Cultural Norm
When I was younger, into my forties and a South Islander, I took my first trip up to the Bay of Islands – and each morning we would walk from our lodgings in Paihia to stroll through the beautiful Treaty Grounds at Waitangi.
It was magic. On our right, as we made our way up the grassy expanse that surrounds the Treaty House and Museum, were sea views to die for. On our left, the Treaty House and surrounds. Further up, one followed a track that bordered the golf course, still high above the rocky coastline that fell so precipitously into the sea. Choices for the return journey included Waitangi forest walks, Haururu Falls, the inner harbour – or back the way we came.
There were no walls or fences or signs to create obstructions or to discourage us from enjoying this unique landscape. It was all superb! We fell in love with the area and the concept of how and when it all began for New Zealand in 1840. We even purchased a timeshare in Paihia as a place to stay for our annual visits.
To quote John Robinson from his article ‘This Land was Our Land,’ it felt as if it all “belonged to me as much as to all others – this land is our land. I will never forget those days.”
In 1932, Lord Bledisloe, the Governor-General, gifted his farm, which contained the Treaty Grounds, to the people of New Zealand. He had hoped that it would become a national memorial.
Sadly over the past decades, the way we feel about Waitangi has changed for us. Our last trip there revealed the installation of a fence that now surrounds the grounds. It is grotesque. What would Lord Bledisloe think? Now New Zealanders can no longer do what he and we did.
Photo credit The BFD
To quote John Robinson again: “That freedom has gone. That feeling that this is our country, that seas and beaches are common property and belong to us all, is no more.”
As John concluded, “There is no need to work hard to get to grips with the destruction of a way of life. It is announced regularly on the news. This is what is happening to our country.”
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