HOLE IN THE ROCK -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 14

After a sumptuous breakfast in the hotel we kept our bags out and proceeded to the Bay of Islands cruise center in Paihia for a cruise, special attraction of the cruise being the hole in the rock

As instructed by Tony all of us were carrying hats, sun screen lotions and goggles along with plenty of water. If the weather does not permit, whole trip would  prove to be a damp squib but luckily the sun was shining brightly and welcomingly.

All around us we could see deep blue water , a  beautiful blue sky above us and islands waiting eagerly to be explored, we were taking the Fullers Great Sights tour .

Finally we got into the luxury Catamaran  and we headed straight to the upper deck so that we wouldn’t miss a single island, we would be passing rocky outcrops, sandy beaches and an array of islands ,see Cape Brett Lighthouse, and Motu Kokako Island. We learnt that during warmer months, tourists make an island stopover on Urupukapuka Island.

 It’s been said that the Bay of Islands is home to some of the bluest skies in the world ,18th-century explorer James Cook has given this understated name when he stumbled into it in 1769.

The bay has an astonishing 144 islands, their profusion was more understandable when we learnt that these bays and inlets are actually 'drowned' valleys, and the islands are peaks of what were originally the highest 'hills.'

The staff on the boat were friendly and commentary was very interesting and informative. We had  many families on board, some with little kids who were running around closely guarded by their parents.

We left Paihia and traveled to Russell to pick up some more tourists.

The sea side town of Russell now a peaceful sleepy town and a most popular destination in the bay of islands was once known as Hell hole of Pacific which is hard to believe.

It’s bad reputation started in 1830s when it was the first sea port to be established in New Zealand ,it was completely lawless ,behind every grog shop there was a brothel and the first missionaries who arrived were  understandably astounded and pained by the rowdy and drunken behaviour of the soldiers.

The town now has a mixture of indigenous and European history, as evidenced in its architecture and historic sites.

 One could sail around the bay on a chartered yacht or explore the town at leisure, however we only had a look from the boat .

We were lucky enough to come across a pod of bottle nosed dolphins with a calf within ten minutes of leaving Russell .The dolphins appeared playful,dancing and cavorting along the catamaran and the captain allowed people on both the sides of the boat to catch a glance by slowing the boat, we could see dolphins, plenty of them frolicking in the white-water wake of many tour boats and private charters sailing around us.

 We were left wondering as to which direction to look to, dolphins continuously giving us impromptu dance performances, suddenly we found penguins swimming along with sea birds trying to call us a loud hello high above from the sky.

We could see the Cape Brett light house majestically standing 490 feet above sea level and also the part privately owned island Moturua where the sky TV NZ founder owns a summer house with apparently a tunnel running from the house to the shore for easy access.

At last we reached the Motu Kokako island also known as Piercy Island, off the northernmost tip of Cape Brett . It is an uninhabited  island dominated by sheer cliffs which rise 148 metres out of the sea, with a spectacular 16 metres high hole in the south western end ,which has been created by the erosion of sea for the past thousands of years.

As we approached the Motu Kokako island,we were stunned at the beauty of island and the Hole in the Rock ,historically, it’s very significant.

 We were about to follow the paddle-path of local Maori warriors who braved the current before each battle, seeking good omens. Our captain told us that it may not look too rough on the surface, but there sure was a reason why tour captains call it a natural washing machine and we started imagining the maoris navigating the journey in a tiny kayak!

 The island is of great cultural significance to the Ngapuhi, and was historically associated with a range of sacred customary activities.

 Motu Kōkako was said to be the landing place of the canoe Tūnui-a-rangi before it went to Ngunguru and Whāngārei.

 We heard stories of the brave warriors and their coming of age challenge to climb the island, of the Kokako, a now endangered bird that the island is named after by the Maori - "Motu Kōkako"

The island has a trust and the owners are battling with the boat operators for a fee towards the thousands of tourists who go through the hole.

Our captain called out to us,” shall we go through the hole “ only to be answered by all of us, a loud “yes” as none of us wanted to miss the golden opportunity given to us it being  a great day and the huge boat could go through that narrow hole.

