Lesser Known Facts About The Aotearoa

Former capital of New Zealand

If you do not know it already, let us enlighten you with the fact that the British colonial rulers chose Auckland to be the first ever official capital of the country in 1840. Given its favorable environmental New Zealand; also known as ‘Aotearoa’ in Maori language, is truly an amazing country with an unseen blend of rich culture and fresh identity. While this nation was officially founded on 7th May 1956, its history can be traced back to 1350 AD. If New Zealand is in your travel checklist, you must pay attention to this article where we reveal some lesser known facts about the country.

Maori settlement

Before the Europeans traveled across the oceans to reach this part of the world, New Zealand was originally settled by the Maori tribe. Auckland was initially known as ‘Tamaki Makau Rau’, which stands for ‘The isthmus of a thousand lovers’. The Maori people settled in and around the modern day Auckland, during the 14th century. Since then they continued flourishing and developed different traditions. Some of which exist till now. Although the ancient features, the Europeans thought Auckland would be a perfect place to establish their colonies and trade with the outer world. Later this metropolis witnessed tremendous growth in urbanization, which led the city to transform into the most populous town in the country.

Gumboot Day

About 203 miles away from Auckland exists a small town known as Taihape. This town is also named to be the ‘Gumboot capital of the world’. Why? Well, this town hosts a unique festival where everyone wears a gumboot-shaped masks or dresses and throws gumboots at each other. Overall it is an extreme fun activity; however there is a serious reason behind the inauguration of this festival in 1985. The economy of the town was facing a worrisome downfall, leading about half of the population to leave their birthplace in search for better living conditions. It was then; the think tanks of the town came up with this amazing idea. The organizers even blocked the highways around the town, which made the passing vehicles stop and witness what was actually happening. Soon the gumboot day attracted huge popularity when words spread across the country and people started visiting. You better plan your holidays in a manner so that you do not miss this historic man-made phenomenon.

Cadbury Chocolate Carnival, held in Dunedin

If you love chocolates, you better not miss the Cadbury Chocolate Carnival, held in Dunedin. Baldwin Street, which is the steepest street in the world, hosts this phenomenal carnival to attract chocolate lovers. Orange to chocolate balls; commonly known as ‘Jaffa Balls’, are raced down the road to mark the beginning of this fun activity. Apart from the fun, several competitions are also hosted. You may want try your luck here.