Pilgrimage Aotearoa / Haerenga Tapu Aotearoa is your essential companion for discovering the spiritual, historical and cultural treasures of Aotearoa New Zealand. Written by Jenny Boyack and John Hornblow, this guidebook takes readers on an inspiring journey through 100 sites across the country, each with its own story of significance. Each site is brought to life with vivid descriptions and historical context, illuminating the deep roots of spirituality and heritage that make Aotearoa unique.
Pilgrimage has always been a feature of human life on this planet and today it is the third most popular reason for travel. Although many Kiwis visit famous overseas pilgrimage sites, it is only fairly recently that they have seen the potential of these islands for transformative pilgrimage experiences. The impetus for this guidebook, a 12-year work of love, was the realisation that no equivalent resource existed for those wanting to explore local pilgrimage sites.
Selecting sites for inclusion in the book was challenging. Some were obvious, others recommended, and some discovered quite by accident. The guidebook does not claim to include all the sites in Aotearoa that have potential to inspire, challenge, disturb, inform or transform pilgrims. It is a selection only and one of its goals is to encourage readers to look with wider vision at sites in their own locations and neighbourhoods.
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The sites selected have compelling stories, are accessible to the public (in some cases by arrangement with those who live there), and contribute to a wider understanding of who we are as a diverse and complex nation. Many sites tell of the earliest and enduring Christian presence in the country, while others tell contemporary stories. Some sites record terrible injustice and suffering and are a cause for remorse and repentance. Others are inspiring and heart-warming and reflect foundational values of respect, justice, peace and restoration. Beautiful photographs at each site, the inclusion of biographical information about key people, and poems, prayers and artwork, all add breadth to the work.
For Jenny and John, researching and writing this guidebook has also been a journey of personal growth and discovery. Important themes emerged for them as they met with people who own and live with the stories in the book, including those who continue to feel the effects of colonisation and land loss. Using te reo Māori for place names and for concepts that do not have a clear equivalent in Pākehā culture or the English language was one important way of acknowledging te ao Māori and the centrality of tangata whenua and te Tiriti o Waitangi to our shared life in Aotearoa. The extensive bibliography reflects something of the authors’ journey and is an invitation for readers and pilgrims to discover and understand more about our history.
Aotearoa New Zealand today is grappling with big issues, some of which have the potential to widen division and fuel conflict between different groups in society. We hope that through telling these stories and acknowledging our history, this book can assist with healing, reconciliation, restoration and transformation for individuals, communities, and as a nation. As you explore this beautiful country through the pages of this book, as an armchair pilgrim or one who is able to undertake a physical journey, our prayer is that it will also be an opportunity for inner pilgrimage and discovery.
