The City of Sails!

Travel time equals learning time in an OAT adventure!  We are heading to Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand with 1.6 million people, one-third of the entire population of the country!  In the 1970’s, it was the 5th or 6th largest city in the world based on land mass, but the population was more spread out.  For years, there was only one road in and out of the city, but now there is a network of highways.

Auckland means “a desired place to be” and the Māori fought over this land of 53 volcanoes, dormant for 600 years and now eroded into hills, with great soil, and two harbors only 6 miles apart.  The Māori built villages at the base of these hills, and if they were threatened, retreated up the “mountains”.  It was a place where they could feed their families from the soil and the harbors and also defend themselves.

In the 1840’s while New Zealand was known as a “den of iniquity”, musket wars erupted with northern Māori trading with the French for guns.  Other Māori chiefs thought this was unfair so they decided to sign an agreement with the English to bring equality and justice to the land.

The English knew there was no written Māori language, but a couple of men “translated” the English document in twenty-four hours.  Even though it was confusing and quick, fifty Māori chiefs agreed to sign on Feb 6, 1840, which became known as The Treaty of Waitangi.

The Māori believe that no one owns the land; one generation is simply the guardian of it for the next generation.  They signed over sovereignty to the English crown which was Queen Victoria at the time, although, they didn’t understand they would no longer be in control of decisions for their own tribe.  The loss of ownership and sovereignty was all for the “betterment of New Zealand”.

By May, 1840, 540 chiefs had signed the treaty, but a significant number of leaders refused.  However, the English said they had signed anyway!

Five years later, the New Zealand Wars erupted when the English took over Māori villages which lasted about twenty years.  By 1860’s, the Māori were integrated into society.

However, the controversy continues to this day with frequent newspaper stories and is New Zealand’s most contentious topic.  Some Māori, even today, wish all Europeans would leave, and the Europeans believe that the Māori are not indigenous people like the aborigines with a 60,000 year old culture, but only happened to arrive here first 800 years ago.  

No one can dispute there have been multiple injustices against the Māori such as the 7 million acres sold for 200 English pounds around Hokitika.  In 1981, the Māori complained to the Waitangi Tribunal questioning the fairness of the deal, and the process went the the courts.  The courts gave some land back, some cash settlements, fishing rights, control of business on the Dart River, and the ownership of all paunamu or greenstone to the Māori.

As happens everywhere in all cultures, some tribes are wealthy while others are not.  Tribes have invested in everything from casinos to sports teams to retirement communities, but all are trying to provide education and healthcare to their citizens.

New Zealand police do not carry guns on their person, are not allowed to chase suspects in their cars, and guns must be locked in the trunks of their vehicles.  Over the past six years, the country’s government has been committed to incarcerating the fewest number of people resulting in a major increase in crime.  Gang members have doubled during this time, and murders have increased to 2.5/week from an occasional one each year!  While Australia deports criminals back to their country of origin, New Zealand does not.

“Ram raids” often committed by teenagers and young adults involves stealing a car, driving it through a store’s window to steal merchandise, and getting away in another stolen car without consequences!  Perpetrators are returned to their parents with a slap on the wrist “not to do it again”, and some repeat the same offense later that night!

Thankfully, a new government is tightening down on crime.  Punishments still fall under the English legal system.  To even change a law, it must be presented to the New Zealand’s Governor General who takes it to the English for approval which usually happens.

The sailing competition, the America’s Cup, is the oldest sporting trophy in the world.  New Zealand won two years ago and is defending its title in Barcelona, Spain with a 4-2 lead currently against arch-rival, Great Britain.  The first team to reach 7 wins the trophy, and I’m cheering for New Zealand!

The 499’ Arapuni Suspension Bridge was built in the 1920’s over the Waikato River to connect two sides of a gorge for the construction of a power plant.  The water flows from the station and over a small dam rushing through the brush-covered cliffs.  It is a short stroll for picture taking and stretching our legs after traveling in the bus.

