How to make a traditional  New Zealand Maori  hangi:

A timeline of pictures showing the preparations of a New Zealand hangi. Other Pacific Nations call it an Umu, its prepared slightly differently, but the basic priciple remains. The food is steamed underground to create a unique flavour.

Image via WikipediaThe Kiwi Riverman Post wishes all our readers the compliments of the season despite natural disasters and inclement weather...




The Kiwi Riverman Post wishes all our readers a most happy Christmas in 2010 and New Year 2011.


It has been a very difficult year around the world politically, economically and socially as well. There have been a number of natural catastrophies, including a massive 7.1 earthquake in New Zealand which caused a lot of damage around Christchurch City and around the surrounding area, but lacked any loss of life, compared to the earthquake of similar size in Haiti which caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, injured  and homeless people. The Christchurch earthquake has been the most expensive natural disaster in history - costing New Zealand NZ$5 billion  in damage and estimated rebuilding.

There was another volcanic eruption in Indonesia which caused severe damage and hundreds of deaths and injuries, and four explosions in a coalmine near Greymouth on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island which initially trapped, and killed 29 miners there; after toxic gases ignited, and continue to burn unabated, and entomb the miners below. There have been other reported disasters around the world but these two are in our part of Asia Pacific and have special significance for our peoples.

Christmas will not be a happy time for many New Zealand families this year. We must also have some sympathy and feeling for the people of Britain and Europe who are enduring arctic-like weather at present which is keeping aircraft on the ground because of the snow-storms and icy conditions..

We can only hope the New Year will see some improvement in the weather and fortunes of all involved.

So happy Christmas and New Year again.

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