Waitangi Treaty Grounds

The grounds run down to the Bay of Islands from the house James Busby built in 1834 as British Resident - the Treaty House, one of the oldest buildings in the country, plain and small, with the lawn in front of it where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on 6 February 1840. Beside it stands Te Whare Runanga, a carved meeting house opened in 1940 for the centenary and unusual in being carved by artists from many iwi rather than one, so its figures represent the whole country. Down at the water is Ngatokimatawhaorua, a ceremonial waka taua thirty-five metres long, built for the same centenary and launched on Waitangi Day each year with a crew of well over a hundred. Two museums cover the grounds and the document. A guided tour and a performance in the meeting house come with the ticket, and both are given by people with a direct connection to the place.

What you actually see

• The Treaty House - Busby's 1834 residence, and the lawn in front of it.
• Te Whare Runanga - the 1940 meeting house carved by many iwi.
• Ngatokimatawhaorua - the thirty-five metre waka in its shelter.
• The museums - the grounds, the document and the people involved.

When to go

October to April. Waitangi Day on 6 February is the largest gathering and a very different experience from an ordinary day - crowded, formal and political. Tours run through the day.

Honest expectations

Ticketed and not cheap, though the ticket covers the tour and performance. It is a place of national significance and of continuing debate; the site presents that history rather than avoiding it. Three to four hours to do it properly.

Nearby

Paihia is across the bridge; Russell and Pompallier Mission are across the water.