Friday, August 21st, 2009

Let’s See!

Auckland, New Zealand.

Aucklanders who are walkers really enjoy the trek on One Tree Hill. This is a fabulous conserved patch of greenery in the midst of the city. From the summit of the park called Cornwall you get the view of entire Auckland all around you. Radha Madhava and I took the swizzling path around the hill which has an abundance of grazing sheep and cattle on both sides of the hill's trail.

One fellow was ascending the hill running backwards. Radha Madhava pointed at his leg and remarked, “He is training for rugby.”

“Oh, of course, the Kiwi’s love their rugby,” I concurred.

At the peak of the hill you find a monument honouring the arrival of the Maori race almost 1100 years ago to the North Island of New Zealand.

Speaking about the arrivals, the Krishnas came to this wondrous land well I’m not exactly sure but certainly somewhere around the end of the sixties. Now forty years later the community blossoms. At 4 pm three dozen or more of us gathered in Queen’s St in front of the Metro Cinema to commence what someone called a “rockin” chanting session. Auckland’s downtown is just bursting with youths and they responded so well to the drums, the chanting and the happy folks in their robes.

The evening brought me to the farm at Riverhead where I conducted a “The Walking Monk Speaks” session. I was telling of tales of my Canadian excursion. Naturally people were asking when I’ll take on New Zealand.

“Hmmm! Let’s see what the gods have in store for us”.

10 Km