My journey to the "Land of the Long White Cloud" will begin in August. New Zealand....land of the Kiwis. Now, in the US, most of us think of the Kiwi as the fuzzy brown egg-shaped fruit with a slightly tart green flesh. But, in NZ, the word Kiwi has a quadruple meaning. Along with the fruit, the native New Zealanders are called Kiwis, the New Zealand Dollar can be referred to as a Kiwi, and of course the Kiwi bird. The Kiwi bird has become the National Symbol of New Zealand.
The kiwi as a symbol first appeared in the late 19th century in New Zealand regimental badges. It was later featured in the badges of the South Canterbury Battalion in 1886 and the Hastings Rifle Volunteers in 1887. Soon after, the kiwi appeared in many military badges, and in 1906 when Kiwi Shoe Polish was widely sold in the UK and the USA the symbol became more widely known.
During the First World War, the name "kiwi" for New Zealand soldiers came into general use, and a giant kiwi, (now known as the Bulford Kiwi), was carved on the chalk hill above Sling Camp in England. Use has now spread so that now all New Zealanders overseas and at home are commonly referred to as "kiwis".
The kiwi has since become the most well-known national symbol for New Zealand, and the bird is prominent in the coat of arms, crests and badges of many New Zealand cities, clubs and organisations.
The New Zealand dollar is often referred to as "the kiwi dollar".
Next post: How I managed to get to travel to New Zealand to study birds, volcanos, and conservation.
