Kerikeri

One thing you will quickly notice in NZ is that there are a lot of towns with Mauri names and they like to repeat words when forming a name- Kerikeri, Matamata, Meremere...... The slogan for Kerikeri is 'It's so nice they named it twice". Kerikeri is in the Bay of Islands area. The town is becoming known for its art and food. The area is also known for being one of the early European settlement areas.

The picture with the buildings includes the Stone Store and Mission House. The stone house is the oldest stone building in NZ. The Mission House is oldest still standing wooden structure in NZ. Both are from the 1830's--- which should remind you that NZ is a young country for European settlements.

The waterfall picture is at Rainbow Falls. The house picture is a Mauri meeting house on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, which is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. The Treaty of Waitangi is the agreement signed between the British Crown and the Mauri.

From Wikipedia - "The Treaty established a British governor in New Zealand, recognised Māori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave Māori the rights of British subjects. However the English and Māori language versions of the Treaty differ significantly, and so there is no consensus as to exactly what was agreed. From the British point of view, the Treaty gave Britain sovereignty over New Zealand, and gave the Governor the right to run the country; Māori seem to have had a range of understandings, many of which conflicted with the British understanding. After the initial signing at Waitangi, copies of the Treaty were taken around New Zealand and over the following months many other chiefs signed." The Treaty of Waitangi is generally considered the founding document of New Zealand as a nation.

There is still much debate around the true meaning of the Treaty. The Mauri have filed many claims against the Crown for breach of the contract and have received significant sums of money to compensate for the breaches. There are still claims and reviews going on today.