The Telegraph rounds up advice on Wellington, NZ. Click to read more.
Cardboard cathedral being built in earthquake hit Christchurch
A cathedral made of cardboard tubes in the city of Christchurch in New Zealand is due to be completed in April next year, 132 years after the consecration of the original stone version. Read more here.
Video: Cute Store in Auckland Makes Awesome Christmas Video
A Night before Christmas from Pauanesia on Vimeo.
The night before Christmas at Pauanesia, the kiwi weren’t going to let the holiday pass them by.
Pauanesia – 35 High St, Auckand City
pauanesia.co.nz
Video: City Splendour – New Zealand
Natasha, Anna, Dannii and Donna are four friends from the UK who aren’t shy of a good time. They had tickets to some of the biggest music concerts in London but gave them up for some city splendour in New Zealand.
New Zealand Campervan Hire: Driving the Length of New Zealand
This is definitely on my NZ bucket list!
History: Prohibition Propaganda Poster
Debate over the prohibition of alcohol remained one of New Zealand’s most contentious political issues in the 1920s. This pro-continuance poster, probably from 1925 or 1928, shows a New Zealand soldier kicking an old man representing Uncle Sam back across the sea from New Zealand to North America. It urges New Zealanders not to follow the United States in banning alcohol and claims prohibition there (in force since 1919) has caused more harm than good. The ‘Continuance Party’, well funded by the liquor trade, spent heavily on advertising material in the lead-up to national referendums, especially in the 1920s.
Link: Pictory – A Photo Guide to New Zealand
This is a really cool photo introduction to New Zealand – very cool! Read it here.
Guest Post: The History of the New Zealand Flag
New Zealand is one of the biggest countries in the southwestern Pacific. The country has a rich history dating evolutionary times and is believed to be one of the first settled landmasses on earth. As a country settled by the British at some point, the country comes from a strong background.
The New Zealand Flag denotes a huge path travelled by this great country and where it’s going. Presently, the color is characterized by a dark blue base with a British Union Jack on its upper left quarter and four, five-point, white red stars. The shape of these stars is the Southern Cross galaxy.
History for the New Zealand Flag and its adoption
History has it that the New Zealand flag was first introduced by the British in 1869. This came in the wake of the independence from the British who had settled there for many years. The official date on which the flag was adopted as a symbol of national unity was June 12, 1902 although the British finally gave independence in September 26, 1907. Since then, the New Zealand flag has been used as the main symbol of national unity a fact that is continuing to date.
Meaning of the New Zealand Flag
The New Zealand flag is a symbolism of the country’s rich history. The Union Jack is the British flag and this shows that the country was a British colony. The white stars which form the shape of the Southern Cross represent the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. These stars state that New Zealand is found in the southern Hemisphere; in a nutshell, New Zealand’s position on the globe.
Controversies about the New Zealand Flag
New Zealand’s flag has a skewed sense of British history, a factor that doesn’t seem to auger well with hardline natives of the country, most of whom are disturbed by the British stamp on their national symbolism. As a result, there have been numerous attempts to change the country’s flag to colors and symbolism that befits locals. Unfortunately or fortunately, these haven’t been successful as the country needs a 65% majority vote in a referendum to affect the change which has been hard to achieve so far.
Similarity of the New Zealand Flag with other countries
The New Zealand flag resembles a number of different flags. The closest in similarity according to reliable expert opinion is the Australian Flag.
Trends in the New Zealand Flag arena
Apart from the main national flag, New Zealand has a number of alternative flags. The maritime red and white ensigns are the two major alternatives and these are used for most of the other civil functions and for ornamental purposes. Flag poles are another crucial aspect for many flags and New Zealand has all of them, depending on the location and flag function. www.flagpoles.co.uk is a site dedicated to flag poles you can use to match flag poles for whatever function. You can also get your favorite flags here and celebrate your New Zealand descent.