It is time for Bird of the Year 2018! Voting opens at 9 am on Monday 1 October and closes at 5 pm on Sunday 14 October. New Zealand’s unique native birds are in crisis. A third are at risk of becoming extinct if nothing is done to protect them. Their habitats have been destroyed and introduced mammalian predators kill their eggs, young birds, and even adults. … Continue reading New Zealand: Vote for your bird of the year!
Like each year, the Economist has just released its annual global liveability survey. And guess what? Out of the top 10 countries in which life is the coolest, according to the study, four are situated in the Pacific Ocean Area, more precisely in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The top one of the economist’s list is Melbourne, in Australia. Moreover, the city has managed to keep the first … Continue reading The Pacific has 4 of the 10 most liveable cities in the world
What does Science have to say about drinking kava and driving? According to Dr Apo Aporoso, a kava researchers at the University of Waikato in New Zealand interviewed by Australian media ABC, “a study testing driver reactions after a six-hour session of high-volume kava drinking found no statistically significant effect on driving ability.” So it doesn’t seem to be as bad as alcohol, but the researcher still … Continue reading Drinking kava and driving: what the science says
Is Moana a faithful representation of the Polynesian people and their culture? On the one hand, the coconut people came from nowhere and the giant crab passing as Tamatoa is very foreign to our culture. But for Pacificans.com editor Taema, this is all redeemed by the effort from Disney to make a Tahitian and a Maori version, combined with the fact that Moana characters seem … Continue reading What a Tahitian thinks of Moana [Video]
When beloved Pacific academic Dr Teresia Teaiwa died this March following a short illness, it was a loss that reverberated throughout the Pacific community in the region and around the world. “She was a wonderful Pacific woman and leader who was a role model for all Pacific people. She was hugely committed and passionate about people and social justice in the Pacific, and she will … Continue reading Dr Teresia Teaiwa: a Pacifican academic, teacher, artist and feminist
Most estimates say that we still have between 4 and 9 million living species to discover on Earth. Many are very small, but huge species are still identified regularly. For example this sunfish species (in picture above) that was just officially discovered by a team of scientists in New Zealand last week. It was named Mola tecta, the hoodwinker sunfish. The NZ newspaper Sunday Morning interviewed the … Continue reading NZ scientists discover a new sunfish species weighting more than a ton
A series of scientific studies on Lake Rotomahana, in Aotearoa (NZ), since 2011, have found evidence of remains of the legendary Pink and White Terraces, a natural wonder which was well know by locals and visited by adventurers from all around the world until 1886. Poetically named Te Otukapuarangi in Māori, which means “The fountain of the clouded sky”, it was renowned worldwide. It consisted of … Continue reading New Zealand’s lost 8th World Wonder spotted!
After the Tahitian version released in April, you will soon be able to watch Moana in the maori language. The crew of the Disney animated movie and local partners announced last week that they found their leading voice actress, and started a Te reo (the maori language) dubbing of Moana this week. It should be released in September of this year, in time for the … Continue reading Moana gets a maori version
This extremely viral video was created by Manii Konui, a Turangi fellow and all-around great dad. It was brought to viral fame by the Australian Facebook page Forfaty where it has more than 7 million views! Obviously, the most famous haka, “Ka mate”, is used by the All Blacks as a war dance before their rugby games. But in maori culture and many other Polynesian islands, the haka is … Continue reading Cutest thing ever? A toddler trying the Haka!
The French nail artist Kakine created Maori-inspired nail art back in 2014 and 2015. At least three sets where documented on her blog or on Youtube. Strangely, she lives in France, quite far from our Ocean… This is a tribute to the global appeal of our diverse cultures. Kakine’s blog has been all but deserted today, but her art lives on for the rest of us to … Continue reading Maori Nail Art
