All Roads Lead To Waitangi

We are now in the far north of New Zealand where they believe it all began, in the beautiful, sheltered small coves and verdant hillsides of the Bay Of Islands. Certainly, this is a special place in the history of the modern nation but there is archeological evidence that these places were settled by the Maori’s Polynesian ancestors many centuries before Captain Cook and the Europeans entered the equation.

But before all of that let me introduce you to our home for three nights – Ekaant. Ekaant is Hindi for “solitude” and our Indian hosts have certainly sought to offer you precisely that. The views of the bay below are breathtaking, the apartment beautiful, the swimming pool inviting.

It’s the pottery statue of the lion at the gate that makes you just a little, eh, apprehensive

and that is just the beginning, the very beginning for there is a boardwalk running down the bush covered hillside and once you begin that trail the world takes a most peculiar turn (even for us!).

For at every turn, hidden in the undergrowth is another statue of an animal from somewhere in the world (mainly Africa). At the top of the hill there was even a throne for the Queen.

Night fell and we had the neighbours around for a nibble.

The next day was to be a quiet one we decided so we sat and read, went into the lovely little town of Russell for lunch of whole red snapper and just chilled.

Then it was off to the whole focus of our visit (except for the wine, obviously). We took a short ferry ride from Russell to Pahia and then there was a half-an-hour stroll along the beautiful waterfront to the Treaty Grounds. W. was not at all pleased to discover that we were walking in the full heat of the sunny day, that there wasn’t even a bus and to make it worse the walk demonstrated the Kiwi’s slightly fragile relationship with distance and time. After about 500m we reached a sign telling us it was another 500m. But when we reached the next sign, after the 500m, there was a sign telling us it was 1km to go and when we reached that point there was yet another sign announcing the last 300m. We were knackered, paid our entry fee and headed for the cafe for a cold drink and a reviving muffin.

The Treaty Grounds

It is the early 1830s, trade with both Britain and France is brisk mainly in whales, food and gold. Russell, known as Kororareka to the Maori, is the “Hell Hole of the Pacific”, the capital of New Zealand and a place unfit for womankind. The Maori had realised the enormous benefits of trade and the local tribes prospered but the French were mighty interested and I get the impression that the whole place was a tinder box waiting to explode. Enter James Busby as British Resident, a man of immense diplomatic skills, vision and empathy, and it was he, more than anyone else, who realised that the future lay in a working partnership with the Maori peoples. In return for access to their lands he offered, basically, law and order. He, Captain William Hobson and James Freeman drew up a draft treaty and presented it to the local Maori leaders. Freeman was fundamental to the task because he spoke and wrote Maori and he and Busby knew they had to sell this to as many of the Maori tribes as they could so translating the document was essential. The treaty allowed the Maori to continue to own their lands yet gave them full rights as British citizens and the protection that conferred. It was signed on the 6th February 1840 and Waitangi Day is still a national holiday in New Zealand, indeed we arrived in the country on that very day.

The Treaty Grounds is where the treaty was signed and, as a historic visitor attraction the Kiwi’s do it really well, with the reverence such a place deserves.

There was of course the “cultural experience” but it was by far the best we had seen and performed in the gorgeous ceremonial 19th century Maori meeting hall.

You even got to meet the performers.

and I was not at all intimidated by Wendy’s new best friend. Not at all.

Wendy managed the walk back only on the promise of a large glass of wine at the pier.

Goodbye New Zealand

So we say farewell to New Zealand. It was a great trip and I hope you enjoyed the blog. All we had to do was drive back to Auckland, stay overnight close to the airport and fly out tomorrow.

Well not quite.

I had one more trick up my sleeve. Remember I said that Small and Small was ONE of Wendy’s favourite Sauvignon Blanc? Well, the real favourite (don’t tell Claudia) is Villa Maria and guess what is just five minutes from the hotel?

Well, that’s a coincidence.