Jesse's New Zealand sites!
Map
The map on this site shows the main islands of New Zealand, but is informative
and clear. Some geographical, economic, and social facts can also be found
here.
Local
time, weather conditions, and information. Also provides links to history,
economic, and political information.
Introduction
Although much of this site is geared toward the tourist and commercial
New Zealand, it is an excellent introductory page. The site appears to be
based in New Zealand, so it offers a "native perspective." Be
sure to take the Virtual tour of the country--lots of great photos and history.
Rotorua. This is the "official" homepage of Rotorua, a New Zealand town rich with Maori culture and natural attractions. A good example of the many tourist sites and examples you can find on the web.
The New Zealand Herald. News, photos, and information.
The Wizard of New Zealand. I could not resist including this page--he is appointed by the Prime Minister. An interesting site of "local color" from the Christchurch area on the South Island.
Photos
This site is based at Yahoo! but contains some beautiful photos. It's commercially
oriented, but the pictures are worth it. All the other Pacific islands I've
searched for here have photos, and they're all beautiful.
Te Tomokanga. A portal site with links to sites on Maori history, culture, sovereignty, and research resources.
Maori Organizations of New Zealand. This is a site for all matters Maori. There are links to sites on Kapa Haka (Performing Arts) and Waiata (Music and Songs).
The Spiritual Nature of the Maori. An excellent site describing Maori haka, waiata, and welcoming protocol on the marae, with numerous photographs.
Iwi Radio Stations. Maps pinpointing Maori radio stations on North and South Islands, on website of Te Mangai Paho / Maori Broadcasting Funding Agency.
Ruia Mai. A Maori language radio station you can listen to online.
maori.com Downloadable sound clips (*.wav files) of Maori songs.
Contemporary/Pop/Classical:
New Zealand Music. Links to many aspects of New Zealand musical life.
New
Zealand Music Scene. By Anne-Marie de Bruin. Covers Link Categories
Artists, Classical, General Music Scene, Jazz, Mailing Lists, Radio/TV/Media,
Record Companies, Venues
New Zealand Music Services Directory. Listings of record companies, studios, music publishers, manufacturers, and music distributors. Maintained by Stellar Night Productions, Auckland.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. An interesting aspect of the NZ music scene illustrating the strong British influence in NZ.
New Zealand Festival. Another site attesting to the thriving arts scene in NZ. Although mostly contemporary (and time-specific to 2000), there is a portion devoted to native NZ arts and culture.
Loops & Samples:
A documentary on the history of dance music in NZ! Definitely check
out their links page. Lots of links to contemporary "dance" music
and bands:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/4474/
Homepage of some contemporary NZ bands.
http://www.manyhands.co.nz/
another contemporary NZ band (CDs for sale!).
http://webnz.com/kaya/
"Kaya," an NZ band...interesting. Definitely worth a check
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/postgrad/blairb/talldw/talldwar.htm
an "unofficial" fan page.
http://obscure.co.nz/
A "magazine" format site with rants and "stories" on
everything from music to 'Dubya' (George II).
Homepage of Kahurangi, the only "professional" Maori dance
company touring in North America. Although they seem to perform mostly in
North America, the group is selected from native New Zealanders and the
site mentions it as a dance program as well as national culture and employment
organization! The site includes interesting
"pointers" on Maori dancing.
Definitely check this out as it is interesting and informative.
More on Kahurangi,
including photos.
Maori Music and Dance. Program by California-based troupe Te Maoritanga Rima, presented by the Traditional Arts Program at the California Academy of Sciences. Definitely worth a look! Has program note information plus pictures of Maori dance.
Internet Arts Resources:
Dance An internet dance site with lots of NZ links.
Where to buy recordings?
http://www.culture.co.nz/
you can buy Maori CDs and books here. It looks like a native NZ site and
contains links to more information on Maori culture, art, and dance.
Hokomaha. This site offers musical instruments and CDs of contemporary and traditional Maori music from Aotearoa (New Zealand).
There is a huge amount of information about NZ out there on the web. With a location that has so many sites devoted to it, there are many that are less than helpful and many others that do not focus on useful information. Fortunately, this means that there is information about music and dance on the web. In addition to many sites that are home to contemporary rock/fusion/punk/techno bands, there are a few dedicated to Maori music and dance. This is a reflection of NZ's diverse and British-influenced culture. It appears that contemporary "pop" culture is thriving, and much of it integrates traditional elements with contemporary Western elements, so look at everything.
Copyright/Source:
Source: Jesse Johnson