Northland Trip

This weekend was another traveling weekend for me...

Friday the BU group left UniLodge (where i live), and drove to Dargaville, then the Waipoua Kauri Forest, where one of the largest Kauri tree lives, Opononi for sand dune sledding, then Paihia where I stayed in a backbacker's lodge for 2 nights. We had a barbeque and bar night, complete with karaoke and everything. The bar we ate at was really quite neat...it had sand/beach floors. kindof a cool feeling.

The next day we went to Russel, where the first Maori people and Settlers were interacting, and we went to see the first printing system and tannery in NZ. (don't worry bruce, i took pictures of the leather stuff!)

We took a boat around the Bay of Islands, a group of 144 islands, on a speed boat. A cyclone was coming in, so it was extra exciting! We went to one of the islands to the Hole in the Rock, but it was far too wavy and dangerous for us to go in. But there was a small cave nearby that we went in instead, which was amazing, because the water was sooooo choppy, but the instant we got into the cave, it was completely calm, and really misty. Cool experience. Another night for everyone in the bars...

Today, Sunday, we left Paihia for Waitangi, to the Waitangi Treaty House. This town is across the bay from Russel, and is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. This is a controversial treaty right now..because the Maori signed it with the British settlers (Pakeha), assuming equal rights, and protection that land would not be taken. BUT it was. So right now the governemtn is working on trying to right the wrongs that happened because of a broken treaty signed in 1840...

After that, we went to Haruru Falls (waterfalls), took pictures, and made our way back home to Auckland. Now i'm back in my apartment, just made dinner, unpacked, and got my application for a letter of evaluation (premed stuff) completely ready, for me to send out tomorrow. :) yay.

-naomi