Places

An few of the places we will visit in the novel.

Aotearoa/New Zealand. Two big islands, plus one small and numerous little ones. The biggies are called in Maori Te Ika-a-Maui, and Te Waipounamu (the former referring to a founding legend, meaning the fish of Maui, and the latter meaning 'Waters of Greenstone'). More prosaicsally they are known as The North Island and The South Island in English. Visitors should note though, that although maps label these as 'North Island' and 'South Island', you are required to always refer to them as 'The North Island' and 'The South Island'. No local ever takes a ferry to South Island. It's a little trick we use to identify foreigners.

Placement of Our Island Home. A long way from anywhere. New Zealand is surounded by a large proportion of the planet's sea-water, and these rough and empty oceans are not for amateur sailors. Australia is about a three hour flight to the West, Tahiti is 4,271 kilometres northwards, Antartica is 4,989 k's due south, and how far Chile is to the East I'm not sure, but for God's sake don't try and get there on a kayak. Aotearoa was, for the above reasons, the last major landmass to be settled by homo sapiens, about 900 years ago. How the Maori, in their large double-hulled waka, found the place and made the voyage is a matter of debate among academics. (Most are agreed though, that it took stunning navigation and sea-faring skills. Certainly it must have been more than a bit tricky, and even less comfortable than a centre seat on a cut-price economy flight from Brisbane to Christchurch).

Wellington/Poneke, "Wellie". The capital of Aotearoa, and where a good bit of our yarn takes place. Around 420,000 people in 2023, depending on where you draw boundaries, making it New Zealand's second city in size, although long way behind Auckland. White settlers decided on Wellington as the capital because it is central located, has a magnificent harbour, and is not Auckland.

Palmerston North. "Palmy" as it is sweetly known is a small city 1-2 hours drive north of Poneke. Unlike most New Zealand cities it is both inland and flat. Once an agricultural hub, these days it is better known for being a university town, a bit like Oxford or Cambridge, but with far fewer stuffy old buildings and a much bigger town square.

Taumaranui. A small town in the centre of the North Island near Mt Ruapahu. On the main highway north, it was — in the days inter-city travel was mostly by train — an important stop on the “main trunk” line, and featured in a famous folk song by Peter Cape. You can listen to this here: Taumaranui on The Main Trunk Line. It starts with the glorious lines:

I'm an ordinary joker, growin' old before me time,
'Cause me heart's in Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line.
In Taumarunui, Taumarunui. Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line!

The song goes on to recite that he lost his heart to a lass in the refreshment counter of the railway cafe. By coincidence this song was written around the same time TEA’s hero, Brian Dawson, was writing his world changing verse, perhaps providing more evidence that, back in the late ‘50’s at least, Taumaranui was indeed the world centre of true love.

Hutt. A large river valley to the north of Wellington City, it is made up of two cities, cunningly called Upper and Lower Hutt. While these each have their own mayors and councils, the lives of the citizens of 'The Hutt' and Wellington city are so intertwinned as to make them essentially suburbs of Greater Wellington. The Hutt is generally flatter and more working class than Wellington City proper.

Karori. A suburb of Wellington, near the centre. It's fairly old as Wellington suburbs go, and by the same measurement criteria mildy posh.

Zealandia. Originally the name geologists gave to the (now disappeared) continent of which Aotearoa is the last remnant above the waves. More pertinantly for my yarn it is the name given to a large nature-reserve in the city that, by fencing out all introduced pests except people, attempts to recreate something of the the natural environment of the original Zealandia. Worth a visit.

Rubstovsk. A city in the centre of the Russian Federation, on the border of Khazakistan. So, Not in New Zealand at all, and I confess that all I know of the place I owe to Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica. I apologise to all its citizens for my undoubted misreprestentation of its charms.