The kea: the cheeky bird New Zealanders love to hate
Reading this article about the kea reminded me of the baboons eating picnickers' lunches in
South Africa.

On Saturday, we left the dogs at home with a sitter, and drove to Hawke's Bay.  Every place seems to have a Maori legend attached to it; lakes we saw in Queenstown, the country of New Zealand itself, etc.  Here is the legend relating to Hawke's Bay: "Maui is well-known as one of the most famous gods in Maori mythology and perhaps his most famous accomplishment was fishing up the North Island of New Zealand.  The story begins with a day out fishing with his brothers. The brothers weary of Maui’s antics refused to give him any hook or bait so he used his own fishhook made from the jawbone of his grandmother. He then punched himself in the nose and smeared his blood on the hook to act as bait. Before long Maui caught a great fish that turned out to be the North Island of New Zealand.  The fish hook, according to legend, became the cape which now forms the southernmost tip of Hawke Bay. And here in Hawke’s Bay our coastline viewed from above still looks like the fish hook.  Hence the name for this part of New Zealand; 'Te Matau a Maui', the 'Hook of the Fish of Maui'."  Check out the area's contour on a map.  The drive out was beautiful, but we didn't stop to take pictures.  The roads were narrow and winding, and we were anxious to get to our destination.  So just picture sheep, cows, sheep, and more sheep on verdant rolling green hills and flat pasture land.  Definitely postcard views.  I love the rich green color of the land!  Also liked the road sign that said "slippery when frosty".  We passed by the villages of Norsewood and Dannevirke, and learned that Danes and Norwegians apparently "stepped in when the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s discouraged immigration from Britain." (Will have to brush up on NZ history).  It was about 180 km to Napier.  Yes Lee, we took route 2.  Napier is known for it's Art Deco architecture; the town was rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake.  Pictures are uploading, slowly.  To be continued.....