Our guide John, walked backwards at the front of our group, talking slowly and continually into his mike and we all had our own receivers and ear plugs so we didn’t miss a word. The Kauri tree stump is what is left after the trunk was transformed into the biggest war canoe, waka, in the world. The 1840 Treaty was signed by numerous British Govt reps and some Maori chiefs at the spot where the three flags now fly.