Maori Swamp Creature Delays Road

In Auckland

Construction work on a major New Zealand highway has been delayed following warnings about a mythical river monster.
Work on one section of the new highway ground to a halt when a local Maori tribe warned of a swamp creature said to be living in the path of the new road.

The Waikato expressway is a 12-kilometre (7.5-mile) stretch of new highway over swamp land in New Zealand's central North Island.

According to the local Ngati Ngaho tribe, the region is home to a number of taniwha or guardian spirits.

Some say the presence of a taniwha might also explain the large number of fatal car accidents along the existing road.

Maori concerns about taniwha are treated quite seriously by New Zealand road building agency Transit New Zealand.

Transit spokesman Chris Allen says the highway agency will meet tribal elders later this week to confirm whether the highway is encroaching on sacred land.

Mr Allen says Transit has specific protocols reflecting the beliefs of local Maori. Reports of a taniwha are regarded as as serious as the discovery of human remains.

The company had already been advised of two other taniwha living near the construction route. However in both cases the taniwha were considered by Maori to be a satisfactory distance from the new highway.

Maori concerns about spiritual issues are becoming increasingly common in New Zealand, where Maori culture is enjoying a renaissance.

In the far north of the country, members of the Ngapuhi tribe have been involved in a three-year court battle aimed at blocking a new prison, because tribal members claim the planned site is also the home of a sacred taniwha.

Having travelled the area for years, that part of the road DOES have a weird feeling about it ... it always seems gloomy ...

But the accidents are owing to the crappy roading there instead of evil spirits...


What it really shows is Political correctness gone mad, when imaginary creatures can stop a million dollar development, because of the words of one small group of people...

your right NC

If these taniwha are causing the accidents -it sounds like a pretty good idea to move 'em out: bulldoze the little devils -show no mercy, take no prisoners.

Are the local natives just hustling for compensation, or has the NZ Govt. gone completely mad?
I remember in Thailand -every time we wanted to do so much as dig holes for goal-posts the local "leaders" would crawl out of the woodwork and insist that the spirits were being violated.
500 baht each -about $US11 usually did the trick.

In some cases I think you have got it Estragon...

its a bit of a money making gravy train.

Some big fuss in the south island at the moment about the electiricty companies having to pay the local tribe millions to use the river because its 'sacred' ... or something like that... basically people were saying it was a bribe to keep the tribe off their backs...

I'm just trying to imagine Captain Cook's or James Busby's reactions.

Well...I was, okay I did (and then deleted it), gonna post a reply basically tearing people a new butt-hole on this.

But that would do nothing positive.

Let me just say that the land in question was 'acquired' via some rather dubious means - basically the British Colonial troops breached an agreement NOT to invade a Maori Soveriegn State, that being the Waikato area (as The Waikato was under the governance of a Maori King, NOT the British Queen) where this land is.

So while it may seem like a small bunch of greedy brown people are trying to scam a few dollars out of the noble White Man...just be VERY clear where and how they land came from.

It was acquired off that tribe via bloodshed and backstabbing. So good on 'em for kicking up a stink I say.



Peace,
ALIEN

Alien, the entire British Empire was acquired by dubious means.
That is why God has condemned us forever to lose in the sports we invented, when we play internationally against the former colonies.
And to endless repeats of "Neighbours" on the TV
And to making Kylie Minogue a star
etc etc.

On the other hand, progress is progress -this is what we say to a species called the Welsh -dark-skinned little humanoids who nest under English hedgerows and have strange sheep-centred rituals and practices.

Maori swamp creature delays road? LOL! Yes, the British Empire was acquired through bloodshed and forced colonization. As an American, I worry about the U.S. becoming too powerful. Big, powerful 'empires' don't last forever. I used quotation marks for 'empires', because the U.S. doesn't have hundreds of colonies. It's just really powerful.

I like Kylie Minogue's music, and other British music I have never really the sports of understood cricket or rugby though.

Pahaha, finally we've managed to offload kylie to the poms, now they can take the blame. teeheehee!

