One last entry on a sight quite unique to New Zealand, the Maori marae or community meeting place with sacred overtones. They are found everywhere particularly on the North Island which has a higher percentage of Maori people. Invariably, the buildings are cream yellow with a burnt red wide upsias down V-shaped face and corresponding entryway. They include intricate woven panels and stylized carvings which represent the ancestors of that tribe/iwi. Often a Maori school and/or a cemetery are adjacent or nearby. Entry requires permission as well as removal of one’s shoes.
Like the kauri trees, the tui, and the pukeko, we took endless pictures. Here are a few:
This is the Te Papa Museum's colorful modern marae--an artistic rendering representing the greater community of New Zealand.
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