In this handout image provided by Sydney Tower Eye, a visitor scans the skyline and harbour of Sydney from a viewing platform at the Sydney Tower Eye, on December 16, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. Sydney is suffering from its coldest start to summer since 1960. (Photo by Eugene Tan/Hausmann Communications via Getty Images)

Flames from the Jerusalem Fire erupt in Lake County, California August 12, 2015. The wildfire running rampant through drought-parched vegetation in northern California grew by several thousand acres overnight into Wednesday, as firefighters worked to stop the flames from spreading toward communities. (Photo by Robert Galbraith/Reuters)

Brazilian farmer Jander Santos de Souza (R) checks his corn plantation which is inundated with floodwaters from the Solimoes River, in the rural municipality of Manacapuru, Amazonas state May 5, 2015. According to the association of farmers in the community, about 70 percent of the agricultural production was lost due to the flooding. (Photo by Bruno Kelly/Reuters)

Dancers take part in the Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) street parade of ethnic minorities, in Berlin, Germany, May 24, 2015. A few dozen dancers, musicians and performers from dozens of communities took part in the urban festival on Sunday that aspires to reflect the multi-ethnic diversity of the German capital. (Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters)

A student is assisted by teachers after she fell ill while marching in a parade celebrating Saint Peter's day in Lima, Peru, Monday, June 29, 2015. During the feast day of the Catholic saint, who is the patron saint of fishermen, coastal communities pay homage to St. Peter, whose statue is paraded to the sea and petitions are made to keep their vessels and all who work on them safe. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)

A devotee of the Ban Tha Rua Chinese shrine is helped with a spike pierced through her cheeks during a street procession celebrating the annual vegetarian festival in Phuket September 28, 2014. The festival, featuring face-piercing, spirit mediums and strict vegetarianism celebrates the local Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will help them obtain good health and peace of mind. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

Kia Vue of St. Paul sports long nails at the Minnesota Hmong New Year celebration Saturday, November 29, 2014, at the Saint Paul RiverCentre in St. Paul, MN. The annual Minnesota Hmong New Year celebration will be held at the Saint Paul RiverCentre November 28–30. Hmong New Year has a deep cultural significance to the Hmong community. It is a celebration of accomplishments during the past year and a time to welcome a new beginning. (Photo by David Joles/Star Tribune)

The long and intriguing story of the origine of the indigenous Maori people can be traced back to the 13th century, the mythical homeland Hawaiki, Eastern Polynesia. Due to centuries of isolation, the Maori established a distinct society with characteristic art, a separate language and unique mythology. Defining aspects of Maori traditional culture include art, dance, legends, tattoos and community. While the arrival of European colonists in the 18th centure had a profound impact on the Maori way of life, many aspects of traditional society have survived into the 21th century.