As we waited with bated breaths, it became dark, people were hooting  horns and busy clicking pics , the boat slowly went through the hole and we came face to face with the silvery inner walls of the rock, droplets of water from the cave mouth fell on us which was  considered good luck by local Maori tradition.

Even after we left the place all of us craned our necks to look back at the majestic rock with its famous hole.

Though we had taken the 4 hour tour of the bay of islands ,there were over night tours ,hiking tours ,Dolphin watch tours and several others

VISIT TO CAPE REINGA AND 90 MILE BEACH -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 13
The scenic hotel in Bay of islands where we had put up had lush sub-tropical gardens and excellent guest facilities, we specially liked the welcoming atmosphere of this resort-style hotel.

 The rooms were arranged in a spacious manner with adequate privacy ,we thought it made the perfect base from which to explore the beautiful and historic Bay of Islands

Bay of Islands is a three hour drive from Auckland, it encompasses 144 islands of which the largest is Urupukapuka  between Cape Brett and the Purerua Peninsula and includes  boutique towns of Opua, Paihia, Russell  and Kerikeri which is the largest .  

The bay is irregularly-shaped and 16 km-wide, has a 260 km drowned valley system and a natural harbour ,it is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its big-game fishing

There are excellent trips by tour operators by sea or air. A passenger ferry service runs between Paihia and Russell, while a vehicle ferry provides a link between Opua and Russell. On land, beautiful river and seaside walking tracks have been created

With help of Tony, all of us went to the tour operators and booked a trip to Cape Reinga, 90 mile beach and the sand dunes, Next day morning we woke up fresh, had a hearty breakfast and started for Cape Reinga  which is about 210 km by road to the north-west.

As we travelled north, we were in for the stupendous joy of tasting New Zealand's varying and beautiful landscape, the rolling hills of Northland's rural countryside with windy roads, breath-taking coastal views and native forest. I was specially entranced by the blue skies, the bluest sky I have ever seen in my entire life

 It is said that a visit to New Zealand is not complete without a journey to the very top of the North Island which is Cape Reinga known for its wild beauty and is an untouched region rich in Māori culture and tradition.

Cape Reinga is the north westernmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula at the northern end of North Island of New Zealand. State Highway 1 extends all the way to the cape, but until 2010 there was an unsealed gravel road for the last 19 km.

The cape is often mistakenly thought of as being the northernmost point of the North Island, and thus, of mainland New Zealand. However, North Cape’s Surville Cliffs, 30 km east of Cape Reinga and Cape Maria Van Diemenare are slightly further north.

 Cape Reinga is  said to be on the tentative list of UNESCO waiting to receive World Heritage Site status

 The 'Te Rerenga Wairua' component of the name in Māori language means the  leaping-off place of spirits. The 'Reinga' part of the name is the Māori language word meaning the underworld. Both refer to the Māori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.

 According to mythology, the spirits of the dead travel to Cape Reinga on their journey to the afterlife to leap off the headland ,climb the roots of the 800-year-old pohutukawa tree and descend to the underworld to return to their traditional homeland of Hawaiki, using the  'Spirits' pathway'

Having heard so much about the cape from Megan and Tony ,we were all very excited to get down from the bus at Cape Reinga and we started climbing down the trail ,we could hardly believe our eyes at the sight stretching before us

We could see the seas with the crashing waves creating a white froth. We could see people scramble down to the picturesque bays/beaches down below. Swimming is however dangerous due to rips and erratic currents.

 As I stood there on that hill looking at the two oceans, Tasman Sea  with its turquoise waters dashed fiercely against the Pacific Ocean’s darker blue waves, it was spectacular and exciting , looking at a sea always makes me feel very tiny and humble and here there was a double dhamaka !

We were literally buffeted by strong winds and had to keep our caps firmly on our heads ,I could see parents desperately catching their young children so that they wouldn’t fly away

There were a lot of sign boards as we went down pointing out the various view points and though the path was quite steep we could see few benches laid for resting

Finally we reached the area where the light house was situated

 The light house at Cape Reinga was built in 1941 and first lit during May 1914, replacing a lighthouse located nearby which had been built  in 1879. In 1987, the lighthouse was fully automated and the lighthouse keepers were withdrawn. 
The previous 1000 watt light has since been replaced with a 50 watt flashing beacon

Originally, Motuopao Island was chosen as the site best suited for the location of a lighthouse to protect ships passing through the dangerous, turbulent waters at the northern tip of New Zealand.

