Reading Space · Bilingual Themed Reading New Zealand

Author: Compiled by American Corbisstone Publishing Company
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The demigod hero Maui sits in a canoe, exerting force to drag a large fish from the sea. This canoe later became the South Island, while the large fish became the giant, wingless bird of today's North Island, the parrot that burrows in tree roots, the rare bird with a dazzling red beak and blue-green feathers, and the lizard with a lifespan of hundreds of years—all of these are the bizarre creatures that grow in New Zealand. The term "Maori" (meaning "local people") is now used specifically to refer to the indigenous people of New Zealand, the Kiwi. In the Māori language, "Kiwi" originally referred to long-beaked, wingless birds, but now the term not only refers to the kiwi bird but also serves as a playful nickname for New Zealanders.