Wild Survivor Facts: Land and History

Video highlights from Wild Survivor

Following the steps of local Indigenous tribes, Phil learns the history of the land and what it means to them now and their elders. These are just a few things he learnt along the way...

  1. 1.         Mt. Tarawera is a sleeping volcano, which last blew its top in 1886.  It's a sacred peak for the Maori people

    2.         Just under 130 years ago, Mt. Tarawera erupted, killing over 100 people

    3.         The New Zealand wilderness claims five people per year on average.

    4.         First time visitors to the Kimberley’s are involved in a smoke ceremony. This is practiced to cleanse visitors of bad spirits and protect them from evil

    5.         Saltwater crocodiles are known to ride the ocean currents from one island to another

    6.         The spring tides can bring a tidal range of up to 12 metres in the Kimberley’s

    7.         The Lemon Shark is sacred to the Bardi Jaarwi people

    8.         Whoever controlled the NZ South Island coastline controlled access to some of the Maori's most precious resources.  For generations these golden sands bore witness to raiding parties, conquest, and brutal war.

    9.         Golden Bay, the most Northern point of the South Island, was a focal point for conflict for New Zealand's indigenous Maori people.

    10.       New Zealand’s Harwood's Hole is a huge hole in the ground over 300 meters deep and is a local legend.

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