Tuesday, November 24th, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Bob: Our stop in the Bay of Islands was the only port where we had to be tendered in using the Sun Princess's lifeboats. Quite early in the morning we heard clanking and banging from outside our window where one of the lifeboats was stored, but fortunately we were already up. We had planned for an early start to the day because based on our past experience, tendering into a port results in unpredictable delays both for the trip to shore and the trip back, and we wanted to maximize the time we had ashore. After a quick breakfast up on the buffet, we returned to our cabin only to behold a window with a completely unobstructed view of the bay outside. The sun streamed inside and illuminated our otherwise rather dark cabin. Presumably our lifeboat was among the set bobbing around the ship, preparing to disembark passengers. After quickly snapping my sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, and water bottle to my belt loops, I slung my camera over my shoulder and buckled the telephoto lens case onto my belt and I was ready to roll. Monika carried a backpack for storing layers of clothing as we anticipated the day would become warmer, and we were ready to go. We were among the first to be ready to leave the ship and so embarked on either the first or second tender to shore. The Bay of Islands was quite smooth, so it was easy to board the lifeboat. Conversely, from my point of view the ride in was not as exciting as it could have been, but that was probably just as well for most of the passengers! Once ashore we found a trail of signs leading us straight to Waitangi Treaty grounds and were there by 8:45. Unfortunately, the ticket office didn't open until 9:00, so we decided to try to walk to Haruhu Falls first. |
Monika: The Bay of Islands is the gateway into the most historic part of New Zealand. Here In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by 50 Maori chiefs and the English Governor. The beginning of the official democracy of New Zealand and the relationship between Maori and English can be traced to this treaty. The ship anchored in the Bay of Islands and we were tendered to the Waitangi wharf. The life boat that obstructed our view was one of the tenders, so finally we had one day of being able to look out of the window. But we really wanted to get on land. We had gotten up early and were ready when they started tendering so we could walk straight onto the next tender. The Waitangi wharf is right next to the treaty house and there were signs that led us to the treaty house. But when we got there it was only 8:30 and the treaty house did not open until 9. So we decided to start with the second point on our agenda, the Haruhu Falls. |
Bob: We knew the falls were in the area someplace, and we were fortunate to find a signpost at the entrance of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds parking lot that guided us to the right. The parking lot for the hike to the falls turned out to be only about 100 yards up the road, and we walked on through a revolving gate to enter the nature preserve. A sign at the entrance said that the trail to Haruhu Falls was 5 kilometers, and we ultimately found out that was the 1-way distance so the entire round trip turned out to be a 10 kilometer walk. Since 10 kilometers is the typical distance for the Volksmarch walks we are so fond of doing, that was A-OK for us. In fact, they even had kilometer posts along the way so that we could easily keep track of our progress. Just in case any Kiwi wants to take it on, that walk to Haruhu Falls would make an IDEAL Volksmarch! Just by chance as we were walking along I found a thin, dark feather that resembled the feathers on the (stuffed) kiwis I had seen in the museums we had visited in New Zealand. Since kiwis (the bird, not the fruit, which is more accurately known as the Chinese gooseberry!) are shy and nocturnal I figured that feather was about as close to seeing a live kiwi as I would get. The first part of our trail was through what I can best describe as a "fern forest". Ferns dominated the lower story of the forest, and they were huge, lush, and healthy looking ferns! In fact, some fern-like plants that may have been bromeliads were growing to be the size of small trees. Since only the crown of leaves was growing, those trees somewhat resembled palm trees, but I'm pretty sure they were some kind of fern. Monika commented that it was like a "dinosaur forest" in that the mix of plants was probably close to the ancient species that were common when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and it certainly was a curious sensation walking through it as it looked very different from a typical deciduous forest (think "Jurassic Park"!). |
Monika: And there were signs to a 5km walk to the falls. As old Volksmarchers, this meant a nice 10km Volksmarch to get there and back again. The first part went through an old fern and large tree forest. What we had seen in Auckland on a small scale, we now experienced on a large scale for the next two kilometers. There were a fantastic variety of ferns and old gnarled trees. We were told that this was Kiwi habitat, but these birds are nocturnal so we did not spot any. |
