Day 47 - Bay of Islands, NZ

Day 47 – Wednesday 26^th February 2014 – Bay of Islands, NZ

The ship anchored at 07.00 in the Bay of Islands about 150 miles north of Auckland.

Queen Elizabeth at Anchor

Bay of Islands

We went in the ship’s lifeboat tender at 10.00 which landed us at the Waitangi Wharf where shuttle buses were waiting to take us to the main town of Paihia, which is the main tourist destination.

From here we took the local ferry back across the Bay to Russell, a charming, elegant township, once the shore leave destination for sailors, whalers and traders during the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Russell High Street

Russell was an established Maori settlement called Kororareka prior to Captain Cook’s arrival.  From the early 1800’s whalers found Kororareka, ideal as a provisioning port.  The town grew in response, gaining a reputation as a lawless and bawdy port and earning the nickname, “Hell Hole of the Pacific”.

It does not take long to walk around Russell but it is very picturesque and the well kept streets, alleyways, gardens and houses make it a worthwhile visit.

Duke of Marlborough

At the end of the street overlooking the Bay is the ‘Duke of Marlborough’, and the first place in New Zealand to be given a liquor license, and this is proudly displayed just outside the kitchen.  The license showing No.1 and issued in 1840, it is now a well appointed hotel, and we had lunch of calamares and the local Lion beer.  Inside the main bar/dining rooms are many photographs of the past hanging from the wooden walls.  It gives a feeling of grandeur and shows the progress made in Russell to this present day.

Waitangi Meeting House

Interior

Being pushed for time again, it was back to the ferry and Paihia to jump on the shuttle bus back to Waitangi.  I just had time for a visit to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds which offers a unique and fascinating insight into New Zealand’s historic past.  The most significant document, The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed here in 1840 between the Maori Chiefs and the British Crown, became the basis for life in New Zealand, as we know it today.

The meeting house where the Treaty was worked out, and the actual document is on display in the Governor’s house not too far from the meeting house.

The interior of the meeting house is magnificent with its many wooden carvings on the pillars and roof supports with interwoven fabrics adorning the walls and roof, a very special place.

War Canoe

Waka House shelter

   The waka house shelters Nagatokimatawhaorua, the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe. The 35 metre long canoe needs a minimum of 76 paddlers to handle it safely and it is launched every year on 6^th February as part of the Waitangi day celebrations.

Flagstaff

The flagstaff which overlooks the Bay marks the spot where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on 6^th February 1840.  It was erected by the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1934.  The flags flying are the three flags that New Zealand has had since 1834; the flags of the United Tribes of New Zealand (the earliest), the Union Jack (from 1840) and the New Zealand flag (from1902).

We weighed anchor at 17.00 and made our way out of the Bay, passing many of the picturesque islands on our way to the open sea.

In the Café Carinthia, we had our normal gin and tonics before going to dinner of tiana salad/more local fish/spotty dick pudding, all very nice.

After dinner, I went up onto the open Deck 9, watching the two lighthouses lanterns marking the North Cape; we turned here to the west into the Tasman Sea and onwards to Australia.

The three days here in New Zealand were very impressive, I was very happy to have come back to this wonderful new country, what I saw and felt, surely means it will do very well in its future.