However, by the beginning of World War II, it was decided that the light was in the wrong location, so in 1941 the glasshouse and light mechanism on top of the lighthouse were removed and re-erected at the new lighthouse settlement at Te Rerenga Wairua

 Standing at an impressive 10m in height and 165m above sea level, it is one of New Zealand’s iconic landmarks.

The Cape Reinga light  is electric, with the last lighthouse keeper being withdrawn in 1987. It is now managed remotely by computer from Wellington.

The 1000-watt light bulb magnified by the lens system throws a signal of warning 49 km out to sea and is often the first light in New Zealand that sailors see.

As we were all excitedly taking snaps around it , I felt that the light house was observing us amusedly .

 From the lighthouse it is possible to watch the tidal race, as the two seas dash to create unsettled waters just off the coast,

Getting down the track was much easier than going up,panting slightly we took a sip of cool water ,found a clean toilet to our surprise

The trip to Cape Reinga left us with a fascinating spiritual feeling as we Indians also believe in mythology,I could literally feel spirits departing all around us creating those  buffeting strong winds on their way

Hearts full of spiritual thoughts we left for the sand dunes, Te Paki is basically a 10km long by 1km wide coastal strip of 150m high sand dunes

The sand dunes were to be approached through the Te Paki Stream which can be dangerous at times because of the treacherous driving conditions caused by the inter-action of the sand and water.

Drivers have to enter the stream at own risk ,as  the sand is quick sand and olden days horses were lost here , if buses stop in the middle of the quick sand, they'll sink into the sand up to axles in no time at all ,so drivers are instructed to engage low gear to avoid stalling, should not stop in the stream or speed, and to drive mainly in the centre of the stream bed.

We were told that wet weather and seasonal conditions could cause a rapid deterioration in the stream and beach conditions,however we were very lucky that day to go through fantastic weather and after gingerly driving through wet land and sand,

the bus stopped at the sand dunes, all around us we could see enormous sand dunes which are supposed to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and the climb to the top was quite tough as we were slipping in the sand and we also had to take with us sand boards on which we could slide down

Some of our friends managed to slide down the dunes and few enthusiastic people even went sailing into the stream beyond getting themselves thoroughly wet

Our next stop was the 90 mile beach which was a misnomer as the beach is actually 55 miles but in the olden days they measured the distance that a horse could travel in a day which was thirty miles and as it took a horse 3 days to make the journey it was called 90 mile beach - but they forgot that the horses were travelling much slower on the soft sand but even so the name has stuck!
In the days of sailing ships a number of vessels were wrecked on this beach, it needs a lot of dexterity to drive a vehicle in this beach, it was a thrilling experience to race along the beach in a bus with the sea on one side and the waves playfully threatening to gobble us up

In 1932 the beach was used as the runway for some of the earliest airmail services between Australia and New Zealand. It is officially a public highway and sometimes used as an alternative road to State Highway 1

After some time the bus stopped and we clambered off and sank our feet into the warm sand of the Tasman sea ,it is said that surf Patrol guys sometimes do 3-5 rescues a day pulling out cars, motorbikes, rescuing people form crashed vehicles as well as rescues from other water sport activities.

Our final stop was a shop - Ancient Kauri Kingdom (shop selling kauri gum products) where we could see an ancient stair way made of massive kauri logs and stumps extracted from local swamp land , leading up to some more interesting gum products 

TREATED TO THE TREATY GROUNDS -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 12

Next on our tour was the bay islands where we were going to stay in the Scenic hotel. Before checking into the hotel we were dropped at the Waitangi Treaty grounds (Waitangi meaning weeping waters in Maori) situated close to the town of  Paihia grounds and our bus was taken to the hotel where our luggage was placed in our rooms.

