January 5, 2013

The sky was a brilliant blue and cloudless when we awoke early this morning so we could be on our way north by 7:45am. It appears I'm the only Merkin in the group; there are several couples from the UK, a number from Australia, and a young woman from Hamburg, Germany. The scenery was lovely, and I tried to think of apt comparisons so my readers would be able to view things through my eyes. In some respects the scenery reminded me of the deep rolling hills near the Lake District in England. I also was reminded of the foothills leading into the California Sierras, just greener, much greener. I knew it was only a hint of the spectacular beauty to come.

Our first stop was the Kauri Museum in Metakohe. A museum devoted to a tree; how interesting could that be? Quite interesting actually. The kauri tree plays an important role in New Zealand's history. The countryside was once covered with kauri trees. One was even 86 feet in circumference! That's a lot of tree to hug! The early settlers discovered what excellent lumber the kauri tree provided. Kauri trees, members of the conifer family, grow very slowly and live thousands of years, producing a very dense but workable lumber. It also excretes a gum which was valued in its own right.

What made this museum especially interesting was all of the early mechanical and steam-driven machines used to mill these enormous trees. More generally, the museum told the story of early colonization and settlement by the invading Europeans. As in Europe, though, the forests were soon destroyed, and few kauri trees remain today.

I must tell you about the Hundertwasser (HOON der vah sir) toilets in Kawakawa! It's not like me to get excited by a public toilet, but imagine if Gaudi or Picasso had designed a public toilet. Hundertwasser was a prominent modern artist, an Austrian native who relocated to New Zealand late in his life. One of his gifts to the public was the toilet, still functioning and kept quite clean. My 10-21mm zoom was perfect for taking pictures in the small areas, so I was snapping away. My only regret is that you will have to wait until I return to see the photos. Insofar as public toilets go, it is indeed a work of modern art.

Our destination was Paihia, center of New Zealand's Bay of Islands region, about 250km north of Auckland. Over 150 islands are in this area. As we arrived, we were met by a Maori guide who then escorted us to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. The Waitangi Treaty represents the founding of modern New Zealand. Some native Maori chiefs, after a few initial skirmishes with the British, realized the invaders had superior technology and resources, and therefore it was more prudent to sign a treaty of co-existence rather than continue to fight the British. Besides, they wanted to get their hands on some muskets.

Over 500 Maori met to decide whether to sign the treaty, and eventually they decided to proceed. There were two versions of the treaty, one in English and the other in the Maori language. The two had significant differences. The British version was a concession of sovereignty by the Maori to the British, but the Maori version, the terms to which the Maori thought they were agreeing, gave them rights to the land and was a treaty of peaceful co-existence. Oh, those devious Brits!

But the Maori did promptly start trading for muskets, and proceeded to begin slaughtering each other. Until that time, combat had been brutal hand-to-hand warfare; the muskets allowed multiple quick kills from a distance! Sad, isn't it, that even over 150 years ago the technologically advanced countries were selling military technology to the lesser-developed countries, which then used them to commit mayhem against local enemies.

Please use the links below to reach other areas of this site:

• Life
• Conferences
• Education
• Media
• Writings
• Interests
• Links

Last revised: August 26, 2015.