3 Best Sights in Paihia and Waitangi, Northland and the Bay of Islands

Take in a major site in New Zealand's history at the northern end of Paihia to gain a better understanding of the turbulent relationship between Māori and the British colonizers. The Treaty House on Waitangi Treaty Grounds is a simple white-timber cottage and was prefabricated in New South Wales for British resident James Busby, who arrived in New Zealand in 1832. Busby had been appointed to protect British commerce and put an end to the brutalities of the whaling captains against the Māori, but he lacked the judicial authority and the force of arms necessary to impose peace. The real significance of the Treaty House lies in the events that took place here on February 6, 1840, the day the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by 40 Māori chiefs and Captain William Hobson, representing the British crown. The treaty was the first formal document between the Māori to the British crown, and it became the basis for Britain's claim (now contested) to the entire country as its colony. The visitor center presents the events that led to the Treaty of Waitangi. You'll also be able to experience kapa haka, a live Māori cultural performance. The center also displays Māori artifacts and weapons, including a musket that belonged to Hone Heke Pokai, the first Māori chief to sign the treaty, who would later go on to attack the British in their stronghold at Russell. From the visitor center, follow a short track (trail) through the forest to Ngatoki Matawhaorua (ng-ga-to-ki ma-ta-fa-oh-roo-ah), a Māori war canoe.

On the main street of Kawakawa, a nondescript town just off State Highway 1 south of Paihia, stand surely the most artistic public toilets in the country—a must-go even if you don't need to. Built by Austrian artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 1997, the toilets are fronted by brightly colored ceramic columns supporting an arched portico, which in turn supports a rooftop garden of grasses. There are no straight lines in the building, finished inside with mostly white tiles, punctuated with primary colors, and set in black grout (something like a Mondrian after a few drinks). If you sit in one of the cafés across the road you can watch the tourist buses stop so the visitors can take pictures of the facilities.

On the National Trust Estate beyond the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Mt. Bledisloe showcases the splendid view across Paihia and the Bay of Islands. The handsome ceramic marker at the top showing the distances to major world cities was made by Royal Doulton in London and presented by Lord Bledisloe in 1934 during his term as governor-general of New Zealand. The mount is 3 km (2 miles) from the Treaty House, on the other side of the Waitangi Golf Course. From a small parking area on the right of Waitangi Road, a short track rises through a pine forest to the summit.