Background: The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
May 13th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown Nicky: Hi all!! So this will be our last blog from NZ. We have a great time the last week exploring the bottom of the south island, although it has got so cold!! It is not nice to hear that England is ... 5 photos[full story]
May 7th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown
Our flight from the Cook islands was at 7am, so we had to be up pretty early. Luckily we'd managed to get hold of the airport transfer company the night before after days of trying and had at last ... 19 photos[full story]
April 6th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown
TSS Earnslaw is a vintage Steamship, she was built in 1912 to service the remote farming communities around Lake Wakatipu including Walter Peak Station.
She was built in Dunedin, 280 kms away t ... 19 photos[full story]
May 3rd 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown For our two week Easter holiday we decided to revisit New Zealand. Five years ago we spent 8 weeks touring the North and South Island in a campervan. Our favourite place was Queenstown in the South Is ... 27 photos[full story]
April 17th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown Working as a migrant worker in Queenstown hasn't been that bad. I've managed to make a couple friends, learned to make almost perfect kiwi coffee and even got surprised with a end of season work par ... 6 photos[full story]
March 31st 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown Craig and I said goodbye to the Macleod on Easter Monday and spent 5 nights on our own in Queenstown. Queenstown is a party town, big backpacker place.
We didn't visit any of the local vineyards i ... 13 photos[full story]
May 1st 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown
Ok, ok!
I guess it could just go on forever!
Whatever.
Am in Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand, the other side of the earth from Europe, waiting to see if the ... 7 photos[full story]
April 18th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown Day 26- Queenstown-Sunshine bay
Today we went in search of Sunshine bay but not until we had a nice lay in. We had made some sandwiches the day before and all we needed to do was get our coats on a ... [full story]
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