North Island Touring

I had no set plans coming into New Zealand - I had run low on time and internet access to be able to make any solid schedule.  All for the better, it turns out, since the Calder's invited me up to their bach (New Zealand summer home) in Doubtless Bay.  And on the way there and back Ian and Heather gave me a grand tour of far north New Zealand.

We made it to Waitangi, a township in the Bay of Islands, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 (essentially the founding document of New Zealand as a nation).

This is the head of Ngatoki matawhaorua, a ceremonial Maori war canoe on the Waitangi grounds.  The canoe is 35 meters long, one of the largest war canoes in the world, with a hull carved from two massive kauri trees.

The inside of a Maori meeting house.  Always well decorated wtih really scary painted faces.

We took a boat ride to see the famous 'Hole in the Rock'.  This structure, in case you haven't figured out, is a massive hole in a rock.  Don't be deceived, our boat with about 20 people on it fit through it with lots of room to spare.

This is Cape Reinga, the northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula and of New Zealand (not to be confused with the northernmost point of New Zealand, which is actually the Surville Cliffs, 30km further east).

Turn around from facing the lighthouse and distance markers, and you see this: the Tasman Sea on the west meeting the Pacific Ocean to the east.  On really choppy days the small meeting line you see here can actually be clashing waves 10 feet high.

Also part of the tour were beautiful pohutukawa trees, in full bloom and amazing.  These are known as the New Zealand Christmas tree, since they bloom green and red right at Christmas time.  How nice of them.

Now heading back south but on the western side of far north New Zealand:

On the western side there are some of the oldest still living Kauri trees in New Zealand.  Kauri are coniferous trees found only north of 38°S.  It's the largest species of tree in New Zealand by volume - they shoot way above the forest's main canopy and are pretty neat to see.  I think photos do the actual experience no justice, but here's Tane Mahuta, estimated to be somewhere between 1250 to 2500 years old.  It's the largest still-standing Kauri known today.  You can get an idea of his size from the couple of people in this picture.

Thanks to the Calder's for giving me such a great introduction to New Zealand and letting me be a part of the family for the holidays!