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Michael A. Stecker New Zealand North Island The North Island is green, hilly and
volcanic. At its northern tip is Cape Reigna where the Tasman Sea and
Pacific Ocean meet. Just south of it is the sparsely populated Ninety Mile
Beach. This is such a wide open region that buses and cars frequently use
it instead of the roads. Between this region and the city of Auckland is
the Bay of Islands -- the cradle of both Maori and Pakeha (British)
culture. It was here that the British first made contact with the Maori,
their first settlement was founded (Russell, 1792) and the Treaty of
Waitangi, declaring New Zealand a British colony, was signed in 1840.
Further south is the country's largest city -- Auckland. The central
portion of North Island consists of the volcanic regions of Rotorua, Lake
Taupo and Tongarariro National Park. Traveling southwest from here brings
you into the lush verdant Wanganui River Valley. Further north within a
West Coast peninsula is the beautiful snow-capped volcano Mt. Egmont and
its neighboring town of New Plymouth. Most of he North Island is well
watered and very green. The main rivers are the Wakato and Wanganui. Near
the island's southern tip is the |
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North Island Photos |
