The massive clearance of New Zealand's virgin forests for timber and to
make room for pastoral farming also relied on sea transport. Logs were
transported from the hinterland to the sea where they were towed or
loaded onto flat-bottomed sailing scows for transport to the growing
cities. From Auckland, thousands of tons of native timber were exported
- much of nineteenth century Sydney, Australia, was built from New
Zealand kauri timber.
Once European settlers moved away from the coast late in the nineteenth century, they faced new challenges. In the North Island there were trees - lots of them. It took a hundred years of burning, clearing and grass sowing to transform New Zealand into the largely grass-covered pastoral landscape seen today.
For farmers and their families, the early years were spent in almost total isolation. In the North Island they were surrounded by dark, forbidding forests with trips into town, often fifty miles away or more, restricted to once or twice yearly visits. Folk became used to making do.
In the South Island fierce winters, summer drought and a grand but difficult landscape made farming tough. In the high country away from the coast, huge, widely spaced ranches - runs in New Zealand vernacular
Once European settlers moved away from the coast late in the nineteenth century, they faced new challenges. In the North Island there were trees - lots of them. It took a hundred years of burning, clearing and grass sowing to transform New Zealand into the largely grass-covered pastoral landscape seen today.
For farmers and their families, the early years were spent in almost total isolation. In the North Island they were surrounded by dark, forbidding forests with trips into town, often fifty miles away or more, restricted to once or twice yearly visits. Folk became used to making do.
In the South Island fierce winters, summer drought and a grand but difficult landscape made farming tough. In the high country away from the coast, huge, widely spaced ranches - runs in New Zealand vernacular
- were the only way to make a living from the land. Isolation was a
fact of life, and in both islands, self-reliance was not just a virtue,
it was a necessity for a family's survival.
As New Zealand moved into the modern era, the population expanded, society evolved, and life became easier for most people, but the do-it-yourself ethos has remained. New Zealanders are descendants of pioneers, upon whose efforts the nation was built. The pioneering spirit is still alive and well in New Zealand.
This Kiwi tradition of self-reliance and individuality today fuels innovation in science, research, industry and the arts. Rather than succumbing to the tyranny of distance, New Zealanders have turned it into a virtue. In order to compete on a global stage, they have had to find different and ingenious solutions to common problems - to be smarter and more efficient than their competitors.
By any measure this small country at the bottom of the world is casting a far larger shadow than its small size and population should warrant. In a world where innovation is a catch cry, by accident of history and geography, New Zealanders have had plenty of practice doing things their own way. It seems to be standing them in good stead.
As New Zealand moved into the modern era, the population expanded, society evolved, and life became easier for most people, but the do-it-yourself ethos has remained. New Zealanders are descendants of pioneers, upon whose efforts the nation was built. The pioneering spirit is still alive and well in New Zealand.
This Kiwi tradition of self-reliance and individuality today fuels innovation in science, research, industry and the arts. Rather than succumbing to the tyranny of distance, New Zealanders have turned it into a virtue. In order to compete on a global stage, they have had to find different and ingenious solutions to common problems - to be smarter and more efficient than their competitors.
By any measure this small country at the bottom of the world is casting a far larger shadow than its small size and population should warrant. In a world where innovation is a catch cry, by accident of history and geography, New Zealanders have had plenty of practice doing things their own way. It seems to be standing them in good stead.
