Back to Auckland

After the blog post this morning, we had coffee and decided what we wanted to do. Kath is not great on water and some of the trips around the islands took 4 hours or more, so that was out. Another boat trip that was only 1.5 hours was a speed boat and we watched the occupants being given waterproof jackets, not disimilar to the ones we had to wear in Santa Monica, California when we were caught in the torrential rains several days ago (seems like forever since), so that was out also. In the end, we settled for a leisurely trip across the bay from Paihia to the town of Russell where the oldest church in New Zealand is situated. It was built in 1836 and is a wooden building and still bears the scars of the battles with the Maouri tribes as there are musket and cannonball holes in the structure from a battle in 1845. The grave of Waka Nene, an Ngapuhi chief, who sided with the British in the Northlands War is also there (photo attached). The town is very quaint with white painted wooden buildings selling souvenirs, arts and crafts and several tea-rooms and restaurants. The boat trip took 15 minutes, going past some of the 144 islands in the Bay of Islands and upon arrival, Kath mounted her trusty four wheeled steed and I pushed, dutifully steering her in the appropriate direction to which I was commanded. The sun was shining intermittently although there was more cloud about than yesterday. After perusing the shops, we settled on a bench overlooking the harbour to have lunch outside a restaurant. As we awaited our order, a sudden wind blew up and advertising boards were blown over along with a few chairs. We dived for cover inside as the rain started to fall. By the time we had completed lunch, the sun was back out. We visited the above church and graveyard and constantly bumped into English people who always ask where you are from and if you are on holiday etc. On one occasion, we met a lady from Bingley nr. Bradford who was on holiday with friends, having left their husbands behind in the UK. Seems like women have a habit of doing this.... South Africa rings a bell?... no more to be said! I don't quite know how, but work was brought into the conversation and when I disclosed my profession, I was asked if I knew Tim Ives. Yes, said I, I was on the same shift as him at Dudley Hill many years ago. The lady had known him since he was a small child.

After a a few hours in Russell, we sat by the beach and awaited the next ferry to take us back to Paihia. It was a wonderful afternoon but the daunting task of a long drive back home was looming. Kath re-made her aquaintances with a couple she spoke to on the way over whilst I sat upstairs to take some photos and spoke with a couple from Rotorua, who said we must go there before we went home...... I tend to agree.

We stopped for a final coffee at a harbourside restaurant then went back to the car before driving into the Waitangi estate. The Waitangi treaty was signed on the 6th February 1840 between the Maoris and the British Crown, effectively giving the UK ownership of New Zealand and forming the birth of the New Zealand nation. There is the Treaty House built within the grounds and many exhibitions of Moari culture. We then made our way further into the grounds and visited the Haruru Falls, a horseshoe shaped waterfall on a very much smaller version of Horseshoe Falls at Niagara. Due to the small amount of water that has fallen recently, the falls were not all that spectacular and I was able to walk across the rocks at the top but nevertheless, still worth a visit. I'm not sure about the lack of rainfall, they have obviously had less in the north of the island than we have had in Auckland.

We set off back to Auckland and had an uninterupted journey, even the Harbour Bridge at Auckland was quiet and we were back with Darren and Maxine exactly 3 hours after leaving the Falls. They were in the final thows of a barbie but fortunately there was some very good steak, chicken and prawns left and we ate what was left over followed by a few drinks and a chat about how we gone on over the previous two days.