Bay of Islands, Here We Come!

With fall coming on and the nights getting cooler, we decided to make a quick trip up north to the Bay of Islands. It is about a 3 hour drive and we were fortunate to have good weather. New Zealand's seasons remind us of the Bay Area in California...the hills get a bit brown in the summer and the lush green grass appears in the fall and winter. Like California, the weather here is very temperate.

Aerial photo of the Bay of Islands compliments of Google!

 Got up in the morning to this lovely site out of our window

...this is very much a land of rainbows (haven't seen a unicorn yet though!)

 Stopped in a little town called Matakana where they have a charming outdoor market. 

Enjoyed some freshly picked mandarin oranges and the ambiance.

 Same little town had this quaint church...was a fun stop but very remote area. Was nice to get out of the city and smell the country air!

 Whangarei (pronounced fangaray- a Maori word) had some beautiful falls, so we 

stopped to get a few photos.

 This picture does not do justice to the vivid and beautiful countryside that 

Elder Brown is trying to capture!

 Waterfalls seemed to be on our list of things to see this trip. 

This is Rainbow Falls in quaint little town of Kerikeri. Since most of New Zealand is volcanic, the basalt that this water is carving away will be a long slow process.

 Our "selfie" at the falls seems to have focused on the falls and left us a bit out of focus, but that is probably pretty accurate anyway!

 The beautiful park in Kerikeri has this old stone store which was built along a river

in 1833 is the oldest stone building in New Zealand.

After a day of sightseeing we spent the night at Swallow's Ridge with a lovely couple from Great Britain. A few kilometers outside of town, the setting and the views were delightful.

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 On our way to Paihia where we would catch the boat to cruise the bay, we stopped at the Waitangi Treaty grounds, where the treaty between the British and the Maori tribes was signed in 1840. The Maori could see the writing on the wall and aligned themselves with the British in exchange for protection from other invaders. Much of their culture remains, but like the Native American Indian, they have been marginalized by the European immigration. A warm and generous people!

Elder Brown stands on the hillside above the harbor where the British ships landed and the treaty was signed. Much of New Zealand's early history is captured by this historical site.

Ngatokimatawhaorua, the 35 meter long war canoe (waka) is one of the largest ceremonial war canoes in the world with a hull carved from two massive kauri trees, felled in the Puketi Forest in Northland.

 It is launched each year for the ceremonial commemoration of the signing of the Treaty. 

 This young Maori girl preforms with several others at the visitors center. Wearing traditional clothing, they dance, sing and chant the stories of their people.

 Venturing on to Paihai, the Main Street held this lovely old stone church, an architectural delight.

 Our 3 hour cruise took us out through the Bay of Islands, where the dolphins enjoyed dancing alongside the boat. As we pulled away from where they were frolicking, one jumped through our wake and into the air. Unfortunately my reflexes were not quick enough to get the photo. 

 The "Hole in the Rock" which looks like an elephant in the water, was quite stunning to see. We were able to get some fine photos. It is one of several famous landmarks.

 We got very close to the rock and the captain of the boat asked if we wanted to go through...joking that the waters were a bit rough and they generally only go through when it is very calm as there is not a great deal of margin for the size of the boat. He did it though and no one was forced to swim!

Whether gravel, sand or rock, we have yet to see a beach in New Zealand that is not completely gorgeous!