Bob: Our trail descended to the Waitangi River and we crossed on a narrow wooden bridge supported by log pilings. The tide was obviously out and we saw huge expanses of mud flats, but these mud flats had what looked like "goosebumps" all over them. The "goosebumps" turned out to be the roots of the mangrove trees that were covering the opposite shore of the river, and the next quarter mile or so of the trail was on a boardwalk through that mangrove swamp. The mangrove branches and roots formed a twisted, impenetrable mass and I was awfully glad that the New Zealand government had punched through the boardwalk rather than having to fight my way through it. An informational plaque detailed how the mangrove root system filtered sediment from the water and gradually built up new land. The boardwalk ended at a hill and we followed the path to the left and gradually upwards through a riverside type of forest. Hearing some squawking off to our side, we peered over to where a large black-and-white bird was feeding an almost equally large chick. The chick was flapping its wings energetically if uselessly and trying to get the parent to regurgitate more food. Stopping to watch the show, we noticed 10-15 more nests in the upper branches of several trees lying between the path and the bank of the Waitangi River, all of them with chicks. |
Monika: After the forest, we crossed a bridge onto a boardwalk through a mangrove swamp. The tide was out and we could clearly see the knees of the mangrove trees. From the mangrove swamp we went up the hill along the Waitangi river to the Haruhu falls. On the river bank we saw quite a few nests of the Pied Stilt. We watched the young ones getting fed and older ones just sitting there. The more you looked, the more nests you saw. It was riveting. |
Bob: When the parent left to presumably fish for more food, the chick quieted down and we continued walking around the hill to Haruhu Falls. We started hearing the falls and catching glimpses of them as we came around the final shoulder of the hill, but the foliage was so thick that there was no way to get a decent photograph, which was quite frustrating for me. We finally came right up to the parking lot for the falls, however, and just downhill from that we could stand on a rocky outcrop and get nice pictures of the falls from the side. Haruhu Falls was really quite impressive. They were about 100 feet across at the top and a beautifully even curtain of water descended maybe 50 feet or so into the tidal section of the Waitangi River. To put it in an American context, the falls were about the shape of the American side of Niagara falls before all the rocks fell off, but maybe 1/3 or 1/4 the scale of those falls. Our trip back to the treaty grounds was the reverse sequence of our trip out, but along the way we had the excitement of seeing a (fake) Maori war canoe. The 60-foot long canoe was gliding up the Waitangi River while a guide in Maori garb standing on a bow platform declaimed about Maori culture to the group of tourists in the body of the boat. The tourists were all clad in bulky orange-colored life vests and listening intently to this oration, but nobody was paddling and I became curious about what was actually making the canoe move. It was gliding along very smoothly and quietly, and my best guess was that an electric motor with some kind of large trolling motor, possibly mounted on the end of the steering oar held by the helmsman, was providing the propulsion. Crossing back over the boardwalk through the mangrove swamp, we were surprised to see the water had risen quite noticeably in the hour or so that we had taken to walk to the falls and back. Sure enough, when we crossed the river we saw that it was higher and that those mud flats we had seen on our way to the falls were fast disappearing. It was interesting to see an environment change so rapidly. |
Monika: We finally reached the falls. They were more wide than deep but very pretty. Approaching them we saw already open view points from the trail with no guard rail and a steep cliff. Getting to the falls, there was a sign saying that jumping was not allowed but no mentioning of being careful on the rooks where again there was no guard rail or anything. I saw a father with a two year old sitting at the edge of the falls. I just imagine Judson with his two girls at these falls. He would go bananas and it would probably take all of us to watch Rowan. We walked very carefully out on the rocks to get our "we where here" picture but did not venture too close to the edge. The way back was of course the reverse of getting there. Although this time we saw a war canoe out on the Waitangi river. This seemed very appropriate, except for all those tourists in red life jackets. |
Bob: As we were returning to the Treaty Grounds, I saw a shuttle bus getting ready to leave and as we had planned to see the town of Paihia during the day we took the opportunity to hop aboard for the short trip across the tidal section of the Waitangi River to the town centre. We were both hungry and rather tired by that point, so after checking out an arts and crafts fair on the village green, we stopped for a toasted ham and pineapple sandwich plus a Coke at a shorefront shop. We also walked a block down the main shopping street to a grocery store where we picked up some wine to take back to the ship, and then we hopped back on the shuttle bus to return to the tender dock, from which we walked over to the Treaty Grounds. By that time, of course, the ticket office was open so we dutifully paid our $20 NZ each (free to NZ citizens!) obtained our souvenir guide, and watched a short movie on the founding of New Zealand. The movie was quite interesting to me as it covered the main facts very well but was told mostly from the Maori point of view, which I found refreshing. For the Americans in my audience, consider if you have ever seen the story of the settlement of the U.S. from the Native American point of view. |
