A Trip to Australia and New Zealand
Waitangi & The Bay of Islands
After we were all on shore the boats continued to shuttle back and forth to the ship all day long. Once on terra firma most of our shipmates boarded courtesy shuttle busses and went in to the small town of Paihia a mile or two away. We headed off in the opposite direction walking along the bay and found our way to the Treaty Grounds.
Two Maori young people in traditional dress met our boat in a gesture of welcome. They were playing the stick game where they pass four sticks back and forth till one or the other drops one. They were very adept, but even so the girl dropped a stick that the boy tossed poorly. We did not stay to see how the dispute was resolved, but it certainly involved a lot of good natured laughter that followed us down the beach.
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We visited just before New Zealand Day and everyone was talking about the forthcoming Battle of the Flags where people express their general political feelings about history by showing either the New Zealand national flag or the unofficial Maori flag. We were not present during the actual celebration, but we later met some folks who had been and they told us that they did not see very many Maori flags. Not a very scientific poll, but perhaps of some political significance none the less.
The Volendm at anchor in the Bay of Islands makes for a classic tourism poster for travel in the South Pacific. It was easy to imagine the sight a couple of centuries ago when the bay would sometimes be filled with sailing ships from all over the world.
