Aotea (Great Barrier Island) New Zealand

AOTEAROA

This is Maori for New Zealand or (Land of the Long White Cloud)

AOTEA

This is Maori for Great Barrier Island  (or Island of the White Cloud) which is off the coast of Auckland

Awana Bay

A most beautiful bay on Great Barrier Island.  We are fortunate to have a 

summer home here. Here is a view from across the bay. Our home is just to the right of the rock peak in this photo about 1/3 of the way down, just left of a group of other homes.  We cannot see another home from here!

Our thoughts are with all of the people who suffered in the recent 

earthquake in Christchurch, South Island and wish them strength as they rebuild their lives.

xox

Nancy

Maori Basket Weaving

Handmade Flax Laundry Basket

…while in Rome…!!!!  While on our annual vacation to New Zealand (my husband is a Kiwi, after all!) we saw a nice basket and decided to try our hand at basket weaving.  We viewed some Maori (indingenious people of NZ) techniques at the New Zealand National Library website and away we went!  Michael couldn’t wait and made a small basket mostly by himself for our kumara (New Zealand potatoes) and garlic and such.  It turned out pretty well, so yesterday we harvested some native flax from the driveway to make a laundry basket.

This is a native flax plant in our driveway

Material used:

20 flax leaves

Scissors for splitting the leaves

Clothespins

We started by making a base of 20 leaves that crisscrossed

Then we made four corners

Corners as seen from the top

Corner as seen from outside

All that’s left to do is weave the sides,

 finish the top and make braided handles!

This basket will dry to a nice tan color.  We learned a lot and can’t wait to try some other patterns and sizes.

xox

Nancy

                                                      

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

...from our little hideaway in New Zealand
(where it's full on summer!)

View of Awana beach  (Great Barrier Island,  New Zealand) from our deck.

xox

Nancy