Unfortunately New Zealand was catching the tail of a tropical cyclone. We didn't know t till later in the day, but the South Island was really coping it with high winds, heavy rain and 'King tides', and a state of emergency was declared in several areas. For us, the north of the North Island was just hit by heavy squally rain showers all day long, which was a great shame.
We tried to make the most of it, and had a very interesting visit to Waitanga. This is where the first British Governor came ashore in the 1850's, and a treaty was signed between the British and some of the Maori tribal leaders. This eventually lead the the declaration of Independence, the agreement of NZ's flag, and (eventually over a long long time) the mutual acceptance and respect of the white and Maori peoples in NZ. We toured round an excellent and informative museum, had an informative guide.
We saw a huge war canoe, which Princess Diana (as a woman) was very fortunate to have had a ride in, being a male domain!
The 'Waca' are made from the giant Kauri tree, which cannot now be felled....
We were also privileged to see a Maori cultural presentation in a carved house.
We learned about the significance of the various flags and the location of the flagstaff, being where the treaty tent had stood.....
...and in the governors house learnt about the treaty.
After this it was still raining so we went to some nearby falls where there were chickens running everywhere and there were concerns about them getting run over!!!
In the afternoon it was still raining heavily, so the afternoon was spent in the local shops, and a 'Bay Of Islands' charm was added to the Pandora bracelet!
In the evning we had dinner at 'Jimmy Jacks Rib Shack', which was great value for excellent food. Julie and I shared a platter....
We did have a great day, despite the wind and rain!
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