I thought you might be interested in some photos from a recent visit to the Hokianga Harbour, about 200 miles north on the west coast.  The church in the last photo was celebrating its centenary and the marae played host to 500 people for lunch.

Greg Dunning

Note: I asked Greg what the marae is.  His reply follows.  Yackman

Greg: A marae is the modern version of the traditional Maori meeting place where visitors are welcomed and debates take place on the issues facing the tribe. There is usually some element of communal living with people(visitors) sleeping in the meeting house. There are hundreds of marae around the country some established in towns and cities in modern times to cope with the urban drift of Maori from their ancestral lands

What a beautiful country!  I’ve got to paddle there!  Yackman