Waitangi and Countryside

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, overlooking the Bay of Islands, is New Zealand's pre-eminent historic site. It was here on 6th February 1840, that the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between Maori and the British Crown.

The Treaty Grounds are part of the 1000 acre Waitangi National Trust Estate, which was given to the nation by Lord and Lady Bledisloe in 1932. Enjoy an informative guided tour of the grounds and see The Treaty House - one of New Zealand's oldest and most visited historic homes, Te Whare Runanga – a fully carved Maori Meeting House and the Waitangi Visitor Centre - with its audio visual show outlining the history of Waitangi and the Bay of Islands.

You will also be able to observe the impressive Ngatokimatawhaorua, one of the world's largest Maori ceremonial war canoes, spanning some 117 feet in length and made from 3giant Kauri trees. It is still launched every year on the 6th February for Waitangi Day.

Leaving Waitangi, your journey will take you through beautiful countryside where citrus fruit orchards with their deep green foliage blend with the russet-coloured farm land of the Kerikeri region.

In Kerikeri, located along the Kerikeri River, you’ll find the beautiful Rainbow Falls. Have you camera ready to photograph this lovely waterfall as it cascades into the pool below. A short drive from the Falls is the picturesque Kerikeri Basin, New Zealand's most historic site and home to the Stone Store and Kemp House, the country's oldest surviving building.