Treaty House

The Treaty of Waitangi was a document between the Maori people and the British Crown.  It was signed on February 6, 1840.  The original document is now housed at the Archives of New Zealand in Wellington where we work.  This is located just outside of the town on Paihia which is the largest town in the bay.  The Maori people couldn't read or write very well so the document that they signed gave away a lot of their rights to the British.

This is one of the original Maori boats.

This is the house where the treaty was signed and where the Crown official James Busby lived.

This is the Te Whare Runanga (Meeting House) for the Maori people.  This is also called a Marae.

The Treaty House was too small so Busby had an addition and it then became a house within a house.

This is a show that is performed by the Maori people depicting their traditions.

December 28, 2012

Bay of Islands

Kerikeri is another quaint little town which has the Stone Store which was built between 1833 and 1835 and was initially used as a trading post.

This is the entrance to the Rewa Maori Village.

Wharepuka Falls

Rainbow Falls

Haruru Falls

December 27, 2012

Cape Reinga

We left Whangarei and traveled to a small town called Kaitaia and then traveled north to Cape Reinga.  This is the most northern tip of New Zealand.  Last Christmas we traveled to Bluff which is the most southern tip of New Zealand.  Cape Reinga is the meeting point of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean.  On a clear day you can see the two oceans collide together.  However, it was too foggy for us to even see the ocean.

Cape Reinga is a place of great spiritual significance to the Maori.  According to tradition after travelling up Ninety Mile Beach the spirits of the departed leap from a tree clinging to the cape and return to their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki.

Notice how Los Angeles and the South Pole are in opposite directions.

We hiked down a little to try to see the ocean but this is the best shot we could  photograph.

December 26, 2012

Whangarei Falls

Whangarei Falls

This is the day after Christmas.  On Christmas Day we traveled from Coromandel to Whangarei.  However, it was raining so hard that we spent most of Christmas day either traveling or in the motel.  Since all the stores were closed for Christmas Day our Christmas meal consisted of two cans of stew and some crackers.  Merry Christmas.

December 26, 2012

Coromandel Motel

Coromandel is a quaint little town on the Coromandel Peninsula.  Our motel was located just outside of the town  overlooking the Hauraki Gulf.

December 24, 2012

Coromandel Peninsula/ Cathedral Cove

After leaving the Hot Water Beach we continued on to Cathedral Cove which is about a 30 minute walk from the parking lot down to the ocean.  It had been raining most of the day before we got to the walk but stopped when we started hiking.  It was good until to got back to the car and then it started raining hard and the fog came in.  We were lucky we made it back to the car before the rain.

Luckily it was low tide because people are only able to pass through this rock during low tide.

Notice the large rock in the ocean that is framed by the arch.

December 24, 2012

Coromandel Peninsula/ Hot Water Beach

The Coromandel Penisula has a spectacular view even when the weather doesn't cooperate and it is rainy and foggy.

This is a trail leading to the Hot Water Beach.

At the beach if you dig deep enough there is hot water and people even on a cold day were in their swimsuits and sitting in the hot water.  

December 24, 2012