Kia ora koutou
New Zealand's founding document - The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on February 6th 1840 about a hundred miles north of here. It provided a legal framework for relations between the indigenous Maori people and the British Crown, and promised Maori undisturbed posession of lands, forests, fisheries and other treasures. These promises were broken almost before the ink was dry, but the signing has been celebrated as our National Day for most of my lifetime. My wife and many of my friends will be going north to celebrate at Waitangi. I'm going souh to a wedding. Ch 42 before I go.