Spring is unfolding around the countryside as we drive through rolling hills.  Trees and flowers are starting to bloom, and we even pass some of my favorites, daffodils!  I also see kiwi vines which grow on horizontal arbors like grapes!  Mystery Creek, a small village, has the largest agricultural show in the world each July.

Maungatautari or Sanctuary Mountain is New Zealand’s largest fenced, and one of the world’s largest pest-proof, eco-sanctuaries.  Our two guides explain the fence which keeps predators as small as a mouse outside its borders.  A trip-wire at the top also senses vibration if an animal climbs up and breeches the perimeter so that animal can be found and removed.  There is a double gate for visitors to enter and exit along with a brush and wash for our shoes.  It is very elaborate!

This 8,000 acre sanctuary was established due to the destruction of New Zealand’s native forests by introduced predators.  It has created an environment of peaceful paths filled with songbirds that flit through the foliage.  We hear their songs which our guides can identify.  Kiwi and other native birds have been able to prosper here due to the absence of pests such as opposums, ferrets, weasels, rats, dogs, and cats.  It is an act of “forest bathing” in the New Zealand forests the way they use to be.

I don’t remember the start of this discussion, but it involved war wacas (remember….canoes!) and the fact that women are not allowed in them.  Each year the Treaty of Waitangi is celebrated in that town, and in the 1990’s, Prince Charles and Princess Diana were visiting during the yearly celebration.  The prince was invited to join the local men in their war waca.  He accepted, and Diana said, “I want to go too!”  The local residents were flummoxed since this was just not done!  However, they relented, Diana was part of the war waca party, and ever since, the local women have demanded to be included too!  Go, Diana!

Children start school at 5 years old which is free, but they must purchase their own supplies including books and uniforms.  School is compulsory through age 16 with ages 5-10 in Primary School, 11-12 in Intermediate, and 13-16 in High School.  After this, students can choose to enter university but this is not free, and students must pay for themselves.  Most university degrees take 3-5 years to complete.  Until the 1980’s, even university was free in New Zealand.

We pass Hamilton International Airport which has one flight to and from Sydney, Australia each week to make it an “international“ airport!

We also drive pass a series of carved wooden totems lined in a field facing the roadway.  Phil says this signifies a battle fought and lives lost usually against the English.

After the capital was moved to Auckland from Russell in 1841, Europeans started coming…government officials, shop keepers, and soldiers to deal with the unhappy Māori.  By 1900, it was the largest city in New Zealand even though the capital had moved again in 1867 to Wellington due to residents on the South Island complaining of the distance to Auckland in the north.  Even though Wellington is still located on the North Island, it is in the southern part making travel more equitable for citizens throughout the country.

Auckland, the “City of Sails” became a major port initially trading with the convicts from Australia.  With the largest number of boats of any capital, people did not ask if you had a boat but how many boats did you have.  A ferry was established to the North Shore before a bridge was built connecting two sides of Auckland across the harbor in 1959.  With 4 lanes of traffic, it was soon deemed too small, and the Japanese won the bid to add extra lanes for traffic.  Two prefabricated lanes were constructed for each side and “clipped” on with a moveable center barrier depending on traffic flow throughout the day.  The Harbor Bridge became known as the “Nippon Clip-On”!

This access gave North Shore residents ease to and from the central business district of Auckland and growth expanded.  However, the bridge still does not have lanes for bicycles!  People on bikes must take the ferry!  

The bridge does have dedicated bus lanes with heavy penalties for cars using these lanes.  In fact, $91 million dollars in fines have been collected!

Auckland is a huge yacht harbor with rental slips costing about $2,000-$2,500/month.  There is no nuclear power in New Zealand, and it has created conflict with the USA since they will not allow nuclear powered vessels to enter its harbor.  During WWII, Japanese subs were detected here.

Dinner is at a local well-known and popular upscale pub famous for their green lipped mussels!  I’m not fond of mussels period, but “green lipped” do sound interestingly.  I pass on ordering them myself, but I’m intrigued when they arrive for my table mates.  The shells’ edges are a beautiful shade of green with fat juicy mussels inside and not the grotesque mussels I imagined with “green lips” themselves.  Maybe I missed a treat!