Since our post yesterday the weather has got slightly better but it is still really bad with lots of rain and high winds!!!!!

We decided to head to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds this morning, this is where the Maori and the British signed the treaty for 2 peoples to live and work together as one nation on February 6 1840.

There is also a 35 metre canoe (Ngatokimatawhaonua) that needs a minimum of 76 paddlers to handle it safely and was carved for the centennial celebrations in 1940 (because that was 100 years from 1840?!!?!!!) Also here is a meeting house which has carvings representing all tribes from around the islands and was prettty cool.

After a quick look around Paihia we braved the road south to Whangarei, there was substantial damage and flooding and we had to be diverted onto a side road for 20km, this brought us out at Kawa Kawa this is home of the Hundewasser toilets which were shut but are really cool and are arty with all the windows made from bottles.

Our last stop before the city was Whangarei Falls as you can imagine with all the rain these were thundering and pretty impressive but again we were beaten by the weather and had to retreat to Whangarei and find a motel for the night (with free Wi-Fi) where we are riding out the storm. Hopefully if the roads are open we will head further south tomorrow.