Motorcycle Touring

DAY 18 DAY OFF

AS luck would have it rain greeted our morning.  We have only recorded two rain days during our days off and one on a ride to Milford Sound.

This is going to be a casual day with a trip to the place where the treaties were signed offering protection to New Zealand by England in exchange for the rights to lands in the Islands.  As with our American Indian Treaties, they were amended over time to suit the white settlers at the expense of the Maorie.  There are buildings with copies of the documents and period furniture reflecting the time.  A replica of an ocean going war canoe is on display and it looks like it would accommodate 50- 60 warriors.  As we concluded our trip through history we returned to Paihia to cruise the shops and possibly an ice cream.  Reini was kind enough to allow me to drive the van so we had comfort and convenience.  I had soloed the night before so the challenge of left side driving had been removed.  That evening we boarded a passenger ferry for a small town across the bay that houses the oldest church in NZ.  This is the area that was first settled by missionaries that introduced Christianity to the Maorie.  It must have worked as they soon gave up their culture in exchange for the new settlers way of life.  The exchange blended the natives to a point where there are very few pure blood natives left.  There is a movement to restore or preserve the culture in language and lifestyle.  There were a small number of tribes that did not sign with the English and once in a great while there is a flare up over the land.  Too little too late.  We dined at a pub type restaurant that served a battered fish and chips that were among the best.  Back on the ferry we noticed the sail boats returning to port from their regatta.  This is the sailing season in the “bay of islands”.  Many of the local sailors come to the area to challenge their skills with racing and fellowship, hard drinking.  Sailors are no different than any other sportsman with the opportunity to show their skills on the water and in the pub. 

Bledsoe House

Maorie Shrine

Ocean going Canoe