AV News 175 - February 2009
Erhard Hobrecker FRPS
The Revenge of the Gods
How The Forest of Tane Mahuta came to Life
In March 2007 we visited the Adelaide AV-Fest - a beautiful event in a very
friendly atmosphere - and were delighted when 'The Expert' won the Humour
First Prize. We took the opportunity to extend our trip to New Zealand, just
for a few ten days, and focused on the North Island, namely to the area of
volcanic activity where the landscape is
particularly impressive and fascinating.
Our first highlight was Mount Egmont
north of Wellington, a volcano in a perfect
cone rising 2500 metres right at the sea
shore. Its eastern flank is covered by a rain
forest. We wandered across it in the morning
and were struck by its magic light and
atmosphere. This was to be the starting
point for a new sequence!!
The forest is a protected National
Park, but the next day we passed a
farm where trees were cut and
burned, a desolate vision. When
we saw further on our trip a huge
pile of burnt trees in an immense
cleared space, the idea of a tale
dealing with the global destruction
of the rain forest shaped up.
We travelled over scenic passes
along the Forgotten World Highway
and saw beautiful sites such as
Lake Taupo and finally arrived in Rotorua, a geologically exciting area. The
awe-inspiring power of nature can be experienced in several geothermal
parks. Geysers, hot mud pools and
steaming
craters
demonstrate
the
incredible earthen forces, just several
hundred metres below the surface! They
offered an infinite photographic source.
This area is inhabited by a large
community of the native Maori population.
Museums and Centres give a fascinating
sight into their cultural heritage which is
rich in mythological legends. A number of
Gods and Spirits are linked to the volcanic
activity around them and gave me the
basic inspiration for my story.
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