History
The region of Northland and the Bay of Islands stretches north from Auckland, towards the warm waters of Polynesia, the ancestral home of New Zealand's first inhabitants. The land is predominantly rolling hill country.
Farming and forestry occupy over half of the land and are two of the region's main industries. Although many of the region's kauri forests were felled during the 19th century, some areas still exist where this rare giant tree still stands tall, including New Zealand's largest tree, Tane Mahuta, a magnet for visitors in the Waipoua Forest, south of the Hokianga Harbour. There is also a deep appreciation of the region's fascinating Maori and European history. It is believed that the first Polynesian voyagers arrived in this region during the 11th century, but it wasn't until after the landing of the British sea voyager Captain Cook in 1769 that missionaries, whalers and traders arrived. The Treaty of Waitangi, the document that founded bicultural New Zealand, was signed in the Bay of Islands in 1840. The legacy of Northland's earliest European settlers can be seen in the form of historical buildings and museums that provide a unique insight into colonial New Zealand. The region brims with historical and cultural significance.
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