http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/sandamichaela-1384892-milford-sound2/

Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Māori) is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Milford Sound is named after Milford Haven in Wales.

Milford Sound was known to the Maori, who named it Piopiotahi - the single piopio, a now extinct bird. The name derives from a legend about the last endeavour of Maui-tikitiki-a -Taranga, the great Polynesian demi-god. Maui set off from Hawaiki accompanied by a piopio, in an attempt to gain immortality for mankind.

To achieve his goal, he had to enter the womb of Hinenui-te-Po (the goddess of death), travel through her body and emerge from her mouth. After Maui’s failure and death, the piopio who had witnessed the tragedy, fled south to Milford Sound to mourn for the death of its mate

According to another Maori Legend, Piopiotahi was carved out by Tu-te-raki-whanoa, an atua (godly figure) who was given the task of shaping the Fiordland coast. Chanting a powerful karakia (prayer), he hacked at the towering rock walls with his toki (adze) called Te Hamo.

As he worked his way up the coast from south to north his hand improved steadily, and Milford Sound, his final work, was also his masterpiece

The goddess Hinenui-te-Po is held responsible for releasing sandflies into Milford Sound, to prevent human kind from lingering too long in such a beautiful place

Another native Māori legend wherein "the god Tu-te-raki-whanoa had just finished creating the landscape of Fiordland, it was absolutely stunning... so stunning that it stopped people from working.

They just stood around gazing at the beauty instead. The goddess Hinenuitepo became angry at these unproductive people, so she created the sandfly to bite them and get them moving"

First off, sandflies in New Zealand are not actually sandflies. Rather, these pesky little bugs are female black flies more thirsty for blood that a dehydrated vampire. If you plan on going outside, or opening a window, in the Westland region of New Zealand’s South Island, you will encounter sandflies. True, they are more prevalent in the bush (read: woods) than in the cities but contact with these annoying pests is inevitable.

Text: Internet

Pictures: Sanda Foişoreanu

Doina Grigoraş

Arangement: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Maori kapahaka - Rangi Pukohukohu

Kiri te Kanava - Haere Ra Hoa Ma