Global Village

New Zealand -- "Land of the Long White Cloud"

The indigenous people in New Zealand are the Maori people. Their legend tells that two explorers, named Kupe and Ngahue, sailed in two canoes from islands in the Pacific to see what was beyond the horizon in the south.

Eventually, they saw a major land mass appearing in the distant horizon, covered with white clouds. Kupe called out: "He ao he ao! He aotea! He aotearoa!" ("A cloud, a cloud! A white cloud! A long white cloud!") This is why the land was named Aotearoa, which means the "Land of the Long White Cloud".

In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel van Tasman sailed from today's Indonesia and around Australia. When he saw the "Land of the Long White Cloud", he named it "Nieuw Zeeland", after the Netherlands province of Zeeland. In time, this name evolved into the present-day spelling of New Zealand.

Eventually, a complete map of New Zealand and the names of many of its places were created by Captain James Cook, who sailed around New Zealand in the Endeavour in 1769. For example, the Kidnapper's Bay on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island was so named because one of Captain Cook's sailors was grabbed by the Maori people while trying to trade with them. The Mercury Bay on the north coast of the North Island was so named because the captain and his people spent ten days here observing the transit of Mercury.

[Global Village -- Archives]