It Never Rains in the Far North on Waitangi Day … But trust me … it does pour down!

Monday 5th - Tuesday 6th - & Wednesday 7th February

Well ... it was a good idea!

Waitangi Day - February 6th - celebrates the signing of the Treaty between the Maori Chiefs and the British Crown in 1840, when New Zealand became part of the British Empire.

Typically upwards from 40,000 people gather each year at the Treaty Grounds (NZ's 'Birthplace') at Waitangi, Bay of Island, in the far north of Northland to celebrate, and indeed re-debate, the Treaty's authority. So I had good reason to get excited about witnessing this grand spectacle.

BUT the darn rain got in the way and spoiled the event for most concerned ... what a pity .. :o( .. especially as the weather in central and southern New Zealand appeared fine and bright over the same two-day period.

During the preceding evening (Mon-05), however, I did attend and thoroughly enjoy the Culture North Night Show in nearby Paihia Township. The Show attempts to tell the story, from a Maori perspective, of the last 1,000 years of New Zealand's history through a combination of drama and dance; with accompanying sound effects and artificial lighting, which were indeed impressive.

But I kept on asking myself, through the whole well-performed presentation, 'But what about the Mori Ori People ... who's telling their story?'

[The Mori Ori were the first race of people who inhabited New Zealand, before the Maori invaders - from the Polynesian Islands - landed in NZ over 1,000 years ago and slaughtered the entire (and allegedly then ate a lot of the) Mori Ori Nation]



The Hakas were bloody marvellous. Y'gotta hand it to the Maoris .. they do it really well - like no-one else.

After a restless night in my Paihia-based motel room:

Throughout the morning of Waitangi Day, February the 6th, I made every effort to take-on board and enjoy the spirit of the occasion. But it was a complete washout. The 3 km (1¾ mile) walk across to the Treaty Grounds from Paihia was lashed with wind and stinging horizontal rain from the southeast across the normally 'picture-postcard' and idyllic Bay of Islands. Most of the vendors' stands were wrecked as a result. Parts of the ordinarily immaculately well-maintained Treaty Grounds were sadly reduced to a mud bath.

As I've said .. what a pity.

Curiously, the participants of a herd of Maoris & Co were protesting their point(s) of 'something-or-other' justice. This, apparently, is an annual appeal made every year on Waitangi Day. Quite what political point(s) the Scots, the United Nations, the Canadians, the bleedin' French - and the English (?) - there present was or were also trying to make is beyond my limited, and probably no doubt very narrow, understanding.

But what the hell?! .. it's PARTY TIME!! ...

... MEBYON KERNOW!!

'tis a proper bliddy job - innut? ..

.. aycze - 'tis!

[spot the difference]

I say, ... anyone fancy a dip?

Wednesday, February 7th

Slept well last night, undoubtedly expecting some easement in the weather conditions by the morrow. But this was not the case. If anything I awoke to even harder rain, battering straight down from a dark sodden sky, just like the proverbial stair rods.

At one point - and not for the first time within the last 36 hours - the affects of the thunder & lightning shut down Pahia's entire electricity power supply.

This was the view from my motel room doorway at breakfast time (approx 08:00am). The rain is difficult to see from the pic, but trust me it was there! And I had to be on my way and off the premises within a couple of hours, or possibly stopover for a third night.

But by 09:30am the torrential stuff had eased a little, and so, 'I got on my bike'

Riding southwards down SH1 towards Whangarei / Ruakaka, it occurred to me that most of the area's fire engines might have been out 'on a shout' pumping water from somewhere, or someone's home. Many of the surrounding rivers had burst their banks. Much debris (tree branches, roadside cliff gravel and stones) had been washed onto the highway within the last 12 hours or so.

But the Trannie and I made it back safely to Ruakaka - well before midday - for a nice cuppa tea, and a McVities chocolate digestive .. :o)

Lucky ol' South Islanders - as SI has been the best NZ vicinity to be in since the weekend.