When we visited Australia in 2006, we thought that it was the most wonderful country in the world, next to the USA, of course. However, all the people who joined our trip in the land down under who had just toured New Zealand kept telling us how fantastic their time in New Zealand had been. Whenever we talked to anyone who had been to both Australia and New Zealand after we returned, they were glad to confirm that New Zealand is the country to see. Could any country live up to all that hype? Now that we have seen the Bay of Islands and Auckland, we are true believers. New Zealand now leads our list of countries that we have visited that we want to visit again.
What made us converts? New Zealanders believe that God saved the best for their country--sensational vistas of sky and sea, pristine beaches, lush vegetation, active volcanoes, picturesque waterfronts. It's like Mother Nature took its finest features and exhibited them all in this island nation. Add to these, the man-made wonders of incredible museums, historic sites, a skyscraper with viewing platforms, beautiful rose gardens, Westfield shopping centres, charming boutiques. Subtract its location on the Pacific Rim that makes it prone to cyclones and earthquakes, and the high cost of living. Well, no place can be perfect but this one comes close!
We took a ferry to the tiny fishing village of Russell, which was known as the "Hell-hole of the Pacific" in the 19th century. Charles Darwin called the residents of Russell "the refuge of society" with their ex-convicts, dissenting sailors, plenty of grog, no white women or children, and houses of ill-repute employing natives. In 1845, a sailor lit his pipe and caused all but two buildings--the Anglican Christ's Church, which is the oldest church in New Zealand, and the Pompallier, a printery whose owners raised sheep and tanned animal skins in the back to produce leather for the books' covers--to burn to the ground. For 10 glorious months, Russell was even the capital of New Zealand. Auckland earned the honor for 24 years until gold was discovered on the south island, and the government shifted the capital to Wellington. Of course, we fell in love with this town immediately!
Being so small, Russell offers a mini-tour, which passes 21 sites, and promises a personal insignt into New Zealand's earliest European history in one hour. Again, there was no hype. The best part of the tour was Jennie, our tour guide, who treated us like we were her best friends who were visiting the island. We had brought good luck and fortune with us. It had been very dry all summer, making it one of best seasons ever for the campgrounds but one of the worst for the farmers, and we brought rain. By the time we jumped in her van, water was pouring off our hats and streaming down our faces. Jennie adapted to the weather by driving barefooted. When we stopped at the attractions for photo opportunities, she advised us to stand in the doorways of the van so we didn't get "spats" on our cameras. At the top of Flagstaff Hill with its sundial and its mosaic tile map of the Bay of Islands, she informed us that the views are great when it's not raining. (We had to take her word for this because it is pouring.) As we neared the cemetery, she said that's where everyone in town "ends up." She was surprised that a funeral was happening because she was sure that if anyone in town had died, she would have known. When we passed the bakery in town that was closed, she concluded that was because of the funeral. The "swallows" who live in the islands during the summer (our winter months) and then buzz-off to their permanent homes in England and the US during the winter were some of her "best six-month mates." The police station has only one jail cell, which is hardly ever used except on New Year's Eve. Jennie's favorite souvenir shop, Just Imagine, boasted signs, "Items broken considered sold so please bring your children." What's not to like about this town?
We met a couple from Sarasota that were doing a one-month home stay in the Bay of Islands in the ideal location. Their hosts own a liquor store, live on the second floor above the store and rent the third to guests. They also agreed that New Zealand is the place to be.
The tour came to an end and so did the rain. As we hopped out of the van, Joyce and Bob, our table mates were getting ready to board. At dinner, we will agree that Russell is a picturesque town. We strolled though the quaint downtown area of Russell and took the ferry across the bay to Paihia, another village with a charming downtown and a marketplace on the green. Then we embark on a self-guided tour of the Waitangi Treat Grounds, deemed "the birthplace of New Zealand." It was at this site in 1840, Captain William Hobson negotiated the Treaty of Waitangi that was signed by 43 Maori chiefs and made the agreement between two peoples to live and work together in one nation. The Treaty House, where the document was signed, was the home of James Busby and his family and depicted colonial life in the 1800s. The original residency consisted of a living room, one large bedroom, a central hall, which doubled as an office, and a small dressing room. A separate building housed the kitchen, store room and servants' quarters. Busby added three bedrooms to accommodate his growing family. In 1932 Lord and Lady Bledisloe purchased the estate, which had gone into neglect, and gave it as a trust to the people of New Zealand.
During the Treaty Centenary Celebrations in 1940, the Te Whare Runtanga Meeting House was opened alongside the Treaty House to symbolize Mauri involvement in the signing of the Treaty and in the life of the nation. In respect to the Maori, visitors are asked to remove their foot coverings before entering. Inside are carved wood panels from all of New Zealand's Maori tribes. The panel from one tribe on the left side connects with the panel from the same tribe on the right side.
At Hobson's Beach below sits a giant war canoe carved out of three full-grown Kauri trees, which rival the California Redwood trees in size. The 35-meter long Ngatokimatawhaorua, which was launched during the Centenary Celebrations, required 76 paddlers to handle it safely. Very impressive!
Some friends from the ship actually took a tour that included a walk through the Kauri Forest and explored a glowworm grotto. Other met a Maori chief or took a catamaran through the bay's "Hole in the Rock." Everyone raved about their day in New Zealand's Wonderland.
Hello from Texas! I saw your blog on Cruise Critic today and read it from the very beginning. Thanks for the detailed accounts of your ports and time on the ship. I especially enjoyed reading about the ports just after the Panama Canal as we were on the Island Princess at Christmas (ACA to FLL). I will be armchair following you and hoping someday to do it in real life!
ReplyDelete