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rity
ecklistbeforeyou
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actTuhuaTrustBoard if
slandkaitiakiwhenyou
nimals from reaching
.
dsor small insectsmay
ibility tomake sure they
mediately to the island
leted checklist(s).
n thequarantine shedon
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Cover image:viewofSouthEastBayand theBayofPlenty coastline fromTutaretareTrig.
ur
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4.Hand the
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Tūhua/Mayor Island
Visitor Information
2015/2016 season
TUHUA (MAYOR ISLAND)
The
mata tuhua,
as th
e
obsidian from the island was called, would have
been easy to collect, with its lava’s visible veins and piles of stone.
Tribes fought many times to protect their access to this valuable glass.
These days, one still has a bit of a fight to see it.
A wildlife refuge since 1953, the island is home to many native birds.
Well marked walking tracks circle the lip of the caldera and to the two
lakes below. Visitors are welcome by prior arrangement and are asked
to follow a few rules and biosecurity precautions. Removing the prize
obsidian is not permitted.
Download brochure for more info at
www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/bay-of-plenty/places/tuhua-mayor-island/
Also on FB see Friends of Tuhua (Mayor Island).
Coastal Trends
SOUTH END OF PORT ROAD (next to Smoky Pallet)
•
WHANGAMATA
07 865 7080
•
027 462 7171
•
www.coastaltrendswhangamata.co.nzGifts & Homewares
Robert Simmons holds two
pieces of mata (obsidian)
found near Whangamata.
Beach-Purangi, Hahei, Tairua and Maratoto as
well as Awana-Te Ahumata on Great Barrier
Island and Fanal Island. Coromandel obsidian
most often occurs as cobbles in stream beds
or on beaches, hiding its shardy sharpness,
laying in wait for an unwary footfall.
The different sources can be distinguished by
chemical analysis and sometimes by colour,
which helps geologists and archaeologists in
their research.
REFLECTION, HEALING AND CUTTING EDGE
From its origins in the fiery depths of the
earth, obsidian has moved into a web of
connections to the human world. From
its early uses in tools and weapons in
cultures around the world to its present-day
application at the literal ‘cutting edge’ of
medical technology, obsidian has displayed
unique properties still benefitting mankind.
Dating back thousands of years is the
divination practice of ‘scrying’– looking into
a reflective substance such as polished
obsidian, in the hope of detecting significant
messages or visions, for perhaps personal
guidance, prophecy, revelation, inspiration, or
fortune-telling. Scrying with a black obsidian
‘mirror’ has been particularly favoured in
attempting to communicate with the souls of
those who have died.
Still ‘cutting edge’, surgeons today are using
obsidian scalpels, particularly in heart surgery,
to carry out fine incisions that they say heal
with minimal scarring.
WWW.COROMANDELLIFE.CO.NZ37
435 Port Rd, Whangamata
Phone +64 7 865 9208
www.WhangamataSouvenirandJewellery.co.nzQuality and affordable
Kiwiana souvenirs,
jewellery and gifts
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