MAORI FLAX SANDALS and how to make them by Catherine Brown These old sandals are in the Dunedin Museum. Paraerae, or flax sandals, were once a common sight in the South Island. They were also used at times in the mountainous parts of the North Island, especially in winter. Many kinds of paraerae were made, the more complicated kind requiring a considerable amount of preparation. Today a simple kind of sandal, intended for everyday wear, is still made by a few people. The following instructions describe how they may be made. Use long flax leaves and divide them into strips approximately half an inch wide. Ten strips will be needed for each sandal. Soften these by pulling them against the back of a knife or a shell. The strips are used double. The dull sides of two strips are placed together as in the photograph. These double pieces are then treated as single strips. Plaiting is started from the toe, and the five strips are plaited in the following order.