"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report # 32 Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand February 1, 2016 Monday Chance of rain & 77 degrees Part # 1 80 Pictures--TG-4

Sent: Monday, February 1, 2016 12:31:50 PM
Subject: Report # 32 Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand February 1, 2016 Monday Chance of rain & 77 degrees Part # 1 80 Pictures--TG-4

Report # 32 Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand February 1, 2016 Monday Partly cloudy & 77 degrees Part # 1

Our port of call for today was Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand. It is located on the northeast coast of the North Island. The Maoris settled here, as well as other places, after they began their migration from the Marquesan Islands centuries ago. They found an area that could be planted and sheltered bays full of fish. The first European to arrive here was Captain Cook in 1769. He sure got around back in those days. He was followed by missionaries and whalers.

Waitangi was the meeting place when in 1840, reps from the British Crown met with 500 Maori chiefs. They signed the Treaty of Waitangi, giving rights to their land to the British. Very near our tender landing is the Treaty Grounds and the house where it was actually signed. There is a Maori war canoe with a visitor center, gallery, and mangrove forest walk.

Most all the tours today were out of town. Kerikeri, a short drive from Waitangi, has the first house built by missionaries. It is called the Kemp House and was constructed in the 1800's. This town is where you can find citrus groves.

Russell is an island very near Paihia, and is accessed by a ferry. It was the first permanent settlement in New Zealand full of historic houses, churches, and stores.

Puteki Forest is sub-tropical and houses some of the oldest and largest trees in the world. They are called kauri trees, and can be up to 2000 years old.

Kawiti Glow Worm Caverns are limestone caves where the insects really do glow in the dark. Many years ago we took a tour to the Waitomo Caverns out of Auckland to see these bioluminescent worms. When we descended deep into the darkened caverns and entered the grotto where they lived, it looked like stars suspended over our heads and all around us. Could have sworn they were tiny blinking light bulbs that you would see on a Christmas tree. Once the big spot lights were turned on, they looked like a typical worm. Very interesting.

Then there is a whaling museum at Butler Point with exhibits of the highlights of the whaling industry. It took 40 years to collect all of the authentic items to fill this museum.

Activities include fishing with an abundance of marlin, sharks, and kingfish. A fun tour was called the Maori waka (canoe) experience where for 3 hours and $125. you can take a seat in a double canoe with several other guests paddling in unison. They went from the bay up the Waitangi River with a crew of four tattooed Maori men and women. If the tide is right, it is possible for them to paddle to Haruru Falls. If you wanted to hike the designated trail to these falls, it would take a 2 ½ hour walk to go 4 kilometers, according to the map.

Well, we were not alone in the bay today, as the Azamara Quest was anchored there upon our arrival. She is a 4 star ship with a gross tonnage of 30,277 tons. Once belonging to the now defunct Renaissance Cruise Company, this ship, R7, became the Quest in 2007 under the Azamara Club Cruise Line. She holds 716 passengers and is described as having the ambience of old-world country club. It had a re-do for 20 million dollars in 2007. The cabins are reportedly compact, not suitable for longer cruises. Their dining is open seating with wine included at dinner. Their tender boats were dropping their guests directly at Paihia, where we tendered last year.

Captain Jonathon did get us into the bay by 6:30am, we think, as we did not get up that early. The Maori Location Team performed a traditional welcome dance on the bow as the ship sailed deeper into the bay. We did watch the action on our room TV.

We could have gotten off of the boat ahead of everyone, but nothing would have been open on shore that time of the morning. Instead, we went to the dining room for a light breakfast with hot coffee. By 9:30am, we joined the line on deck one, and got on the tender boat with a tour group.

The ride was about 20 minutes, and the boat was most crowded. Sure looked like rain today, so we packed the umbrellas. In fact, it did start to sprinkle as we tendered to the floating dock in Waitangi. Later in the afternoon, we got some more spritzing, and that was it. Lucky.

