Why did I choose this tagline to go with, and who or what is Aotearoa? I live in New Zealand, and the Maori name is Aotearoa, which means Land of the Long White Cloud. And when you are flying around New Zealand, or at sea looking back, all you can see is a layer of cloud on the horizon.
I was born and bred here. I have only ever ventured overseas twice, once when I was fifteen, to Australia for three weeks, and again when I was 35 to Fiji for a long weekend. I never did my OE (Overseas Experience) and I have never regretted it. I’ve always loved the country that I live in and want to stay here.
So, Aotearoa, New Zealand, it is a beautiful green country. Green as in the colour. We have a lot of native bush that is various shades of green, with the occasional splash of yellow or red. We have lots of pasture, which are home to sheep, beef and various other animals.
But it is the native bush that has me. I love the bird song that comes with the native bush. We have some weird and wonderful birds, most of them pretty drab by overseas comparisons, but they are beautiful none-the-less. The Tūī (parson bird), bellbird (korimako), fantail (Pīwakawaka), Weka, Pukeho, Kākā, Kea, Kākāpō, shining cuckoo, morepork (owl), grey warbler (Riroriro); their dawn chorus birdsong is unique and beautiful, except at 4am when the bellbirds first haunting single note reverberates through the forest.
The smell of the forest after a rainstorm, the dampness of the leaflitter, the coolness of the breeze through the trees, the noise of the branches and leaves rustling, it’s a magical place that transports me to New Zealand when there were no inhabitants here, before the Maori, the Mori Ori.
New Zealand has a population of just over 5 million people, so we have a lot of space compared to many countries, and I guess that is part of my love for the country, the wide open spaces, the national parks where we can experience birds in their native environment.
I just love New Zealand. What more can I say? If you want to see for yourself, check out this video for Helicopter Lines