The Origin of New Zealand

One reason I call the Bay of Islands the birthplace of New Zealand is that the tiny town of Russell also sits on the bay. It may not look it, but it was the first capital of New Zealand and it also has the oldest church in NZ. The church is just a small white wooden building and I think it was built in 1836ish.



The other tiny town on the bay is Waitangi, which is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. This was the document that gave England sovereignty over NZ and gave (in theory) the Queen's protection to the Maori. The treaty was signed on the beach here, and now there are some relevant buildings and monuments to mark the occasion.
Posted by Hello