Abel Tasman

South Island

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March 11th 2007
My hopes were high as my plane took off from Australia bound for New Zealand. So many travelers rave about these islands and the natural beauty they offer, and I was excited that I would finally see it. My first crazy experience happened before I even got through customs. The line was extraordinarily long, and being the middle of the night someone had decided that only one customs officer was nece ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island

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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