By Neena Bhandari
Wellington, 30.08.2005 (IPS): The conservation of land and water has been at the forefront of Maori life and today they are capitalizing the resource to boost eco-tourism.
Local Maori guides provide tales of tribal history and explain the medicinal purposes of plants on walking tours and offer close encounters with whales and gannets in various nature parks and reserves, which cover one-third of New Zealand.
Gannet Safari’s three-hour trip takes visitors through riverbeds, pastures, native bush, geological formations to reach the largest and most accessible mainland nesting place of gannets in the world at Cape Kidnappers.