Land and Sun at Last

January 24, 2013 anchored in Bay of Islands, New Zealand – Into the Land of the Kiwi

Approaching the Bay of Islands from the northeast, the coast islands and coastline of the far northeast of New Zealand’s North Island gradually emerged from the morning haze.  By 9:00am, we were anchored in the Bay of Islands, and shortly thereafter, tendering operations to Waitangi Wharf had begun.  We had breakfast; waited until the ship’s tours and the “me first” crowd had gone ashore; then went into the wharf and took the shuttle bus into Paihia.

  Bay of Islands, New Zealand -- First Shuttle Returning

  J & E lack the queuing, pushing and shoving skills for the first shuttle.

Waitangi is the site where (in 1840) the Maori chiefs signed an agreement, the Treaty of Waitangi, with the British Crown placing New Zealand under British rule and opening the country to British settlement.  The Treaty House, now a museum, is part of the surrounding Waitangi National Trust Estate that also includes a Maori cultural center, meeting house, and war canoe.  Because we had visited Waitangi on a 2007 trip, we decided to skip the site and went directly to Paihia.

Waitangi National Trust Estate from Seaward

How imperialism works:  Maoris give land.  Gracious Queen gets land. Maoris get screwed!

Paihia is a coastal resort town which is the transport hub and tourism center for the Bay of Islands.  After arriving, we communed with an ATM machine for local currency, and walked around the local shopping center looking for a bank to trade some old New Zealand money for the latest types of notes and coins.  Regretfully, some of the coins J had squirreled away had become demonetized and were worthless.  (This may speak to the limits of burying cans of money in the back garden, whatever the currency.)  We also went to a local artisan’s art-glass store, where J bought a glass paperweight with an embedded kiwi bird design. (It now resides on the desk in the suite and holds down the numerous pieces of paper involved in preparing these blog posts.)

Russell, New Zealand from Ferry Wharf

Welcome to “The Hell Hole of the Pacific.”  Sanitized for tourists, and now rated “G.”

After snooping around several souvenir shops, we walked down Paihia wharf and purchased a round- trip ticket for the ferry to Russell.  Russell, known in the late 18^th and early 19^th Centuries as Kororareka by the Maori and original settlers, was the site of an early European whaling port.  Because of the collection of whalers, deserting seamen, traders, missionaries and settlers, Russell soon became known as the “Hell Hole of the Pacific,” a southern hemisphere equivalent of Lahina, Maui during the same period.  Of course, there was the ensuing tug-of-war between the godly town’s people and the ungodly sailors.  The godly, as they usually do, won.  They organized the Kororareka Association, the local vigilante committee, and it could fight better sober than the sailors could, drunk.  A sad tale but true.  Russell became the capital of New Zealand from 1840 until 1841, when the capital moved to Auckland.  The town’s fortunes varied after 1845, when it was sacked by the Maori.  Because many of the 19^th Century buildings have survived, Russell is a charming tourist attraction today.

18^th Century Cannon Used in Defense of Russell

It proved ineffective against the Maoris, and Russell was sacked.

Landing at the Russell Terminal and Wharf, we walked along The Strand past an early 19^th Century ship’s cannon, used in the failed defense of Russell against the Maori in 1845.  Turning inland, we passed some local handicraft-vendors’ tents and the War Commemorative Obelisk for local men lost in WWI, WWII and Korea.  A short distance further inland, we reached Christ Church, probably the most historically important building in Russell.

War Memorial for WWI, WWII, and Korea

Even in Russell, the high human cost of the 20^th Century is recorded.

Christ Church and Churchyard

Russell’s history written in stone.

Christ Church is the first Christian church in New Zealand, built in 1835.  Governor William Hobson’s first reading of the Treaty of Waitangi to the British settlers was from the church’s pulpit. It is claimed that there are bullet holes in the church dating to the Maori war of 1845 (more likely, drunken sailors in action!).   In the church-yard cemetery, the mortal remains of many of Russell’s early settlers and town defenders are buried.   Until the present, the church has an active Anglican congregation.

Interior, Christ Church, Russell

Settlers, traders and missionaries, only.  No sailors allowed!

Needlepoint Seat Cushions, Christ Church, New Zealand

God can be comforting in more ways than one.

Tombstone of the Men of HMS Hazard Killed by Maori

Maybe the city fathers had to reconsider their no-sailors attitude.

Charles Bell, Commander of HMS Hazard – Drowned

A less than heroic end.

Our next stop was the locally-supported Russell Museum, which features exhibits on local natural and cultural history.  Although of modest size, the museum contains excellent exhibits, which provide insight into the history and lifestyle of the local area, from settlement until the present.  Leaving the museum, we walked along The Strand past restaurants and pubs full of tourists having lunch; past early-restored houses; and past avant-garde art galleries, ending at the wharf for our return ferry trip to Paihia.

1860s House, Russell, New Zealand

Currently, the residence of the local policeman.

Dog on Ferry Ride to Paihia

Dog photo is included to add cheerfulness.

Back in Paihia, we visited the local farmers and crafts market, organized because of the “ship in port.”  This market was full of locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as locally-made handicrafts of all sorts.  We resisted many temptations and returned empty handed to the shuttle bus for our short trip to Waitangi Wharf and the tender back to the Silver Whisper.

When we arrived at Waitangi Wharf, we had to wait for our tender.  Tied up at the wharf was a small, in-shore, New Zealand Coast Guard cutter.  The cutter had brought an injured crew man (from a racing yacht participating in a Bay of Islands regatta) to the wharf and was waiting for an ambulance from the local hospital.  What was unusual was that the 4-person crew manning the cutter was all local volunteers, something you would never expect in the US.  We have never seen anywhere else the degree and spirit of volunteerism that we witness in New Zealand.

Once back on board, we had lunch, napped, played trivia, and watched the racing yachts in the regatta.  All-in-all, it was a very quiet afternoon, before we upped anchor and sailed for Auckland, New Zealand.

Bay of Islands Regatta -- Down Wind with Spinnakers

It was a beautiful day in the Bay of Islands.