Monika: Back at the treaty house, we decided to take advantage of the free shuttle bus into the town of Paia that was just sitting there and take a look and have a bite to eat. The town itself is extremely small. It is, however, the gateway to Russell the larger town on another island known as the hell hole of the Pacific, since in the early days it housed drunks, derelicts, convicts, and other outcasts. You can take a ferry from Paia to Russell. We declined, however, and walked down the mainstreet where we found a supermarket that sold our type of wine. A little farther on, I found an old fashioned souvenir store, that had a nice thimble with a Kiwi running along the rim. |
Bob: From the Visitor Centre we wandered over to the Treaty House. The original core couple of rooms of the treaty house were preserved and equipped with the furnishings from the period. They even had a dummy dressed as Mr. Busby, the Governor General, posed in the act of signing the Treaty of Waitangi, which gave England sovereignty over New Zealand in return for the guarantee of Maori rights to their "lands and estates, forests, and fisheries" as well as granting them "all the rights and privileges of British subjects." The simple guaranties of the Treaty of Waitangi, although often ignored during the heyday of British Imperialism, now form the essential legal basis for the functioning multi-cultural society of New Zealand. The original 2-room cottage that housed Mr. Busby had, of course, been extended by subsequent owners and those additional rooms had been put to use as museum display areas that illustrated the history events leading up to the treaty. One display was of the original treaty itself with the signatures of the Maori chiefs, although I assume it was a facsimile. But I got the same feeling reading it that I have every time I read our Declaration of Independence; it just sends chills up my spine. |
Monika: After having a bite to eat, we took the bus back to the wharf and walked to the treaty house to finally see the high point of this stop. We first saw a movie about how the treaty came to be. The Maori actually petitioned the English crown for protection and the treaty was hammered out to make it work for both sides. We walked over to the treaty house, the house were in 1840 the English governor and the Maori chiefs started to discuss the treaty. The next day it was signed at the spot were now a large flagpole flies the flag of New Zealand. |
Bob: Afterwards we poked our heads into the Maori Meeting House built for the centennial of the signing of the treaty and it had the same carved wall beams and patterned walls that we had seen in the War Memorial museum in Auckland. But on our way back to the ship dock we stopped briefly to look at the Maori war canoe sheltered there. The canoe was huge, built to accommodate 100 warriors, and looked in remarkably good shape. In fact, it was sitting on boat launch rails leading down to the water, making me wonder if it is ever taken out for a spin on ceremonial occasions; if so, that would be something to see! I was surprised to find that each post of the boat shed was carved with a figure representing each of the different major Maori tribes. Some of those figures were similar to what I had seen in museums up to that point, but some were very different. One figure, for example, was a Maori holding a canoe paddle almost as if he had been caught in the act of rowing the canoe. Unfortunately, I had been walking all day and was getting very tired by that point, so I quickly took some pictures and limped back to the dock to take the tender back to the ship, where I put my feet up for a while before dinner. We were both sad when they hoisted the lifeboats back aboard ship and our nice porthole was once again blocked, but we had another pleasant evening meal with Ed and Gail and Keith and Colleen before just collapsing in bed for the night. |
Monika: The complex also included a large meeting house that was built in 1940 for the centennial celebration of the signing of the treaty. This meeting house did not have a name over the door since it was dedicated to all the Maori tribes. Another part of the complex housed a large war canoe. This one, however, was a recreation built again for the centennial celebration in 1940. By now we were rather foot weary and it was time for the all aboard. So we walked back to the wharf, stepped into the next shuttle, and gratefully came back aboard. It was rather amusing that in Auckland the local port authority had checked picture id and cruise card twice before we were let onto the ship, here we had only the ships security who made sure we had a cruise card, never mind a picture id. |
| Index |
| Prolog | Map of Cruise around New Zealand | Map of Drive through Victoria | Epilog |
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