Surfers at Hot Water Beach

The Goat Island

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April 6th 2007
We went to hire some flippers and a very nice man loaned them to us for free as it was Good Friday. One thing we have been overwhelmed at is how friendly the Kiwis are - everyone is desperate for us to have a good time. The snorkelling at the Goat Island was so worth the wait. Despite the freezing water, the fish were amazing and some of them huge and you could almost touch them, they were tha ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Whitianga

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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... ... read more