Waitangi Treaty Grounds
Of great significance to all who live here is the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the founding document of modern New Zealand was signed between the United Kingdom and the United Tribes of New Zealand in 1840. Interestingly, two versions were signed at first and it seems that the English copy referred to "sovereignty" by the British Crown while the Maori copy translated this word as "governance".
The Treaty House has been completely renovated and contains many artefacts, paintings, drawings and photographs of relevant documents.
The world's largest waka, or war canoe, is on display here. It is over thirty five metres in length and took two years to build from three great kauri trees. Eighty warriors paddle it when it is launched on February 6th each year (Waitangi Day). Kupe, the great Polynesian navigator, used a canoe like this when he left home to find other lands to colonise. He discovered New Zealand or Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud, about 1200 years ago, and settled down.
Jean
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