Journey Of A Lifetime – Kāpiti and Coast Independent

Fascinating travels in southern Africa

Photos by Allison Fraei

If you would like to have the “Journey of a lifetime, full of unusual and interesting experiences” Kapiti retirees Allison and Tony Fraei would heartily recommend a self drive safari in Namibia, Africa.

For them, it was just an exhilarating experience to head off, behind the wheel, into such a vast and beautiful country full of incredible scenery and fantastic animal wildlife.

KIN is delighted to be able to bring you the Fraei’s account of their holiday, which also included time in nearby Zambia and Botswana. Look forward to four fascinating episodes which will be accompanied by photographs taken by Allison.

Peaceful today after a torrid recent history

Namibia became a German colony in the 1880’s and the new settlers dealt savagely with tribal uprisings. Ten of thousands of Herro and the Namaqua people were massacred.

Having occupied the area in 1915, South Africa administered South-West Africa under a League of Nations mandate from 1919. Following World War Two, South Africa would not give up its control and extended its apartheid policies to the region.

There was armed resistance to South African control, and bitter fighting took place with local people engaged on both sides. Eventually the United Nations brokered a peace. In 1990, Namibia became an independent nation.

Today the country is at peace under a democratic government and the welcome mat is out for tourists like the Fraei’s.

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STORY OF THE WEEK

Kāpiti Coast councillors have toured of one of Aotearoa's unique buildings, the heritage - listed Rotunda at the former Otaki Health Camp, the country’s first.

Jeremy Smith reports that the 105-year-old, eight-sided rotunda predates the Health Camp.

It wasn't actually built in Otaki, but was one of two built in Rotorua in 1915 as part of a military hospital, on the site of Rotorua’s present public hospital.

Later they were taken to Otaki for the opening of the health camp in 1931.

Full story in the main column (December 19).

100 Years Ago — and the Maori Long March begins

Māori politics was dominated by the influential MPs (and sometime Cabinet ministers) Māui Pōmare ( Waitara statue photo above) and Apirana Ngata.

The 1920's also saw the rise of Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana’s religious movement, and the emergence of Te Puea Hērangi in Waikato.

Ngata worked hard to foster Māori scholarship and education and preserve traditional arts and culture.

He convinced the government to establish a Board of Maori Ethnological Research (1923), a Maori Purposes Fund Control Board (1924) and a School of Maori Arts and Crafts in Rotorua (1927).

The Reform government also took the first, tentative steps towards settling longstanding Māori grievances.

Agreements with Te Arawa in 1922 and Ngāti Tūwharetoa in 1926 recognised their respective rights over the Rotorua lakes and Lake Taupō, and led to the establishment of trust boards with some government funding.

Commissions of inquiry which examined Ngāi Tahu grievances (1920–21) and the Waikato and Taranaki confiscations (1926–27) recommended that modest compensation be paid.

Hi Mary and Keith

Thanks for your comments. To track down all of Tony’s articles, type Namibia in SEARCH at the top and press “Enter” on your computer and they will all come up. It is a great series!

Allison and Tony’s email is tonyfraei@hotmail.com

Best wishes

Roger Childs

I would like contact e-mail for Tony and Allison Fraei

Will send! — Ed

greetings to Allison and Tony.
was enjoying reading your travels through Namibia but am only able to read certain parts.
we would love to hear about your full trip. especially regarding your impressions of the contrast between Namibia and the Caprivi Region.

have enjoyed reading about the travel in Namibia