We were handed over to the tour guide, a hefty  young local Maori girl who was very fiercely proud of her heritage, we were given tour badges to distinguish our group and portable wireless tour guide speakers ,our guide had the transmitter, these were very convenient as we could hear our guide very clearly without crowding too close to listen to her.

 We found that Waitangi Treaty Grounds ,very pleasing to the eyes, was an easily accessible location for people of all levels of fitness and mobility. It had 18.5 hectares of varying landscapes from native bush, boardwalks, paths, tracks, beaches, lawns, and coastal cliff top, standing at the top we could get an awesome view of the sea

There was a gradient slope to the tracks from the upper to lower areas of the grounds, and our guide while we were leaving very effectively maneuvered backwards without once looking back, however we walked sedately on the boardwalks and paths provided looking around the land scape

 Waitangi is best known for being the location where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on February 6, 1840. It is also the place where the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand was signed five years earlier, on October 28, 1835, the treaty is still considered New Zealand’s founding document.

Waitangi day is the annual celebration of the signing, and is New Zealand's national holiday

We were first taken on a tour of the Treaty House, New Zealand's most-visited historic building.

The house and grounds have been the focus of Waitangi Day events since 1934. It was first occupied by James Busby and his wife Agnes Busby, James acted as the British resident in New Zealand from 1832 until the arrival of William Hobson.

 Also known as “the residency”, treaty house was the base of the British government of New Zealand from 1833 to 1840. In preparation for New Zealand Centenary in 1940, the Treaty House was restored in the 1930s, and the Maori meeting house was built beside it.

 In 1932 Governor-General Lord Bledisloe gifted it to the nation and it underwent major restoration work, first in 1933, when it was named the Treaty House, and again in 1990.

 This well-maintained house was like a mini museum in itself with rooms showing what colonial house looked like back in the olden days,  museum-like exhibitis showed what every-day life was like in the Bay of Islands back in the 1830s. I could imagine the house filled with noisy children running about and guests crowding the rooms

The original house was pre-cut in Sydney of Australian hardwood and shipped to New Zealand for assembling on site in 1834. In 1840 it consisted of a parlour, one large bedroom, a central hall and a small dressing room. A separate building housed the kitchen, store room and servants’ room. Busby added three bedrooms at the back in 1841..

We next went to Carved Meeting House the Wharenui. A wharenui resembles the human body in structure, and usually represents a particular ancestor of the tribe.

The tekoteko (carved figure) on the roof top in front of the house represents the head, and the maihi (front barge boards) are the arms held out in welcome to visitors.

 The amo are short boards at the front of the wharenui representing legs, while the tahuhu (ridge pole), a large beam running down the length of the roof, represents the spine. The heke (rafters), reaching from the tahuhu to the poupou (carved figures) around the walls, represent the ribs.

We were lucky enough to step inside, we were asked to remove our shoes before entering.

The meeting house was impressive and projected effectively the power of the Maori culture though carefully carved wood. We spent our time looking at the small details carved in its walls and pillars.

 It stood facing the Treaty House, the two buildings together symbolising the partnership agreed between Māori and the British Crown. Apparently carving began at Tau Henare’s home community of Motatau in 1934, and the house was opened on 6 February 1940 very symbolically 100 years after the first signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

 We next walked down to the flag staff which had been erected to mark the exact place where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed on 6th February 1840. It was erected by the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1934 and replaced in 1946. The mast is 34 metres high. The navy is still responsible for its maintenance.

It had three official flags that New Zealand has had since 1834 – the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand (the earliest), the Union Jack (from 1840) and the New Zealand flag (from 1902).

Next on our tour was the world’s largest Maori ceremonial war canoe, Ngātokimatawhaorua, the world’s largest, 35m long waka carved to perfection and sat looking out across the bay.

It was displayed in the waka house sheltered from rain. Very impressive in numbers (6 tons dry and 76 paddlers minimum), the fully carved canoe is launched once a year on 6^th February to celebrate Waitangi Day.

 Ngātokimatawhaorua   was launched in 1940. It was then laid up for 34 years in a canoe shelter.

 Today the canoe is moved via wheels and rail, but in olden days old logs were used to roll the vessel to the water. It had beams running for strength. The warriors would be sitting inside.

