Waitangi and days at sea..

February 7 – 9, 2015

We spent the 7^th at Waitangi, Bay of Islands, where the famous Waitangi Treaty of 1840 was signed and the British took possession of Maori lands. We visited the original Kemp House, the home of the first English governor, built in 1819. Nearby is the Stone Store – originally built to store wheat before they discovered the ground would not support wheat cultivation. Next to the store is a 150-year old Magnolia Tree imported from the southern US – bigger than any of the trees that grace the town square in Magnolia, AR.

Stone Store and magnolia tree

 So, how do you like John's new hair cut?

The Maori Meeting house is an impressive building filled with original carvings. One big difference from how the early US settlers/explorers treated the Native Americans and the relationship between the Maori and the British is that the Maori were never driven from the land or confined to reservations. Almost, but of course not quite, an equal relationship.

Now we have spent these past two days at sea enroute to Sydney, and slowing regaining – one hour at a time – the day we lost when we crossed the International Date Line. Tomorrow we will experience the rather stringent immigration requirements to enter Australia. Everyone on the ship must exit the ship for a mandatory “face-to-passport” immigration inspection. Australian Immigration requires the ship to produce a “zero count” which means that no one will be allowed back on board until everyone has been seen. This should be interesting. Good thing we only have 900 passengers, unlike the 2000-passenger ships we usually sail on.  BTW, we have also been required to complete an Australian Ebola Health Card.

For a country founded as a prison camp, they have gotten awfully choosey about who is allowed to enter the country.