Though I have lived away from New Zealand since 1985 I still feel it is my  home along with the Maori culture.

 

I do  not have any Maori heritage but I grew up next to Mrs Ngatai who I waved to or said hello to as I rode up and down our drive as she often sat outside working on weaving Kete baskets or stripping flax and making skirts or leaving milk out for the wild cats. When her family came to visit the youngest grand-daughter was my age so we often played together. Occassionally her sister would visit who had a traditional female Moko or facial tattoo.

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/31565/caren-fox

 

Sadly I do not believe we have any photos to immortalize my memories but I feel close to the Maori Culture and chose the Koru to be part of my logo because it symbolizes new beginnings and is part of the culture of my 'homeland'.

 

Spiral - Koru
The Koru is inspired by the uncurling fern fond which is commonly found in New Zealand. It represents peace, tranquility, personal growth, positive change and awakening. It has been traditionally used to signify New life, new beginnings and harmony.

 

Greenstone

Greenstone is a term specific to New Zealand to describe Jade. There are two types of Jade, jadeite and nephrite. Nephrite is the only type to occur in New Zealand. Jade comes in a variety of colors, green being the most valued. Jade / Greenstone is a hard and tough stone. It has been illegal to export raw jade / greenstone from New Zealand since 1947 due to it's limited supply. Pounamu is a Maori word which is used to describe jade / greenstone and also bowenite. The Maori classified pounamu according to colour and named many varieties. Pounamu is broken down into 4 types: kahurangi, kawakawa, inanga and tangiwai. Kahurangi is the rarest form of pounamu / greenstone. It is a light green greenstone with light streaks which resemble clouds. It is free of any flaws and is very translucent. Kawakawa has a strong green colour with varying shades throughout. It is named due to the fact that it resembles a leaf from the kawakawa / Lofty pepper tree. Inanga which means whitebait is a pearl white grey/green coloured stone which is usually translucent. Tangiwai (Bowenite) is a very translucent, olive-green to bluish-green type of serpentine, found mainly at the entrance to Milford Sound in the South Island. The word tangiwai came from the Maori legend relating to the petrification of the tears of a lamenting woman. Sometimes it is referred to as koko-tangiwai, koko meaning ear pendant, and this signifies its predominant use. Early Maori discovered Pounamu's ability to retain a hard, sharp edge making it ideal as cutting tools. Maori made adzes (toki) and chisels (whao) from nephrite jade, they fitted the jade to wooden handles and lashed them together using flax cords. Pounamu / greenstone / Jade will benefit from the addition of light, scented oil and if it is not being worn very regularly, is best stored in a felt or leather pouch. A very light smear of oil in the pouch will enhance the carved pounamu with a beautiful warm gloss.Pounamu / greenstone / Jade was normally suspended from thin leather or plaited flax. It was traditional for a piece to be worn level with the cavity where the two collarbones meet above the chest.