October 30, 2015 Waitangi & Paihai NZ

Rain, rain and more rain.

Actually, the day wasn't too bad. We managed to get out and visit the site of the Stone Store and  mission cottage. The mission was established under the direction of one Samuel Marsden from Paramatta who had taken it upon himself to convert the Maori to Christianity. The house was built in 1822 and the store, to house and sell the produce of the mission farm, in 1830. By the the time the store was finished, it was uncompetitive with the freeholders and was sold to the Kemp family in 1832.

How the site survived the intervening 142 years until it was gifted to the Trust is a modern wonder, but here it is in all its glory for all (well, those willing to pay for the once a day tour) to see.

A pear tree, believed to have been planted by the original missionaries, which makes it over 200 years old
Kerikeri, NZ

The stone store. Kerikri NZ

An expanded and restored mission house. Kerikeri NZ

 We took a tiny detour to see the Haruru falls, not much to see here really, except chickens, which appear to be running wild all over the place

Harare Falls, Paihai NZ

From here we moved to the Treaty grounds at Waitangi. Now this is a fascinating place and helps you understand the creation of New Zealand as a nation. Basically, the Maori tribes signed a treaty with the British on the 6th February 1840 to give the British the right tho provide a governance in exchange for British citizenship and protection (notably from the French who were on there way). There seems to be still a lot of unrest on the Maori side concerning this treaty: they hold it as a binding honour and the British seem to have largely ignored it.

They have this huge war canoe which was built in 1940  by Maori in the traditional way from three huge trees and which seats 80 paddlers and weighs some 12 tons.

The first Government Representative was one James Busby, for whom the original house was built. I was quite interested in the house's construction as it was a kit house fully imported from Sydney Australia.

Despite anything else, the whole area is quite lovely, lush and green and looking out over the bay of islands. Viscount Bledisloe bought and gifted the entire estate to the people of New Zealand in 1934, which is why it is preserved to this day.

Treaty grounds, WaitangiNZ

The Resident's house, Treaty grounds, Waitangi NZ

The Resident's house, Treaty grounds, Waitangi NZ

The war canoe. Treaty grounds, Waitangi NZ

Meeting house. Treaty grounds, Waitangi NZ