admiring

Mercury bay

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January 9th 2008
This peninsula is to the east of Auckland, and I'd always wanted to come here ever since Uncle George sent us a board game when we were little called "Round new Zealand". It is stunning. we drove up the west coast of ot yesterday, stopping to have a look at some old gold mines. Then across an unsealed road through the mountains - visiting a square Kauri tree on the way, and down to this hostel ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Coromandel » 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