The Bay of Islands is full of lush forests and great beaches. The pace is more relaxed here and many people are relocating from the bigger cities for just that reason.
Today we experienced a Northland Maori Waka Adventure.We had an exciting journey aboard a 50 ft. Maori War Canoe. First, we each got a paddle, then we took our individual seats in the canoe, there were 20 of us, after which the Maori Chief gave us lessons, in both English & Maori, on how to hold the paddle and then how to paddle the canoe. He made sure that we all knew what we were doing and we were off! We saw historical landmarks, tidal estuaries of the Waitangi River all of the way to the Haruru falls. Unfortunately these indigenous people had the to deal with the same issues with the British government that the American Indians had with the US government. They were and at times are still taken advantage of. He shared legendary tails and unique insights into ancient customs and rituals. In addition to being educational the tour was much fun!
We spent the afternoon strolling around the town.
NEW ZELAND is truly beautiful country! The views and the people in each port that we visited were impressive both in terms of the way it looks and how it feels. The country not only looks good and feels good but, it is SAFE.
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