Kerikeri

The Reverend Samuel Marsden established the first mission in New Zealand in 1814 after purchasing land from local Māori for 48 axes.

Marsden also planted the first grape vines in New Zealand on 25 September 25 1819 here.

Kerikeri Mission Station

The site for the mission where there was a good landing, to the left and a river flowing from the right to provide a good source of water.

Mission House

Mission House / Kemp House

New Zealand’s oldest house was built in 1821-22 for the Rev John Butler. It was known as the Mission House until being sold to mission blacksmith James Kemp and his wife Charlotte in 1832.

The Kemp family remained in residence until 1976 when it was gifted to the nation by Ernest Kemp, a great grandson of James and Charlotte.

Mission gardens

The gardens here were established in 1819. One had to be self sufficient of course if you are one of the earliest settlers in and area. 

St James Church

This is the third church built in this area and was dedicated in 1878. A major restoration and repair project was carried out in 1968 after a tornado knocked it off its foundations. It has recently had a new roof and paint job.

Stone Store

The Stone Store

The oldest stone building in New Zealand opened in 1836 although construction started earlier in 1832. The keystone above the door has 1833 carved in the Sydney sandstone by the stone mason William Parrott.

Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach

Having only three nights in the Bay of Islands we took in an organised day trip to the very top of the country and returned via Ninety Mile Beach. This is another trip that should be on one's bucket list too.

On the way to Cape Reinga we detoured to the site of an ancient kauri forest.

The notice below gives agood account of this ancient log.

ANCIENT BURIED KAURI FOREST

The solid mass of timber in this hole is a large Kauri tree stump and has a girth of approximately 14 metres, about the same size as Tane Mahuta, New Zealand’s largest living Kauri. The largest Kauri every recorded had a girth of 32 metres. Marine oxygen isotope testing suggests that the age of this tree is between 100,000 and 150,000 years old. This is the oldest non-fossilised wood found on earth, to date.

The tree would have been 1500 and 2000 years old at the time of its death when it was destroyed by some unknown natural force. One theory is that oceans rose gradually with the melting of the ice caps and destroyed this forest, depositing the layers of sand on top.

Also visible around the sides of the hole and on top of the large stump are the remains of the roots from a younger forest which grew later – around 45,000 years ago. This forest was the last to grow on this site and it is thought that it may have been destroyed by a tidal wave (tsunami) that was caused by a meteorite impact in the Tasman Sea.

The height of the land at the time was about five to ten feet above current ground level and has been eroded away, exposing the timber to the elements. The timber would have deteriorated quite quickly and been blown away by the winds which reshaped the land.

The branch of a large kauri tree can be seen protruding through the mass of timber on the far side of this hole and has been radio-carbon dated at around 45,000 years of age. It has been speared down into timber from the lower forest. This has added some weight to the tidal wave theory as it would have taken a huge force to pierce this solid timber.

 

This huge circular hole was where there was once a giant kauri stump which has rotted away (around 45,000 years old).
This is at least 10 metres in diameter!





Cape Reinga

At the very top of New Zealand is a magnificent site of where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet, creating a very turbulent set of currents.

One  of the first views of the lighthouse at Cape Reinga

Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) marks the separation of the Tasman (to the west) from the Pacific Ocean. For Māori, the turbulent waters are where the male Te Moana Tapokopoko a Tāwhaki meets the female sea Te Tai o Whitireia.

The whirlpools where the currents clash are like those that dance in the wake of a waka (canoe). They represent the coming together of male and female – creation of life.

Photo opportunity. That's me in the red jacket.

Lighthouse info.

The headland at Cape Reinga.

What’s in a  name?

Te Rerenga Wairua translates to the leaping-off place of the spirits and Reinga means the underworld.

According to Maori mythology, the spirits of the dead travel to Cape Reinga and leap of the headland, above, and climb the roots of an 800 year old kahika and descend to the underworld back to their ancestral home of Hawaiki.



Looking west from Cape Reinga.

There are numerous well marked walking tracks around here. One would need an early start to explore all there is here in one day. It is around 1.5 hours back to the nearest substantial town of Kaitaia.

The significance of the sand dunes is that these are the start the Ninety Mile Desert Beach as named by Captain Cook. His charting of the coast was remarkably accurate in that to him, from the sea, the dunes looked like a desert stretching around the corner and to the south for ninety miles. More about this when we get to Ninety Mile Beach which was on the way back to Waitangi.

Ninety Mile Beach

Depending on the tides, one does the beach before the cape or the other way around. This day we came down the beach after visiting the cape.

Te Paki Stream provides access to Ninety Mile Beach from the north.

