Waitangi and Russell and A Bit of New Zealand History

 After being inspired at Cape Reinga we spent about two hours on the beach at Tapotupotu and then an hour or so climbing the TE Paki Sand Dunes and watching the sand boarders. A lovely day!

Male and female paradise shelducks having a lively conversation

We didn’t have time to see the ancient Kauri forest, now a sanctuary after suffering from massive cutting, as have so many forests on the planet. Many of these trees can live for more than one thousand years, and some swamp recovered trees have been carbon-dated from 50,000 years ago. We did see some Kauri trees that had been resurrected from the swamp and crafted into beautiful furniture, bowls and nice enough tourist items.  

We made our way along the Pacific to Waitangi and Russell, set in the beautiful Bay of Islands, and both are important in the history of New Zealand. The Treaty of Waitangi signed in 1840 by the British Crown and the Maori is considered the founding document for New Zealand. The Pakeha (white people) were “settling” New Zealand and taking the land from the Maori who had arrived around the twelfth or thirteenth century. In the treaty, the Maori gave power to the British and received the rights of British subjects and also the ownership of the land. Of course, because of language issues, the Maori didn’t have a full understanding of what they were signing and the issues surrounding the treaty continue to be debated. (This is a quick and simple primer on the Treaty-obviously more complex.)

The site of the signing of the treaty. The flag of the United Tribes of NZ and the current flag of NZ

 

Russell, the first capital of New Zealand(for about one year) was a rough town known as the “hell hole of the Pacific” with its rowdy whalers and drunken sailors, but is now a pleasant fishing and tourist village. While at the oldest oldest surviving church on the Queen's birthday and diamond jubilee, it was fitting to sing (to myself) "God Save the Queen". Well, only the first line, which is all I know.

Watching the sunset from a pier in Russell