Mike at Abel Tasman

West Coast and Baz Vegas

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March 2nd 2007
Abel Tasman was the first European recorded to have discovered New Zealand in 1642 though he had a bad start with the local Maori where they ended up eating some of his crew and he sailed off. Anyway he gave New Zealand its name and he has a National Park named after him which is near where we stayed. We stayed at a campsite called Old Macdonald's farm, honestly that's its name. It's a pretty neat ... read more

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

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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