 Possibly the most famous guests onboard were Prince Charles and Princess Diana  during their 1983 tour of New Zealand and Australia.

The intricately carved or decorated stern post maintained balance, like a keel. It was made from three kauri trees lashed together with flax rope. Once wet the rope shrinks pulling the swelling wood sections together.
In 1974, the Waka was renovated for the Queen’s visit to Waitangi,. After the Queen’s voyage on Ngātokimatawhaorua, she designated it ‘Her Majesty’s Ship’, which makes the waka part of her Royal Navy.

After seeing the canoe ,we thanked our tour guide profusely and walked slowly back to the place where the now much lighter bus was waiting to take us back to our hotel

MUSEUM MUSINGS -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 11

Our next stop was the Kauri Museum a hidden gem in the west coast village of Matakohe  Northland, New Zealand. We spent about three and half hours there and found it one of the best museums we have visited, its ticket was included in our  tour package

The museum, to the south of the Waipoua, contained many exhibits that told the story of the pioneering days when early European settlers in the area extracted Kauri timber and Kauri gum.

As instructed by Tony we waited for the museum guide and yelled a loud Kia Ora at her ,she was rather amused at our energy ,she took us inside the museum and showed us around , the guide was dressed in a period costume representing a gum collector .She explained what people in that occupation did in the past while guiding us to the main displays .

The museum had over 4000 sq meters of exhibits, including the largest collection of kauri gum and the largest collection of kauri furniture in the world

 Many examples of fine antique furniture were displayed in the museum, concentration was on the harvesting and processing of the tree into timber, we saw the life style of the workers and their brilliantly produced figures.

It had a model of a two storey 1900s Colonial kauri house with furniture and models in the dress of the early years, and an extensive collection of photographs and pioneering memorabilia

On the wall, there were full-scale circumference outlines of the huge trees, including one of 8​¹⁄₂ metres, larger even than Tane Mahuta which is the largest kauri tree known to stand today in Waipoua forest, estimated to be between 1,250 and 2500 years old.Fossilised and swamp kauri, tens of thousands of years old was also on the display

 The museum included a working mock-up of a steam saw mill with full sized working engines, realistic sounds and excellent models of the workers tools

Our guide told us that Kauri Museum has helped raise awareness of the need to conserve the remaining forest through a display of photographs by the conservationist Stephen King, presented in partnership with the Waipoua Forest Trust

The gum I particularly loved for its lovely colors. Gum from the kauri tree has great value for its beauty and lumps of it are worth a small fortune ,we saw a lovely and amazing Gum room with different colored and sized pieces of the gum ,lovely jewelry has been made over the years using this Kauri gum.

The gum varied in color depending on the condition of the original tree. It also depended on where the gum had formed and how long it had been buried. Colors ranged from chalky-white, through red-brown to black the most prized was a pale gold, as it was hard and translucent. 

The size of each lump also varied greatly.Swamps tended to yield the small nuggets known as "chips", whereas hillsides tended to produce larger lumps. The majority were the size of acorns, although some were found which weighed a few pounds, the largest (and rarest) were reported to weigh 50 pounds, Kauri gum shares a few characteristics with amber, another fossilised resin

 The museum itself  was so  large, just as we thought we were at the end, there was  another doorway leading to even more displays, luckily we had a map to follow . I was most impressed with the layout and cleanliness of the place.
The staff were all very friendly and very helpful.One of our bus mates had a foldable rollator walking frame as she had recently had a hip replacement and found it very easy to get around as there were good ramps and a lift.
 Gift shop with rest rooms were available and a restaurant was located across the country road from the museum. As we were crossing for the café I came across the local Coates Memorial Cemetery next door.Was very well maintained and easy to walk about. It had lovely rose bushes, roses were lovely and colorful !.

As I was wistfully wandering around the cemetery  imagining myself laying down to rest among the lovely roses,my husband who can read my mind  like a book said scathingly “ don’t even entertain that thought ,it is not allowed “

There was a Post Office which had functioned from 1909 to 1988 and  a telephone exchange too ,A pioneer Church Built  in 1867 and original school were also there.