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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.

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By on_the_road
October 13th 2009

New-Zealand : first we rest a bit Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Bay of Islands » Russell

The Sky Tower from Queen street

ca y est, apres cette semaine de dingue au States et un vol de 13h au dessus du pacifique, nous sommes finalement arrive en Nouvelle-Zelande...Pays longuement attendu, mais malheureusement l'acceuil de la meteo ne fut pas a la hauteur de nos attentes et la pluie nous attendait a la sortie de l'aeroport. Nous avons attendu en vain pendant trois jours que le soleil fasse sont apparition dans un petit camping proche de Auckland...mais une fois que la tente a commence a montrer des signes de faiblesse face a la pluie incessante et surtout le fait que celle-ci etant minuscule, nos sacs [View Full Entry]

By Laurene
October 13th 2009

Shoe shopping! Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington

Today was shoe shopping day. I went into a store called Farmers which is basically just a department store like the Bay back home. I ended up finding a really good shirt for job interviews that wasn’t too expensive so I bought it. I went into a couple of shoe stores but everything was so expensive! I finally found a store called #1 shoes which is just like payless shoes back home and found a pair of shoes that will work for job interviews. Yeah me! I got back to the hostel in time to listen to the Flames game and [View Full Entry]

By cleanpairofeyes
October 13th 2009

The Campervan Chronicles.. Part One Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Marlborough » Queen Charlotte Sounds

Lucy, Raphael and the Sounds

Monday morning came and Raphael and I were dragging our bags through the streets of Christchurch, looking for the Wicked Campervan offices. After I very hard 15 minute walk (I am out of practice at dragging around a backpack), we found the Wicked offices. After some paperwork and an introduction to our new home for the next 17 days we were picking up some food supplies. I have no camping experience and don't have two clues on what we really need and what we don't. We fueled up and hit the road, driving the streets of Christchurch without any idea which [View Full Entry]

By Leanne and Simon
October 12th 2009

Who owns those pants? Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington

Wellington

The 12-hour bus journey to Wellington was not the most comfortable experience so it would've been nice to check into a decent hostel and relax. Unfortunately we had booked Base hostel which is geared towards teenagers who want to party. Now this wouldn't have been a problem if said teenagers had the ability to clear up after themselves.... The 6-bed dorm we checked into stank of BO. I found the source of this stench stuffed down the side of my bunk, a t-shirt left behind by some smelly backpacker with an aversion to showers. I chucked it in the bin but [View Full Entry]

By CN Travels
October 12th 2009

Waiheke Island Adventures Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland » Waiheke Island

Nick All Geared Up
We packed too much. Seriously this bag is heavy already.

Waiheke Ferry Across Hauraki Gulf Monday morning Jeremy gave us a ride into Auckland on his way to work. We stopped by New Zealand Telecom to pick up a cell phone and then headed down to the wharf to grab the ferry. We loaded up our backpacks and got our tickets and climbed up on the top deck to get a view of the different islands in the gulf along the way. We passed Rangitoto Island which one of the last volcanoes to erupt in New Zealand. It's now a preserve and you are limited to day trips or very limited [View Full Entry]

By Laurene
October 12th 2009

Shopping is so hard to do Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington

Fountain at sunset

Ate some breakfast and then headed out to find some dress pants for job interviews. I went into about 6 different stores. Clothes here are expensive! I found one pair of pants I liked but they were $205 NZD, yikes! I found another pair for $80 NZD and bought them since I was sick of shopping! Had to call Langham and talk to mom’s side of the family for Thanksgiving. Mom was visiting my grandma and my aunt. Was good to talk to everyone there. Then I called my dad at my Favorite cousins house haha. Was to hear from everyone. [View Full Entry]

By Leanne and Simon
October 12th 2009

A very splendid wine tour Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Picton

Picton

The ferry crossing to the south was a bit more scenic than crossing the Channel as the boat crosses through the Marlborough Sounds for the last hour of the journey so all around there were huge green hills. It was too windy to stay out on deck though - my sunglasses nearly blew off my head. The rain and wind followed us from the north island so our first two days in Picton were spent wrapped up in the hostel. Unfortunately we had picked another dive of a hostel and this one had a very strange tenant who seemed to work [View Full Entry]

By Leanne and Simon
October 12th 2009

Tramping in Abel Tasman Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman

We thought we would organise a trip into the Abel Tasman National Park from Nelson so caught a bus there but after discovering a lot of the trips charge $30 each to pick up from the city we thought we'd be better off going to Motueka where there is no extra charge. We did stay in Nelson for three nights at Tasman Bay Backpackers which provided free chocolate pudding and ice cream every evening. Unfortunately the hostel was also a base for an under-13s female hockey team. Who knew 13-year-old girls would be so noisy? So it wasn't quite the relaxing [View Full Entry]

By Suziepaul
October 12th 2009

Christchurch & Lake Tekapo Oceania » New Zealand » North Island

Christchurch Cathedral

New Zealand Landing in New Zealand we were excited at the change of scenery, albeit a familiar one, and after arriving at midnight we were just excited mainly about getting some sleep. We stayed in a great cosy hostel just outside the town centre and it was nice to have a couple of days back in Christchurch to revisit some of our favourite sites such as the pretty botanical gardens and always-interesting people-watching in cathedral square (you're guaranteed to see at least one crazy person there per day). In search of something we hadn't yet seen we got the bus [View Full Entry]

By Richard Cranium
October 12th 2009

"One Ring To Rule Them All" Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch

They say that the south island is more spectacular than the north, its certainly bigger and got less people and with so few people in such a vast expanse ominously the locals have apparently 'adapted' to become a "rugged" and "individual" breed. Our plan was to travel down the length of the west coast on State Hwy 6 as far south as Queenstown and then double back crossing over to the east coast to finish in Christchurch; and in another 16 days and 2000 kilometres thats exactly what we did. Across the Cook Strait the ferry winds its way through the [View Full Entry]

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