the main road

The Kauri forests

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November 11th 2007
We spent the next day driving and walking through these forests. The first one had never been cleared and has a different feel to the others. They take care of it well, and work hard to keep out animals that harm trees, like possums, and feral cats that harm the wildlife. The old kauri trees (we're talking 800 - 1000 years old) are enormous; when I first saw one of them, I thought it was the back ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Ninety Mile Beach

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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