Because of access is down a stream bed and the beach could have soft patches, only 4 WD vehicles are able to travel on it. It is best to go on an organised tour in specially designed vehicles.

Stop for some dune surfing.

Our purpose built bus on a 4WD truck chassis.

Scott Point

Access to Ninety Mile Beach is via the Te Paki Stream. Scott Point here, marks the northern end of Ninety Mile Beach. Once on the beach it is generally hard sand fro the next 64 miles to the southern end of the beach at Ahipara. (See above for how this part of the coast got its name.)

Small islet (Te Wakatehaua Island), Ninety Mile Beach.

After a fast run down the beach at around 70 km/hr we left at Waipapakauri Beach. A compulsory stop at  Waiapapkauri town allowed time for thje bus to be throughly washed to remove sand and salt from it. Do have a look at the staircase carved inside a single kauri trunk in the cafe whilst your bus is washed down.

A fish and chip stop at Mangonui round off a marvellous day on the way back to Waitangi.

Next stop was Kerikeri. 

Bay of Islands and the Treaty of Waitangi

On returning to New Zealand we spent 3 months in Auckland and took to opportunity to spend a few days based at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands.

We also had a day trip up to Cape Reinga and returned via Ninety Mile Beach. This will be the subject of another blog to follow soon.

On the way up to Waitangi we first of all stopped at the Matakohe Kauri Museum. This is not to be missed and worthwhile spending at least 2 hours to gain an excellent overall idea of the kauri industry in Northland. One of New Zealand's best.

No visit is complete to this part of New Zealand without paying homage to Tane Mahuta. We did this on the way to Waitangi and the Bay of Islands

Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest)
The largest tree in New Zealand with a
trunk height of 17.7m and a girth of 13.8m)

Moving on from the giant kauris (agathis australis), the hotel next to the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi provided a convenient base to catch up on some of the important history of our country.

Waitangi

Prior to 1840, New Zealand was administered from New South Wales. In 1839, William Hobson was appointed as Lieutenant - Governor to the Governor of NSW. Hobson's job was to draft a treaty between the indigenous Māori and the Europeans settlers, Pakehā.

Governor Hobson's residence, now known as the Treaty House

On 5 February 1840, 500 Māori and 200 Pakehā gathered on the lawn outside to discuss the both versions (The English and Māori translation of the draft treaty.) with discussions going on inside into the night.

Next day on 6 February 1840 The Treaty of Waitangi was signed by 40 chiefs. Copies of the treaty were then taken around New Zealand and was signed by a further 500 chiefs by the end of September 1840.

Hone Heke, Chief of the Northern tribe Nga Puhi was the first to sign the treaty.

The Treaty Grounds are the site of celebrations
every year on the national holiday on 6 February

The Treaty Grounds overlooking the Bay of Islands

Nicely kept gardens behind the Treaty House

Visitors to Waitangi can enter the meeting house, next to Governor Hobson's residence, but must be welcomed with a traditional powhiri.


The meeting house to the right of the Treaty House

Powhiri in progress

Visitors are treated to a cultural performance which most New Zealanders find very moving and emotional.

Although a tourist hotspot , (and rightly so) there is so much of our early history, including New Zealand's first capital nearby (Auckland was the next one for a few years before the shift to Wellington), I think this part of the country should be on all New Zealander's bucket list.

Russell

Russell was one of the first places to be settled by Europeans with Rev. Samuel Marsden preaching the first sermon there in 1814.

Entrance sign to track down to Russell.

Russell

Hone Heke, Chief of the Ngā Puhi was in favour of the treaty and indeed the first chief to sign it.

Four years after the treaty was signed he was disillusioned by the failure of colonialism to deliver the prosperity to his people the treaty promised. His response was to cut down the British flag flying at Kororāreka, later Russell. He was to cut it down three further times before war broke out in 1845 between the British troops and northern tribes.

(In 2014, the New Zealand Government is still settling claims under through the Waitangi Tribunal.)  

Christ Church, Russell

Christ Church Russell

This church is New Zealand's oldest dating from 1836. It is constructed from timber, mostly totara and kauri.

The graveyard gives a good indication of the early history of the country and well worth spending half an hour wandering around.

Hone Heke died 7 August 1850, he was around 43.

The grave of Hannah Letheridge, the first European women to be born in New Zealand is nearby.

Historic headstone

The Duke of Marlborough Hotel behind the pohutakawas at Russell.

The ferry goes across the basy to Paihia, next to Waitangi.

To get to Russell from Waitangi or Paihia by car, the best way is to get the car ferry from Opua across the bay. The site of New Zealand's first capital is down a side road near modern day Russell. This was from signing of the treaty of Waitangi on 6 February 1840 until the captial moved to Auckland in 1841.

Coming next: Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach.