title: Touristic perceptions in a Taoist Chinese village

authors: Ryan, Chris

subjects: China

abstract: The article reports findings derived from a sample of 357 questionnaires that were self-completed by respondents after a visit to the Taoist village of Qiyunshan. The village has a heritage of several hundred years as a Taoist pilgrimage site and in 2003 it was opened to the wider world through the construction of a cable car that takes visitors directly to the village. The main attractions are the scenic areas, the Taoist tradition, the residents, and a sense of harmony between place, people, and culture.

text: Touristic perceptions in a Taoist Chinese village The article reports findings derived from a sample of 357 questionnaires that were self-completed by respondents after a visit to the Taoist village of Qiyunshan. The village has a heritage of several hundred years as a Taoist pilgrimage site and in 2003 it was opened to the wider world through the construction of a cable car that takes visitors directly to the village. The main attractions are the scenic areas, the Taoist tradition, the residents, and a sense of harmony between place, people, and culture.

year: 2012

title: Promoting engagement and learning in first year university studies: The role of personalisation

authors: Stanley, Peter

subjects: university studies

abstract: Student engagement in higher education can be conceptualised as involving three components: students’ social needs and circumstances, the cognitive characteristics of academic studies, and the prevailing institutional ethos or philosophy that specifies the relationships that students have with learning and knowledge. This paper reports on an investigation into student engagement in a first-year human development course at the University of Waikato at Tauranga, New Zealand where the teaching staff has a commitment to relating learning to individual experiences. Information from an end-of-course survey indicates that a philosophy of personalisation promotes learning engagement. Students reported that they were required to think a lot or a great deal, that they put time into the course assessments, and that they valued the human development course itself.

text: Promoting engagement and learning in first year university studies: The role of personalisation Student engagement in higher education can be conceptualised as involving three components: students’ social needs and circumstances, the cognitive characteristics of academic studies, and the prevailing institutional ethos or philosophy that specifies the relationships that students have with learning and knowledge. This paper reports on an investigation into student engagement in a first-year human development course at the University of Waikato at Tauranga, New Zealand where the teaching staff has a commitment to relating learning to individual experiences. Information from an end-of-course survey indicates that a philosophy of personalisation promotes learning engagement. Students reported that they were required to think a lot or a great deal, that they put time into the course assessments, and that they valued the human development course itself.

year: 2011

title: The Te Aroha hot springs (mainly in the nineteenth century)

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: Unique amongst New Zealand mining districts, the hot springs sited at the base of the mountain were popular with miners, residents, and an increasing number of visitors. Highly valued by Maori for their medicinal qualities, Pakeha visited them well before gold was discovered. Acquired by the Crown as part of the purchase of the Aroha Block, contention arose over whether the springs had been gifted to the Crown and whether Maori should be charged for using them. The provision of a small but free bath to Ngati Rahiri did not satisfy them.
 After Pakeha settled, the springs were developed and the surrounding domain was landscaped. Analysis of the water by experts produced claims about its curative qualities and many miracle cures were claimed, and the water was bottled until more recent analyses traced the existence of arsenic. Men reputedly skilled in hydropathy and similar ‘sciences’ were appointed to assist those suffering from rheumatism and the like. A local board beautified the area until the domain was taken over by the Tourist Department. Many tourists from throughout New Zealand and abroad were attracted by the facilities, which included a library, but some noticed a lack of cleanliness and were annoyed by larrikins. Despite such problems, as mining faded Te Aroha profited from becoming a tourist destination and sanatorium.

text: The Te Aroha hot springs (mainly in the nineteenth century) Unique amongst New Zealand mining districts, the hot springs sited at the base of the mountain were popular with miners, residents, and an increasing number of visitors. Highly valued by Maori for their medicinal qualities, Pakeha visited them well before gold was discovered. Acquired by the Crown as part of the purchase of the Aroha Block, contention arose over whether the springs had been gifted to the Crown and whether Maori should be charged for using them. The provision of a small but free bath to Ngati Rahiri did not satisfy them.
 After Pakeha settled, the springs were developed and the surrounding domain was landscaped. Analysis of the water by experts produced claims about its curative qualities and many miracle cures were claimed, and the water was bottled until more recent analyses traced the existence of arsenic. Men reputedly skilled in hydropathy and similar ‘sciences’ were appointed to assist those suffering from rheumatism and the like. A local board beautified the area until the domain was taken over by the Tourist Department. Many tourists from throughout New Zealand and abroad were attracted by the facilities, which included a library, but some noticed a lack of cleanliness and were annoyed by larrikins. Despite such problems, as mining faded Te Aroha profited from becoming a tourist destination and sanatorium.

year: 2016