Today the ship stopped in the harbor of Waitangi, Bay Islands, New Zealand. After breakfast I left on a tour called "Maori Culture & Paihia Highlights". This was a tender port so after everyone got to Watangi we left on the tour. We left town and went out in the country. The country was a lot of grass hills with cattle and sheep. Our first stop was at Kerikeri Basin for a photo stop at an historical site. After a rest stop at Waipapa we headed to the Puketi Forest we walked a wooden path to view Kauri Trees. The Kauri Trees are the largest native trees of New Zealand and were used so much for construction of houses and ships in the late 19 th century. Today the trees are protected. Our next stop was at the Mangamuka Marae. Here we experienced a traditional welcome before entering the richly carved meeting house of the Maori people. The people trace their ancestry back to the Maori voyages to New Zealand from Polynesia. One of the forms of greeting that we did was to line up and touch noses of all the Maori people that greeted us at the meeting house. After arriving back in Waitangi we drove thru the area where the Treaty of Waitangi was developed and stopped for a view of our ship in the harbor.
After arriving back at the ship, the ship had a Sail Away Party with free food & wine as the ship left at 3 PM.
During dinner the ship hit the area of high seas and because of the motion of the ship was put on by Sriani & Craig, who are dancers, the show was cancelled.
Below are some pictures that I took in Bay Islands, New Zealand.
This picture was taken right after I got off the tender in Waitangi. The tender ride was about 1/2 hour from the ship.
This is a picture of the tender port in Waitangi.
This is a picture of Waitangi, Bay Islands, New Zealand.
This picture was taken from the bus of the landscape outside of Waitangi.
This picture was taken from the bus of the landscape outside of Waitangi.
This picture was taken at our first stop on the tour at Kerikeri Basin.
This picture was taken at our first stop on the tour at Kerikeri Basin.
This picture was taken at Puketi Forest to view the Kauri Trees.
This is a picture of the top of the biggest Kauri Tree that we saw.
This is a picture of the bottom of the biggest Kauri Tree that we saw.
This is a picture was taken from the bus.
This is a picture of a house taken from the bus.
Our last stop on the tour was at Mangamuka Marae. This is a community center where the Maori people display wood carvings of their family history. The history of the past, the present and the future are important to the Maori people.
This is a wood carving in the center which tell a history of their people.
This is another picture taken in the building. Notice the blank column. This is a place where future generations can carve their history.
This picture was taken from the back of the hall.
This is 3 women who greeted us. This is grandmother, daughter and granddaughter.
This is another picture of their meeting house.
This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to Waitangi.
This picture was taken from the bus at Waitangi.
This picture was taken from the bus of the ships parked outside Waitangi.
This picture was taken from the bus of a golf course.
This picture was taken of the shopping area of Waitangi before I got on the tender for the trip back to the ship.
This picture was taken from the boat dock of Waitangi.
This is a picture of the tender I took back to the ship.
This picture was taken from the ship of the Celebrity Solstice cruise ship.
This picture was taken from the ship as we were leaving the Bay Islands.
This picture was taken from the ship as we were leaving the Bay Islands.
This picture was taken from the ship as we were leaving the Bay Islands.
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