6 ms·

Deep in New Zealand

40 points by Petiver 10y ago

tedmiston 10y ago
New Zealand is great, and Wellington is a wonderful city. I've even seen a little Maori before in the museum and recognized the style even if I don't know the words. But. I have no idea what I just read. This excerpt from the publisher's site might help, though I didn't take away the same meaning personally: > Going Bush > Kirsty Gunn > Kirsty Gunn meditates upon her childhood in New Zealand, revisiting in writing the landscapes she once explored through sight, sound and touch. Struggling with the stifling norms of colonial society, the young girl becomes fascinated by ‘the bush’ – that fringe of sodden, savage vegetation bordering the town’s tidy gardens and parks. Both threatening and irresistible, the bush becomes a powerful metaphor for the wild, with all its contradictions: marginalised but intrinsic, feared but desired. Interweaving essay, memoir and narrative, Gunn explores the influence of this disquieting presence on her early life and how it was able to provide her sustenance during the painful years of growing up.
- sfink 10y ago
  I just happen to be on vacation (sorry, "on holiday") in NZ right now, and I just did an 8km hike or so on Urupukapuka Island, barefoot. And I found it amusing that the only thing I encountered that was the least bit painful was when walking on a manicured patch of lawn at my pickup spot - something growing under the grass was kind of stabby. The lack of snakes and relative lack of nasty spiders did factor in to my decision to go barefoot, fwiw.
  - sitharus 10y ago
    Ah Onehunga weed, the bane of my childhood. Just develop thick callouses like the rest of NZ and you'll be fine. Just watch out for white tail spiders, those are nasty buggers. Only ones I'll squash.
  - dzhiurgis 10y ago
    > Urupukapuka Island I've just went sailing two weeks ago up there. Just like the rest of New Zealand, it was gorgeous. The beauty of this country is impossible to describe. I don't think there is any better place in the world.
- nzealand 10y ago
  > But. I have no idea what I just read. You are not alone my friend. Thanks for the excerpt.
JusticeJuice 10y ago
Somewhat off topic to the article, but if you ever get the chance to go deep into New Zealand Bush, do. There's nothing quite like it, the air is thick and wet, it has an incredible smell. Stuart Island is particularly good.
- mablap 10y ago
  Is the NZ fauna as bad as Australia's? I have spent a lot of time walking in North American forests, and I feel pretty safe in them, even with possible bear presence (I was in Alaska twice and it was majestic). I'd be scared to walk in a forest/bush in New Zealand or Australia.
  - khuey 10y ago
    No, not at all. One of my Kiwi friends describes it as "in Australia, everything wants to kill you, in New Zealand, nothing does."
    - rdc12 10y ago
      That is a pretty classic joke around NZ.
  - darkseas 10y ago
    I'm pretty sure NZ has a less deadly set of wildlife than Oz, though surprising a boar could still end badly. No crocs, fewer snakes, spiders and dropbears.
    - nisse72 10y ago
      In fact, no snakes at all.
      - rdc12 10y ago
        In fact, there is occasionally (ok very rarely) sea snakes are found on the coast of the North Island. http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/80026544/Venomous-snake-found-in-Taranaki-could-actually-be-a-native-species-of-New-Zealand http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/80026544/Ven...
danparsonson 10y ago
Interesting tidbit: in Maori, the 'wh' digraph is pronounced like an 'f', so e.g. 'Whakarewarewa' sounds like 'Fakarewarewa' http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/learn-te-reo-maori/whakahuatanga-pronunciation/ http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/learn-te-reo-maori/whakahuat...

40 points by Petiver 10y ago

New Zealand is great, and Wellington is a wonderful city. I've even seen a little Maori before in the museum and recognized the style even if I don't know the words. But. I have no idea what I just read. This excerpt from the publisher's site might help, though I didn't take away the same meaning personally: > Going Bush > Kirsty Gunn > Kirsty Gunn meditates upon her childhood in New Zealand, revisiting in writing the landscapes she once explored through sight, sound and touch. Struggling with the stifling norms of colonial society, the young girl becomes fascinated by ‘the bush’ – that fringe of sodden, savage vegetation bordering the town’s tidy gardens and parks. Both threatening and irresistible, the bush becomes a powerful metaphor for the wild, with all its contradictions: marginalised but intrinsic, feared but desired. Interweaving essay, memoir and narrative, Gunn explores the influence of this disquieting presence on her early life and how it was able to provide her sustenance during the painful years of growing up.

sfink 10y ago
I just happen to be on vacation (sorry, "on holiday") in NZ right now, and I just did an 8km hike or so on Urupukapuka Island, barefoot. And I found it amusing that the only thing I encountered that was the least bit painful was when walking on a manicured patch of lawn at my pickup spot - something growing under the grass was kind of stabby. The lack of snakes and relative lack of nasty spiders did factor in to my decision to go barefoot, fwiw.
- sitharus 10y ago
  Ah Onehunga weed, the bane of my childhood. Just develop thick callouses like the rest of NZ and you'll be fine. Just watch out for white tail spiders, those are nasty buggers. Only ones I'll squash.
- dzhiurgis 10y ago
  > Urupukapuka Island I've just went sailing two weeks ago up there. Just like the rest of New Zealand, it was gorgeous. The beauty of this country is impossible to describe. I don't think there is any better place in the world.
nzealand 10y ago
> But. I have no idea what I just read. You are not alone my friend. Thanks for the excerpt.

JusticeJuice 10y ago

Somewhat off topic to the article, but if you ever get the chance to go deep into New Zealand Bush, do. There's nothing quite like it, the air is thick and wet, it has an incredible smell. Stuart Island is particularly good.

mablap 10y ago
Is the NZ fauna as bad as Australia's? I have spent a lot of time walking in North American forests, and I feel pretty safe in them, even with possible bear presence (I was in Alaska twice and it was majestic). I'd be scared to walk in a forest/bush in New Zealand or Australia.
- khuey 10y ago
  No, not at all. One of my Kiwi friends describes it as "in Australia, everything wants to kill you, in New Zealand, nothing does."
  - rdc12 10y ago
    That is a pretty classic joke around NZ.
- darkseas 10y ago
  I'm pretty sure NZ has a less deadly set of wildlife than Oz, though surprising a boar could still end badly. No crocs, fewer snakes, spiders and dropbears.
  - nisse72 10y ago
    In fact, no snakes at all.
    - rdc12 10y ago
      In fact, there is occasionally (ok very rarely) sea snakes are found on the coast of the North Island. http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/80026544/Venomous-snake-found-in-Taranaki-could-actually-be-a-native-species-of-New-Zealand http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/80026544/Ven...

danparsonson 10y ago

Interesting tidbit: in Maori, the 'wh' digraph is pronounced like an 'f', so e.g. 'Whakarewarewa' sounds like 'Fakarewarewa' http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/learn-te-reo-maori/whakahuatanga-pronunciation/ http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/learn-te-reo-maori/whakahuat...