Cape Reinga or Bust-Part II

Monday was finally the day to visit Waitangi, a place of great historical significance to New Zealand. I first remember being aware of it from my day-by-day desk calendar proclaiming Feb 6-Waitangi Day (NZ).Waitangi is the place where in 1840 the British and 50 Maori chiefs signed a unique document agreeing to the Maori's ownership of the land in part to allow them to sell parcels to Europeans and granting them all rights and privileges of British citizens in exchange for the crown providing law and order and protection. The document is the basis for the founding of the country, and is currently in dispute between Maori and Pakehas (Europeans), in part because the original English version and Maori version are not identical translations.

The tour started with a stroll through the grounds down to the waka taua (war canoe),

masterfully carved from three giant ancient kauri logs in 1940 to commemorated the centennial of the Treaty. Followers of this blog will note the waka is a common theme. Any museum or Maori site of any consequence has one, as well as a whare runaga (carved meeting house; see below). They all have some claim to fame (this one is the longest), and the NZ visitor will be tempted to have a “seen one, seen them all” attitude. But like snowflakes or sunsets along the Mendocino Coast, they are all spectacular in some unique way. And like medieval stained glass cathedral windows, they help related an oral history. The carvings in the boats and buildings relate the genealogy and stories that propagate Maori traditions, going back to their Polynesian forefathers. 

Our Maori guide brought out the stories of our small but diverse group. With us were a first-generation Aussie whose parents were Chinese living in Vietnam who fled to Australia after the war, and a Kiwi business professor returning after years of teaching in Japan along with his Burmese wife.

We walked up from the Bay of Islands along the same pathway followed by British Capt. William Hobson in 1840. The hill is lush and well-tended with a wonderful view of the bay , and on top of the hillside fly three flags: the Royal New Zealand Navy flag; the Union Jack; and, the United Tribes of New Zealand (a.k.a. the Maori) flag from 1834. The path then leads to the intricately carved whare. The guide explained the “symbology” (to use a Da Vinci Code word) of the anthropomorphic structure: The entrance with the head at the top, the crossbeams as outstretched arms, the post for legs,

then entering the “body” with the center beam spine and the crossbeam ribs. 

The Treaty house itself was a modest frontier home of James Busby constructed in the 1830’s, nothing special but for the history. Then we saw a brief traditional cultural performance, featuring traditional powhiri welcome, a ladies' poi dance with balls of flax, and war dance, or haka (the fearsome, grimacing and grunting dance/chant now frequently seen before NZ athletic teams take the field).The troupe was small (two men and two women) but enthusiastic and sincere about sharing their heritage.

Then we were off to explore more of the northeast, full of history and verdant subtropical landscapes. Very nearby is Haruru Falls,

and then it was off to Kerikeri, another early European settlement with some of the oldest buildings in the nation, such as the Stone Store.

It is also rich agricultural area, and also has a large collection of local artists.

 The weather rapidly changes here. We proceeded through a down-pour to arrive by nightfall in Kaitaia, a small town at the southern end of the narrow northernmost Aupouri Peninsula. Tomorrow will finally be the day we make it to Cape Reinga.