New Zealand’s Wonders and Legends
ACTIVITY 1
A.1. Pupil A: Complete the gaps with the following words.
birds • youngest • kiwi • Maˉori
a. First inhabited in the 13th century, New Zealand is called "the
_____________________ country" in the world.
b. New Zealand has many colourful ____________________ such as the tui and the
pukeko.
c. The _____________________ is the national bird of New Zealand
– a symbol of the country.
d. The _____________________ are the indigenous people of
New Zealand.
2. Prepare questions you can ask your partner to get extra information.
a. New Zealand – weather?
b. A haka – what, origin, why?
c. Ma¯ori way of saying hello?
d. New Zealand’s landscape? – monotonous?
B.1. Pupil B: Complete the gaps with the following words.
nose and forehead • mild • haka • forests
a. New Zealand has a _____________________ climate.
b. A _____________________ is a traditional dance of the Ma¯ori people of New
Zealand. It was originally performed by warriors before a battle to intimidate the
opponent.
c. Hongi is a traditional Ma¯ori greeting and is done by pressing one's
__________________________________ onto the other person’s face when
meeting.
d. New Zealand has a diverse landscape with amazing mountains, endless beaches
and lush green _____________________.
2. Prepare questions you will ask your partner to get extra information.
a. Discovery of New Zealand – Who? When? ________________________
b. New Zealand’s birds – Some names? Particularity? _________________
___________________________________________________________
c. The kiwi? _____________________
d. Indigenous people of New Zealand? _____________________
ACTIVITY 2
A. Can you reconstruct the legend? According to the Maˉori, how was Nez Zealand
created? Put the following words in the right order.
_
B. On a separate piece of paper, draw a picture to illustrate the legend and find a title
for it.
C. Get ready to retell the legend.
You are Maˉori storytellers; write your own version of the legend. Use the following
prompts and don't forget to include descriptions.
A Maˉori legend explains…
First, there was only the ocean. It was… There wasn’t… just…
But one day… The ocean became … and suddenly…
A new land …
The land is… there are… and…
On this land live… there are also… they are…
ACTIVITY 3
A. 1. The kiwi bird before and now. Imagine the reasons.
2. Label the pictures from Activity 3 A.1. with the following words:
a forest • the sky • a tree • wings • a nest • legs • the ground
3. Can you find what these words from the legend are? Practise their pronunciation.
B. Read the sentences and match each one to the corresponding picture. Then, put
the images into logical order.
1. Bugs are attacking the trees.
2. Kiwi is now a symbol of N.Z., because he’s the bravest of birds.
3. Many birds refuse to help because they’re scared.
4. Tanemahuta, the Guardian of the Forest, asks the birds for help.
5. Kiwi agrees to help, and kills all the bugs.
C. True or False? Write "true" for the true statements. Cross out the mistaken
information and correct it for the ones that are false.
1. This is a true story really happened. _______________________
2. The Guardian of the Forest needs help. _________________________
3. His brother is the Guardian of the Sea. _________________________
4. The trees in the forest are in great danger. ______________________
5. The birds live on the clouds in the sky. _________________________
6. One bird must sacrifice himself to save the trees. _________________
D. 1. In pairs, pronounce these words taken from the legend out loud. Is the stress on
the first or second syllable?
Maˉori • guardian • forest • brother • attack • abandon • afraid
• another • generous • beautiful • famous • symbol
Stress on the first
syllable
Stress on the second
syllable
2. What can you conclude about the schwa, the /@/ sound as in afraid? Underline
the correct answer.
In English /@/ is mainly found in stressed / unstressed syllables.
ACTIVITY 4
Read the beginnings of these three Maori legends and select one.
• You are old Maori storytellers: continue the legend of the hero Maˉui.
• Use the present tense for narration and dialogues.
• Add details: the challenges, the setting, characters and their feelings.
How Maˉui Slowed the Sun
One evening, Maˉui and his brothers are getting their dinner ready when the sun
goes down and it quickly becomes too dark to see. Maˉui is unhappy to eat his food
in the dark and says: “Every day we have to rush (= to be quick) to do our chores and
eat our food before the sun sets. Why are we slaves to the sun? I will catch the sun
before it rises, and teach it to travel slowly across the sky!”
His brothers don’t believe him and they all laugh.
“It is impossible to catch the sun, he's much bigger than any bird you've ever caught!”
one says. “The heat and flames will surely burn you to death” another says. “I think
he's got sunstroke*!” another adds.
* he's got sunstroke = he stayed too long in the sun
How Maˉui Brought Fire to the World
One evening, Maˉui looks into the fire and asks himself, “Where does fire come
from?”
Maˉui, curious as he is, decides to find out. In the middle of the night, Maˉui goes to
all the villages and extinguishes all the fires in the world.
The next morning there is chaos in the villages. “How can we cook our breakfast,
there's no fire!” a worried mother calls. “How will we keep warm at night?” another
cries. “We can't possibly live without fire!” the villagers say to one another.
Everybody is afraid and scared. “Someone will have to go to the burning mountain at
the end of the earth and see the great Goddess, Mahuika, to ask her for fire.” one
villager says.
So Maˉui offers to go in search of Mahuika, secretly glad that his plan has worked...
How Maˉui defied the Goddess of Death
One day Maˉui considers himself ready to win immortality for people. His father tries
to dissuade him, predicting that he will fail. His father says to him: “My son, I know
that you are brave and that you have done all things. But, I am afraid that there is
someone who will defeat you, your ancestress Hine-nui-te-poˉ, the Goddess of the
Night.”
“Is she as strong as the sun?” Maˉui asks. “I trapped him and beat him. Is she
greater than the sea? I have dragged land from it. Now let’s see if I can be stronger
than death.”
So, his father lets him go: “You are right, my last-born, go, find your ancestress.”
Maˉui leaves his village with his brothers and finally finds the Goddess asleep on the
other side of the sky...