After five sea days, we were ready to get out and about (we very much enjoy sea days - so relaxing!). Our first NZ port call was at Waitangi.
Waitangi, one of New Zealand's most significant historic sites, is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between the British Crown and more than 500 Maori chiefs. The treaty agreed the terms by which New Zealand would become a British colony.Today the Treaty Grounds are an opportunity to learn about Maori culture and the historical events associated with the signing of the treaty. At the Treaty House one can see a replica of the original treaty; observe the fully carved Maori meeting house and one of the largest Maori war canoes in the country; and visit the two museums Te Kongahu and Te Rau Aroha. Live cultural performances are also held regularly and there’s a hotel located within the reserve that has a restaurant and bar.
Not only is Waitangi engaging from an educational point of view, but it's also a very beautiful place to explore.(opens in new window)along the Waitangi River, ride the tracks of the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park, or explore the small semi-formal garden that surrounds the Treaty House to the 6-kilometre forest walk that leads to Haruru Falls, the natural environment is spectacular. The shoreline provides a continuously changing panorama of the bay where warriors, whalers, sailors and settlers arrived in New Zealand.
We chose the Bay of Islands Panorama excursion that included three stops in 3 hours. The picture above and several below were taken out the moving bus window on our way to our first stop..
Kawakawa is a small town in the Bay of Islands area of the Northland Region of New Zealand. Kawakawa developed as a service town when coal was found there in the 1860s, but coal mining ceased in the early 20th century. The economy is now based on farming. The town is named after the kawakawa shrub.
Kawakawa starting developing as a town with the mining of coal, which was discovered there in March 1864. A horse-drawn tramway was opened in 1868 to carry coal from the mines to the Taumarere wharf. In 1871 two steam locomotives were acquired and the tramway was upgraded to railway standard. In 1884 a railway line from Kawakawa to Opua was opened, and this replaced the line to Taumarere wharf. The area was a location for the late 19th/early 20th century kauri gum digging trade.
By 1899 there were about 1,000 residents in the town, which was built mainly on the hillside. In 1899 a fire destroyed all but a few of the buildings. The town was rebuilt on the flat, alongside the railway tracks. The present railway station was built in 1911.
A railway line south to Whangārei was completed in 1911. Coal mining ceased at Kawakawa in the early 20th century.
The Bay of Islands County headquarters were in Kawakawa until the county was disestablished in 1989.
More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawakawa,_New_Zealand
Our second stop was at an isolated waterfalls.
Our third stop was at a headwater to a stream leading to the sea.
Said to be the oldest house in NZ
We sail overnight to Auckland where we will spend three days getting to see and know some of the area.
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