Once off of the boat, we were channeled to an xray machine to check our bags and purses before we got ashore. There had been strict warnings before we got here about taking over any type of food or drinks. Even though they said only commercially bottled water was allowed to take, they were selling a variety of sodas and flavored water on the ship on deck one. To be on the safe side, we took our sodas out of the bag just in case.

There were shuttles buses waiting to take us to the village of Paihia, a couple of miles away. It was such a pleasant day, we decided to walk instead, like we did last year….only in the opposite direction. Crossing the bridge over the Waitangi River, we made our way to the sandy beach. The tide was out, and the sand was full of shells, mostly oyster. The banks were covered in small shells, left over from the many birds that dine on these mollusks. We saw silver gulls and oyster catchers in abundance here. Eventually, the beach turned to manicured sand, and the roadside had civilized restrooms along the way. Sunbathers and swimmers were coming out from the local hotels and motels, as well as three story condos and apartments. This place is obviously a playground for New Zealand vacationers. With the variety of water sports like canoes, kayaks, parasailing, and jet skis, it attracts the young backpackers. In Paihia, there are a dozen or more backpacker hostels, with at least that many cafes and restaurants to accommodate the crowds.

Our walk took us all the way to the end of the seaside road, where a coastal hiking trail began. Our time was limited, since all aboard was 4:30pm. So we would have to stop the walk, and look for a place for lunch. We did go to the restaurant where we found pizza last year, but it was closed until 5:30pm. Strolling the entire village, we found that many promising places that had a pizzeria were closed until dinner. The big attraction of course, is seafood. Specifically, fish and chips, chowders, and oysters. One of us cannot eat any shellfish (allergy), so that is why we stick to simple pizzas or anything not fish.

We ended up at a very nice outdoor café that was built over the water. Expensive, but worth it. We ordered two draft beers with the man-burger special. That turned out to be a huge beef burger with lettuce, tomatoes, smoked bacon, a fried egg, and bleu cheese. We had them hold the cheese….not fans of the bleu cheese. It came with a pile of French fries and served on a large wooden cutting board. Sure was nice to sit at the rail's edge, enjoying the breeze and the cuisine. Actually, after walking all morning, it was nice to sit. Period.

We had spotted a couple of ice cream shops, so we had to go back and search out their hokey pokey flavor. Found it with no problem, but it was titled "wicked" hokey pokey. We were happy as clams, splitting a cup full of the creamy treat.

We took our time walking back to the tender pier. In fact, we made it up to the Treaty House at the Waitangi National Reserve. Since we have toured the property twice in the past, we walked back to the pier. There was a wait for the next boat, but they were coming frequently. Right now, we only have three boats, with number 9 still hanging in the 10 spot, waiting to be fixed. Hope that happens in Auckland tomorrow.

From 4:30 to 5:30pm, there was a sail away party on the aft pool deck. The bar staff were selling Waitangi Mint Coolers, and passing snacks of what they called a trout ball in coconut sauce. That was different. Wonder what happened to our favorite chicken tenders? Or the breaded poppers and mozzarella cheese sticks? Miss the simply things.

We did have a treat we did not expect……another sighting of jumping dolphins in the bay as we left. This time we had the big camera with us, and did get some good shots even though they were pretty far away.

Another treat was the sunset, which happened at 8:30pm while we were in the dining room. It was a déjà vu moment, since we remembered the same sunset one year ago while leaving this same port. Of course, none of us had our cameras.

Three of us had ordered the rack of pork for our entrée. Was the best we have ever tasted. We all agree that the food has been good. Even better now that it is consistently arriving to our table very hot.

There was a trio of entertainers tonight with the group, La Musica, performing at 7:30pm. Bayne Bacon and the Strings Alive were back with new shows. Bet a whole new group of entertainers get onboard tomorrow in Auckland.

Bill & Mary Ann

Sailing into Te Ti Bay at Bay of Islands