...that warm and cuddly exterior, Kano, is a heart of flint!
But, as I said, it is part of the punishment for the Empire. It began with Frank Ifield, Rolf Harris and the Bee Gees..and it will never end.

sent us Dame Kiri!

Rolf Harris was awesome!!!
I loved this song ... especailly tanning the hide when he died



Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
Rolf Harris

SPOKEN:
There's an old Australian stockman lying, dying. He gets himself up
onto one elbow and 'e turns to his mates, who are all gathered around and 'e says:

Watch me wallabies feed, mate
Watch me wallabies feed,
They're a dangerous breed, mate
So watch me wallabies feed
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down

Keep me cockatoo cool, Curl,
Keep me cockatoo cool
Ah, don't go acting the fool, Curl
Just keep me cockatoo cool
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down

'n' take me koala back, Jack
Take me koala back
He lives somewhere out on the track, Mac
So take me koala back
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down

Let me abos go loose, Lew
Let me abos go loose
They're of no further use, Lew
So let me abos go loose
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down

And mind me platypus duck, Bill
Mind me platypus duck
Ah, don't let 'im go running amok, Bill
Just mind me platypus duck
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down

Play your didgeridoo, Blue
Play your didgeridoo
Ah, like, keep playin' 'til I shoot thru, Blue
Play your didgeridoo
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down

Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred
Tan me hide when I'm dead
So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde
And that's it hangin' on the shed!!
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down

on behalf of the House of Windor, I must take issue. You have millions of colonies: we used nice transparent names such as British Guiana or British Honduras and put them on very pretty postage stamps: you use mysterious code-words such as Starbucks and WalMart and Dunkin Donuts -and put them on styrofoam cups.
We painted the globe red, you are painting it a very pale shade of mayonnaise.

"Rule Britannia, Britannia... (Estragon dragged off babbling...)

Transit may bow to taniwha
08 November 2002

Transit may have to build a narrower expressway to avoid the lair of a legendary taniwha, officials said today after meeting north Waikato Maori.



Concerns raised by Ngati Naho that the swampy home of the taniwha lay in the path of the new four-
lane road prompted Transit to halt work last Friday.

Yesterday the hapu and Transit officials agreed work could resume on the affected 100m stretch of the new road on State Highway 1.

However, Transit regional projects manager Chris Allen said the design of the expressway would push the road through the taniwha's home.

Design changes making the road narrower might be needed to allay the hapu's concerns, he said.

The area identified yesterday by Ngati Naho, north of Springhill Rd, was not scheduled to be reached by contractors for another year, giving time to reach agreement.

But Mr Allen said work in the area south of Springhill Rd could resume. That area was important to progress of the project and further delays could cause major disruption.

His suggestion that design changes might be needed has not impressed the Hamilton mother of a woman who died in a crash in the same area earlier this year.

Bev McIntosh's daughter Monique Booth died in January when her car and a northbound truck collided.

She called for common sense to prevail and said narrowing the road would defeat the purpose of the highway upgrade.

"That's been the whole cause. The road is too narrow," Mrs McIntosh said today.

"We're talking about a minority group in the area who seem to be sticking to their guns. My daughter's death didn't occur because of a taniwha," she said.

Ngati Naho spokesman Rima Herbert today said the hapu had never claimed road deaths in the area were caused by the taniwha.

Ngati Naho recognised the importance of the expressway and did not want to hold up the project.

Mr Herbert said the hapu also believed there were burial sites in the area.

Mr Allen said the hapu had not sought any payment and "Transit will not be making any cash payments" to Ngati Naho. Further meetings are planned


and everyone said!!!



[Edited on 8-11-2002 by Netchicken]

The Brits should have treated the Maoris with the same respect that the Maoris gave the Mauri Auris(Spelt wrong)Then there would be no problems today.

Originally posted by John bull 1
The Brits should have treated the Maoris with the same respect that the Maoris gave the Mauri Auris(Spelt wrong)Then there would be no problems today.

Don't get me started on the'Maori ate all the Moriori' myth...don't do it...I get sick and tired of having to re-educating people on this point.


Peace,
ALIEN

Eating.Did I mention eating?

I only said respect.