Finally our four rocky days at sea were over! We arrived at our first port in New Zealand this morning - the beautiful Bay of Islands. We got up early to watch the sail in (at the same time as chatting on the phone to another lovely friend!) which was magnificent. You could see where the place got its name from, as there were picturesque islets everywhere. We watched the sun rise behind one of these and then the ship came to a gentle standstill and set down its anchor.
We had breakfast and then joined the crowds of people waiting to get a tender boat ashore. We had a tour booked for the afternoon but wanted to make the most of our time here, so tried to get ashore ASAP. You have to collect a numbered ticket, and then groups of people are called in number order, as and when there are spaces available in the tenders. Priority goes to those people on organised shore excursions. So despite having picked up our ticket at 7.50am and getting numbers 88 and 89, we still did not disembark until about 9.00. We were warned that the tender ride could take up to 20 minutes, and the sea looked rather choppy when we watched the boats, but in fact the ride was short and pleasant.
Finally ashore, we decided to get the free shuttle bus along to Paihia, the local town, and then walk back. This was a good plan, as we were given lots of useful info by the driver, such as where to find free wifi! We got off in Paihia and spent a while looking round the handicrafts market, which actually had some pretty unique gifts for once! It also had a lady with a 4 day old kitten on a lead - I was smitten! :-) I then stocked up on stamps before heading to the library for the promised wifi (which actually worked! First successful free wifi of the whole cruise!! I love New Zealand!!!) There wasn't much else to do in Paihia (except helicopter rides, which we opted out of!) so we set of on our pretty walk back along the sea front. We passed many expensive looking harbour front houses and apartments, and walked along the beach for a while - I dipped my toes in the sea but it was rather chilly! We saw a collection of Maori statues representing different tribes, and a number of replica boats. As we went past a nearby lake, we heard war cries, and turned to see one of the tours (which JL had refused to go on!) where teams of people get to row traditional Maori canoes, complete with the chants and cries that would be made in fighting times!
We crossed over the bridge that links Paihia with the peninsular of Waitangi and walked a little way in the other direction to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. This is where, on 6th February 1840, New Zealand's founding document the Waitangi Treaty was signed. This turned out to be rather controversial, as it was believed by the Indigenous Maori chieftains to be a promise of protection for their lands and possessions, but due to a mistranslation in the document, it turned out to mean something different to the British who had written it, and led to much fighting and resentment between the two cultures. The museum which now stands on the spot of the treaty signing, also has a 120 foot canoe which could carry 150 Maori warriors. We spent most of our time here in the cafe however, where JL enjoyed a plate of scallops and I had some beer battered chips (which thankfully didn't taste of beer!) which I shared with the resident duck population!
After lunch we walked back to the tender dock, had a little look at the yacht club there (which turned out to be far less glamorous than I had imagined!), and the lovely views across to the ship, before boarding our home for the next 3 hours - a catamaran cruise. This took us on a long journey all around the bay, in and out of the beautiful islands, stopping from time to time to look more closely at particular areas. We saw the island where Captain Cook (him again!) first landed, a memorial on a rock, an obsolete car ferry which has been converted into a floating hotel, several blowholes in the rocks, a range of trees and vegetation, caves, luxury houses on private islands (including the one the Queen stayed in on her visit here!), campsites, beaches, and boats galore - kayaks, dinghies, yachts, ferries, speed boats, catamarans...
The cruise eventually ended up at the famous Hole in the Rock just off the Cape Brett peninsula. This natural formation is, as the name suggests, a large rock which has been eroded over time by the sea and the wind, to create a large hole in the middle. Large enough in fact for boats to pass through if the sea conditions are suitable. As we approached it, the waves in the hole were crashing against the sides and the water level was fluctuating by several metres... Luckily the captain confirmed that this did not constitute suitable sea conditions - at one point we thought he was going to give it a go! So after many photos, we turned back for the journey back to the ship. We saw the Cape Brett lighthouse, now automated, and the single house, only accessible by boat or by a 5 hour hike, which can be rented her for NZ$15 per night! We then sailed back through the bay, viewing more beautiful islands and trying not to get sunburnt (I failed!). Shortly before the end of the tour we sailed over to the nearby town of Russell, which is one of the oldest towns in New Zealand, once known as the 'hell hole of the southwest Pacific' due to the rowdy sailors who used to land there and enjoy the facilities! This all came to an end when missionaries arrived! The town is now known for being a beautiful seaside village.
The captain announced that he was going to drop us directly onto the ship, as he had had a phone call from the ship saying that two of the tender boats had broken down! When we had almost arrived, the captain suddenly stopped the ship and started reversing saying he had seen something interesting... Never did I guess that what he had seen was PENGUINS!!!!! There were a group of 5 or 6 of them swimming around nearby, and he manoeuvred the ship around so that everyone could see (which was rather tricky as they kept popping up and down!). I managed to get one photo with Penguins in amongst many many photos of the sea! What a wonderful end to the trip! :-)
We got back on the ship just in time for afternoon tea (and a beer for JL!). I then chilled out in the room for a bit until it was time for dinner. We then went to the evening's show - Harry the Piano performing for the second and last time. He again did a number of piano medleys, some requests, and a piece he had composed himself. For the finale of the show, he invited on stage the other entertainers who had been on the ship for the past few days - the Hollies singer and the New Zealand singer, as well as the piano/ flute duo, and the five of them performed a song together - it was really lovely! Then to bed, exhausted!
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