Rawene, Hokianga Harbour

I had to go over to Hokianga Harbour on Sunday for work purposes. While I was there I had a nosy around the town of Rawene (pronounced Row..en...ay). 

The landscape is stunning and there is a real mixture of buildings.

Enjoy....

This is an art gallery, made me believe I was in the Caribbean!

Fruit and veg anyone? 

I was a bit early for work, so I went down to the sea and had a coffee and muffin overlooking the view in the sun!
Fabulous. 

If you are ever over this way, then do check out the Boatshed Cafe, there cakes really are worth the travel! 

Mangungu Mission House

This is possibly the remotest Mission house in the country, but boy does it have some views! 

Overlooking the Hokianga Harbour, Mangungu (pronounced Mung..nunu, the 'g' is a very guttural sound but my pronunciation is shocking) was established in 1828 as the second Wesleyan Mission in New Zealand, under the protection of the Ngapuhi chief, Eruera Maihi Patuone. 

The house was built in 1838-39 for the Rev. Nathaniel Turner, who, I think came from Scotland, but don't take my word on it. 

Mangnungu saw the introduction of the honey bee to New Zealand and also played it's part in the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840; an agreement between the English Crown and 540 Maori tribes on the distribution and power of land. The day it was signed, 6 February, is now a national holiday in New Zealand. 

Indeed, within the house is the actual table in which the Treaty was signed by the above in front of 3000 people, both Pakeha (Europeans) and Maori. 

The house itself follows the symmetrical Georgian style that was popular within Britain during the first half of the 1800s and is made from local kauri. The Kauri tree is one of the largest and, now, most sacred within NZ. Many are named and preserved through the Department of Conservation as they were cut down to near extinction due to their strength and size. 

The building is architecturally significant for depicting early 19th C timber-framed construction techniques, and is one of only a few surviving structures in the country that pre-dates New Zealand's establishment as a British colony.  However, it is in rather a bad state. The house is suffering badly from damp and daylight can be seen through both the floorboards and roof throughout the house. A lot of work is needed to bring it back to its former self. 

The house was actually moved, as a whole, in the 1970s down to Auckland and back again. A round trip of about 700km, so maybe on second-thoughts it is doing quite well! 

It's position certainly makes you wonder how those coming over on the ships from Europe would have found life in New Zealand in the early years, despite the easy access to the best fishing grounds in the north.  My boss told me a story concerning inter-tribal wars between the Maori, and I have to say I do not envy the first Pakeha who came over: 

Land disputes were common between Maori and there is one story of a new tribe who came up from the south and sheltered in a cave at the top of a mountain not far from here. The resident tribe, understandably, did not like the idea of new-comers and, knowing the land better than them, smoked them out of the cave in the darkness and slaughtered them and.........ate them. 

I can promise you, this does not happen any more and the residents are extremely nice and friendly!!

If you are up this way, it is certainly worth a look to take in the views and the history of the place. There is even an excellent pub 1km away that does cold beer and hot coffee. What more could you want?

Cape Reinga

Last weekend I went on a trip up to the most northern point of New Zealand, Cape Reinga. 

The weather was absolutely fantastic. 

This is not my usual sort of post, however, as a country NZ's history is far older than the 1830s and the mythology surrounding it is so interesting that I just have to share it with you. 

Maori culture is very spiritual and the upper half of the Northland, the peninsula from Kaitaia to Cape Reinga in particular, holds very strong Maori symbolisms. 

The name of the cape comes from the Maori word 'Reinga' or 'Underworld'. It is also known as 'Te Rerenga Wairua', meaning the 'leaping place of spirits'. 

According to Maori myth, it is believed that when someone passes away their spirit travels up the country on the 'Te Ara Wairua' or the 'Spirits Pathway'. 

The route the spirit travels takes them up through the North Island and onto Ninety Mile beach 

It is not actually 90 miles, but is so named after a group of sheep herders who used to migrate up and down this beach throughout the year. By their calculations it took them one day to do 30 miles. It took them 3 days to get from one end of the beach to the other.........90 mile beach! 

After soaring up 90 mile beach the spirits carry on over the land 

until they come to Cape Reinga where they would climb the roots of the 800 year old Kauri tree and then dive into the swirling waters of where the Tasman Sea (left) meets the Pacific Ocean (right)

For Maori, these turbulent waters are where the male sea 'Te Moana Tapokopoko a Tawhaki' meets the female sea 'Te Tai o Whitirela'. The whirlpools where the currents clash are thought to represent those that dance in the wake of the a waka (war canoe). They represent the coming together of male and female – and the creation of life. 

Here, the spirits would carry on swimming northwards until they reached the islands of the Three Kings, turn around, take one last look at their country and then dive down into the sea and continue on their journey to their traditional homeland, Hawaiki. 



It was an absolutely amazing day and to leave you, here is an oh-so-un-glamorous picture of me sand-boarding