. In looking for Tarewa Rd on the map, we are reminded again that our address doesn't belong to any of the neighborhoods, which is why our mail keeps getting misdirected

We stopped at Lady Jane's Ice Cream Parlour next to the downtown food courts for bowls of Tip Top ice cream

President Nikoia was in town with his family, who were participating in the basketball tournament. He finished his interviews with the young missionaries, then came to visit us. We had a nice long conversation, during which Sis. K called wondering why the elders couldn't trim her hedges without an adult male present. I gave the phone to Pres. Nikoia, whew, and he straightened that out. It turns out that they could trim her hedges as long as they weren't interacting, since she is a single woman.

So we went to visit Sis. K the next day and stayed quite awhile in such pleasant and interesting company. I took a picture of this pink version of Tibouchina in her yard. It is growing very large and soon the elders will need to trim it, too. We decided that we would all go to the Hamilton Temple to do some of her family sealings in February, along with a friend of hers.

Sis. K., who also goes by Chris, told me I needed to get my hair cut and even made the appointment for me on the spot. I'm sure she is right since I have been neglecting my hair for six months. So we went to Cutz 4 U and found the pink-haired Diane, who was watching for our name tags. She gave me a pretty short cut that should last awhile. I will post pictures when the time is right.

I think this is a crack willow, named thusly because "shoots snap with an audible crack." I could be wrong since crack willows are generally shrub-sized, although trees, shrubs and flowering plants seem to grow quite large here

I didn't try snapping any shoots. 

You can hear the cicadas, which can be loud at times. Here they are making noise at Kuirau Park

Crocosmia blooming all over town

Another beautiful sunset

The moon is very bright this week.
I took this picture with a Cool Night Sky camera scene setting

I couldn't resist this glass pukeko, which I can take home with me. It will not shriek or eat plums.

Long-legged adolescent pukekos still sticking close to Mom & Dad

Birds on Rotorua Lake

 This week was my birthday. We attended another baptism, had a visit from one of the members of the Tarawera Ward and her friend, a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The convert, an Catholic woman from England, had been introduced to the church by this friend, and spent several months researching the "Mormons." She read the Book of Mormon and was later baptized. She radiates happiness.

We visited with several other families,  took two walks to the other side of Lake Rotorua, fed the new missionary transfers, and made plum jam. We saw more waterfowl on the lake than I've ever seen before.

Tuesday was my birthday, and my request was to go to the Mountain Jade store, which I have resisted now for six months. Elder Rooks kindly agreed to accompany me.

On the way we passed this  South America native, Tibouchina Grandiflora, in full purple bloom.

We walk a lot because downtown parking is metered. You see the number on the pavement, 

...then you pay for parking at the yellow and blue post.

The Mountain Jade store, where they carve and polish pounamu greenstone from the South Island

I had to look at everything. I didn't get any of the sale items.

Elder Rooks liked this piece of nephrite jade, but it wouldn't fit in his suitcase. We met several Americans who were LDS church members in this store.

This is what I finally came home with

...and this is me wearing the greenstone pendant, Hei Matau, a combination of the Fish Hook and Koru.  "The Fish Hook represents peace, prosperity, strength & determination, safe travel, safe journey over water. Koru - The design is derived from the unfurling fern frond - meaning growth, harmony & abundance, new life, new beginnings." (thefantailhouse.co.nz)

To me, it looks like a treble clef.

For my birthday, we pulled out the streaky bacon. Beehive brand is the best. Shoulder bacon is more like Canadian bacon.

We had the Fairy Springs elders and sisters for dinner, including the newest arrival, Elder Hubbard from Utah. I made my favorite German chocolate cake for dessert. 

Elder Ruediger from Australia is our new district leader. He is pretty sharp and makes nice wavy notes on the chalkboard.

On Friday, neither of us were feeling very well--a lot of people in Rotorua are ill with Covid--so we went for a walk to Government Gardens and the lakeside. It was pretty cloudy and there weren't many people about.

The Prince's Gate Hotel

Most of my pictures of the flowers in bloom were blurry, so this is the best one. The flowers were striking.

We had a nice conversation with a Scottish gentleman and his much younger and very pretty Asian wife. He was a happy man and it was fun talking to him.

The Rotorua Lakes Council has finally decided to restore the Government Gardens museum, a real tourist attraction closed several years ago over earthquake fears

On the walk home from Government Gardens we could see dozens of black swans and their cygnets out near the pier

Kawaha Point

There were hundreds of little black ducks

A swan and some geese, I think Canadian geese

We walked home through Ohinemutu, and heard someone calling out to us

It was a member of the church, whose wife, not a member, had seen us walking past their house. We spent an hour in very pleasant conversation with these delightful people. They have traveled all over the world. In a week they are going to spend three months at Mount Isa, a copper mining area in Queensland, Australia, where they own property and have children and grandchildren living. 

The intersection of Rangipahere and Arariterangi St. We finally found our way back to Lake Road and Tarewa Road.

The plums are falling off the trees, and the birds are going to explode from eating so many of them. Elder Rooks went out to pick as many as he could so I could make jam

I've made several batches of jam, or plum sauce really, made with plums, a little water and lemon juice, and sugar, cooked down until it's nice and strong and thick. It's very good on ice cream, and on steamed pudding with custard.

We had to buy jam jars so I could give some away.

I don't know if this is the same pukeko couple we had before, but they are definitely setting up their household in our yard, and eating the plums while they're at it.