Waitangi

We ate a picnic lunch overlooking the beach. It was very windy and a little chilly. We opted not to go on the boat cruise to see the dolphins and the "Hole in the Rock" out in the ocean.

Leaving the beach behind, we crossed the impossibly narrow bridge to reach Waitangi. The bridge was one single lane. There was a widening in the middle, I suppose in case you should encounter someone head-on from the other direction. There were several such bridges in this area.

Waitangi is the birthplace of the nation of New Zealand. Two significant events took place here.

• On October 28, 1835, British Resident James Busby joined 35 Maori leaders to sign the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand. The British Crown officially recognized New Zealand as an independent nation of Maori.
  
• On February 5, 1840, British sea captain William Hobson presented the Treaty of Waitangi to several hundred Maori leaders on Mr. Busby's front lawn. A day later, 43 chiefs signed it. Nearly 500 more followed suit over the next few months. New Zealand became a British colony, and the Maori became British subjects.
  

The treaty (and its annual commemoration on February 6, "Waitangi Day") has always been controversial.

Problem #1: The English version and the Maori version differ greatly.
Problem #2: The British routinely disregarded the treaty when it didn't serve their whims.
Problem #3: The Maori were not a homogeneous group. And not every Maori tribe signed it.

You can see where this would all get quite messy.


This is the Residency, or home of the British Resident. At the time of the Treaty of Waitangi, that would have been James Busby. The house was pre-cut in Sydney and shipped to New Zealand. Mr. Busby had asked for a much more impressive building, something befitting an official the realm, but alas, he made do with its four rooms. The gardens surrounding it were well-tended, then and now. Today, its interior serves as a museum.

They called Mr. Busby a "man o' war without guns". Indeed, he had very little authority, and absolutely no way to enforce it. I think he was probably a pretty good diplomat, though. He lived in a savage land, and must have made enough local native friends to keep himself and his family from being slaughtered out here at world's end.

Here's a diorama of the Treaty Grounds as they would have looked on February 6, 1840. The tents were for the Maori tribesmen. The house (left) was the residence of James Busby and his family.

This flag pole was erected in the exact spot the Treaty of Waitangi was originally signed. The flags are the United Tribes of New Zealand (left), New Zealand (top) and Great Britain (right). The United Tribes (Maori) flag was created back in 1835. It gave locally built and/or berthed ships a unique flag to fly in international waters (and perhaps in hope of legitimizing the sovereignty of New Zealand to its neighbors and potential colonizers).

This is a traditional Maori meeting house (Te Whare Runanga) erected in 1940 for the Treaty Centenary Celebrations. Maori meeting houses typically are decorated to represent one tribe. This house is special. Each carved panel, roof beam, etc. represents a tribe, and they all come together in harmony.

See? Each piece is unique. Shoes off here.

I liked this one a lot. The eyes were paua shells (like abalone). Notice the unique patterns on the woven mats, too.

What's up with the reptiles substituting for (or consuming) genitalia? That was a consistent theme throughout the building.


Relaxing on the porch.

Yowser! This canoe was enormous. I heard a guide say that it was 6 tons dry, and 12 tons wet. They bring it out on Waitangi Day, and it is crewed by 80 warriors (another 8 tons or so).

Its name is Ngatokimatawhaorua. I guess that's why it's 35 meters long, just to accommodate it.

The canoe was made from three giant kauri trees. One for the hull (foundation), and two for the elaborately carved gunwales (top carved portion), stern, and prow. It is an homage to the canoe Kupe used to sail across the sea from Hawaiki.

I learned how the Maori seafarers were able to travel such long distances on such meager vessels (meager by western standards). They would tow behind them strings of a particular species of mussel. The mollusks provided fresh meat. But even more importantly, when they brought the creatures out of the water, they would perspire fresh water that the travelers could lick off to satisfy their thirst.


This wasn't the stump of one of the three kauri trees, but it was here to give you some idea of how big they were. I'd venture a guess that it was more than 8 feet across.

Same stump, viewed from the side.

Kauri trees were greatly valued by both the Maori and the Europeans. Both peoples appreciated their size, strength, and straightness, not to mention the priceless kauri gum (something akin to amber) that the trees produced. The gum's uses varied between tattoo ink, varnish, resin or even jewelry. Kauri wood is ideal for shipbuilding. It is nearly impervious to rot. It didn't take long for the giant kauri forests to be devastated by human beings (Maori and Europeans). A few still survive in the Northland. The best ones are on the opposite coast from Paihia.