Traveling Tolins 2

  We arrived at 8 AM, ready to begin three days of exploring. Auckland  i s a large metropolitan city in the  North Island  of  New Zealand . It has an urban population of about 1,478,800 (June 2023).  It is located in the greater  Auckland Region , the area governed by  Auckland Council , which includes outlying rural areas and the islands of the  Hauraki Gulf , and which has a total population of 1,739,300 as of June 2023.  It is the  most populous city  of  New Zealand  and the  fifth largest city  in  Oceania . While  Europeans  continue to make up  plurality of Auckland's population, the city became  multicultural  and  cosmopolitan  in the late-20th century, with  Asians  accounting for 31% of the city's population in 2018.  Auckland has the fourth largest  foreign-born  population in the world, with 39% of its residents born overseas.  With its large population of  Pasifika New Zealanders , the city is also home to the biggest ethnic  Polynesian  population in the world.

  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 be