Took most of the day to travel north of Auckland to the Bay of Islands. Had several stops along the way, the most interesting being the one where we stopped just to see the toilets. The town, Kawakawa, is famous for the public toilets that were built there by a well-known Austrian artist. They were unusual to say the least.

When we arrived in Paihia at the Bay of Islands, we drove directly to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. This is where the British and the combined Maori chiefs signed a treaty of peace that would protect the rights of the Maori. We got to see the longest waka (canoe) and be able to think about what they traveled in between islands. Then there was the treaty house itself and the marae. The marae was the most decorated one that we have seen yet -- it represents all the Maori tribes and had carvings from each one of them.