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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 saltandpepper
October 6th 2009

Queenstown - Wanaka - Lake Tepako - Ticked! Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Lake Tekapo

The road to Shooter Valley
....another warning ignored!!

Speed & Water!! Day 5: The day was perfect - crisp and cold with fresh snow on the Remarkables. We rug up and join a happy noisy netball team from Canberrra for a jetboat ride in the upper Shooter Valley. We climb past the ski fields at Coronet Peak (still open) and on a road that is SCARY - six years in building the road is a gravel rollercoaster that hugs the sides of the mountains winding about an hour to the Shooter Valley - once a thriving gold town. The netball team screams the whole way. The jet boats are [View Full Entry]

By ANDREAandKERSTINroundTHEworld
October 6th 2009

Maehaehaehaehnsch ist das kalt hier... Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington

ein neues Land- eine neue Erkenntnis: wir sind keine Schafe, was traurig ist, die haben naemlich ein unglaublich wuscheliges und sicherlich sehr sehr warmes fell...wir leider nicht, deshalb muessen wir auch bitterlich frieren! Ansonsten sind wir gut angekommen in Neuseeland.Windy Wellington meinte es gut mit uns und war gar nicht so windy - was fuer die Landung von Vorteil war. Aber das wahre Gesicht konnte es nicht lange verbergen (es hat durch aus Aehnlichkeit mit Gollum), schon am naechsten Tag hat es gewindet was das Zeug haelt. Zwei schon erfahrende Neuseelandreisende aus Deutschland habe [View Full Entry]

By Laurene
October 6th 2009

SNOW SNOW SNOW Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Tongariro National Park

snow at our hostel
I wasn't lieing!!!

Woke up to more snow and it was REALLY COLD. Ok, not as cold as Canada but when all you have are tshirts, a hoodie and a rainjacket...it's cold!! Due to the weather our bus couldn't leave at 9 am as planned. We were able to leave by 10 am though. One thing i've noticed about New Zealand is that each town loves to have a big statue of something that represents the town. So, i've seen the giant kiwi, and the giant Lemon and Peoria bottle and a giant apple. But today I got to see a giant carrot and [View Full Entry]

By Laurene
October 5th 2009

It's like a blizzard!!! Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Tongariro National Park

Made some breakfast, watched the snow going crazy and really felt like I was back at home haha. Today I did a lot of reading, read most of my book, watched another movie, the next stray bus came in and a guy from Edmonton was put in my room. Always fun haha. Made our dinner early which was lucky since the power went out again but this time it wasn't coming back on. We sat by one of the fires to stay warm. Matt, an Aussie guy who was working on the ski hill for the winter decided to try to [View Full Entry]

By Leanne and Simon
October 5th 2009

We jumped out of a plane!!! Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Bay of Islands » Paihia

Skydive

Auckland, Sept 1 - Sept 4 Bay of Islands, Sept 5 - Sept 13 Jumping out of a plane at 12,000ft is probably one of the most terrifiyng things we have ever done. Actually it is the most terrifying thing we have ever done. You may be wondering how Simon, who is afraid of heights, managed to do this extraordinary feat. The fact is he didn't really have a choice. Within 15 minutes of inquiring about the possibility of maybe doing a skydive in Paihia we were en route to the airfield where we were met by the tiniest plane you [View Full Entry]

By SineadandPhilippeRTW
October 5th 2009

North Island: Kiwi's, Glowworms, Rotten Eggs and Rotten Weather! Oceania » New Zealand » North Island

The Kiwi House

We left Auckland in Bitsy armed with a list of the places we would like to visit (thanks to Elisha) but with no clear schedule of where we would stay. We had booked the ferry for early on the morning of the 6th, but that was our only deadline. We headed south. Our first scheduled stop was at the Waitomo Caves however en route we passed by the Kiwi House in Otorohanga. We shrugged at each other and said why not? We are not bird lovers, but the Kiwi bird only comes out at night, so we were unlikely to see [View Full Entry]

By Sunriseoversea
October 5th 2009

The Lizard Kings... Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Raglan

I spent the evening (1st October) playing cards with Shane (an Aussie), Alix and Kelly (American sisters from Maine). We drank silly amounts of tea and I lost at pretty much every game we played but all was good :-) In the morning (2nd October) I decided I'd hitch to Mt Manganui which was a good 2 and a half hour drive East from Raglan. I realised this was going to take several hitches and my first stop would likely be Hamilton. I put my thumb up and the second car picked me up, good start I thought! It was a [View Full Entry]

By the kemps
October 5th 2009

Seals, Pancake rocks and Lots of Rainbows Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Murchison

New Zealand Black Country Museum!

We were looking to Shantytown to deliver something pretty great to lift our spirits but on closer inspection discovered it was New Zealand’s Black Country Museum so gave it a miss. Morale was pretty low (how sad are we but I so wanted to go to Glastonbury again!) and even the biggest muffin ever couldn’t cheer me up - especially when I bit into it! We saw one of the brown attraction signs saying Pancake Rocks and Blowholes so decided to pull over and have a look. It was brilliant, there was a lovely walk through a fern lined boardwalk and [View Full Entry]

By RV Travel
October 5th 2009

Camping South Island Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Te Anau

If you are looking for a luxurious holiday accommodation in the South Island. Te Anau Top 10 Holiday Park might be the answer for your finer campervan hire New Zealand holiday, the park is a member of New Zealand’s premier holiday park group. Te Anau is just two hours from Queenstown. The park is perfectly located on the edge of Fiordland National Park, the ideal base to visit the perfect spots of Milford Sound and Doubtful Sounds and just everything on the region. This is located on the lakefront and short distance to retail shops. The park [View Full Entry]

By Ferdi and Talita
October 5th 2009

Day 253-257: Auckland, New Zealand Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland » North Shore

An evening walk on Long Bay beach

Tuesday, October 6th Just when we had packed away most of our cold weather stuff winter decides to come back with a vengeance. Not only was there a mad gunman on the loose in the central north island, the snow also closed two roads down there. When Ferdi went downstairs to get some of our winter clothes he found a pamphlet given to us by mom Corné months before we left. It deals with the periods between the seasons of life. We realized that this is exactly where we find ourselves now. We are "between seasons", a frustrating, confusing and uncertain [View Full Entry]

It's still a bit chilly, but the fresh air is worth it!

Nicol saving the ocean from the terrible cone

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