Waitangi Day
6 February 2008
Today is Waitangi Day, New Zealand's national holiday. The Treaty of Waitangi, which was the treaty signed by the Maori and the British, was signed on 6 February 1840. For most New Zealanders, the day means very little. It is just a day off work; a day to sleep, eat, catch up on housework, and go for a drive in the car when black smoke starts billowing over the city...
Yep, a couple of hours ago, there was a fire about a kilometre from my house. Apparently a large pile of tyres was set alight on a farm. I was on my way home on the bus and could see the smoke. I could see that it was somewhere over my side of town, but when I got home, I was surprised to find that the fire was so close.
I was also surprised when I saw the long line of cars lined up outside my place. The police were there to try and get everything under control...
So that was a bit of excitement for an otherwise boring day!