Well today we were both up at 6:30 as normal...still pitch black outside! We decided to do the local towns and have a waterfall hunt and bush walk. First stop was Haruru Falls....then a drive to Kerikeri where we went around the Sunday markets....mostly vegetables and food...and of course the coffee van and live music...all of say 16 stalls! Next stop was The Stone Store built in 1836....lots of neat things in there...all old games, tools, toys, etc. I bought a stand up book holder which is antiquish...but I liked it. Coffee time at shop across road which has a lovely view of Kerikeri bay. Refreshed, we then went for an hours walk along the river to find another waterfalls...pretty walk through rainforest...back to car and drove to yet another waterfall...Rainbow Falls....each one was bigger and better....next stop Niagara Falls!!!! No, next stop actually a grocery store as Kerikeri has two big stores equivalent of Coles and woollies....Paihia store is only a corner store. After exhausting Kerikeri (pronounced kedikedi by locals), we drove back to Waitangi and visited the Treaty House. The treaty of Waitangi was first signed in 6 February 1840. James Busby came from UK at Maori request to bring peace to the land. The treaty took 5 hours to negotiate and was signed by many Maori chiefs as well as British chiefs! It really was a huge event in NZ history marking peace and trade between Maori and British...Russell across the bay from Paihia used to be capital of New Zealand. The treaty house consisted of the obligatory two coffee shops, a retail tourist shop, a documentary of the event, the flagstaff marking the exact place where the treaty was signed and bearing the 3 official flags of NZ - Union Jack, New Zealand flag and Maori United tribes flag! Very picturesque and historical day!