Maori Culture
Bay of Islands - the setting to a number of Maori legends and sacred sites
The Bay of Islands is rich in history, from the early Maori to the first European settlers in the nineteen century.
In the heart of the Bay of Islands you find the settlement of Waitangi - the site of the first signing of the Treaty, hence it's naming the Treaty of Waitangi. There are a number of historic sites to visit in the area and some excellent museums that portray life from another era.
Not so long ago the Bay of Islands saw the throng and bustle, blood and tears of ship deserters, whalers, sealers and sailors. The Bay of Islands, birthplace of New Zealand as we know it today, was once a bustling seafaring and political base fusing Maori and European culture. Now it is a place of holiday fun and water adventures, refined food and wine pleasures and quiet contemplation of the past.
Stand before ancient Kauri trees that were here long before man came to these shores.