Kauri gum display at the Gumdigger's Fields:
Me standing in a giant gum hole:
We arrived in Paihia around 1pm and stopped at the information center, where we booked passage on the R. Tucker Thompson for the next day and inquired about the ferry to Russell and other activities. We then drove a couple of blocks to the hostel and checked in.
Parking was at a premium (maximum 30 minutes) in most of Paihia but we found a 4 hour parking space and had lunch, then walked to the ferry and went over to Russell. I just wanted to walk around but Mom suggested a 1-hour mini-tour run by Fullers. We went on the mini-tour, where we saw lots of historic sites and learned a great deal about the local history. It was quite entertaining and we enjoyed the stories of the tour guide. We got back to Russell around 4pm and most shops were already closing. We went to a couple of them, then caught the ferry back to Paihia.
One of the many ferries operating between Paihia and Russell:
We stopped and got Chinese take-out for dinner, and enjoyed a meal of fried rice, chow mein, spicy chicken, egg foo yong, and other yummy treats. We were in bed by 8pm again, exhausted from the trip, the sun, and the fresh air.
We got up early the next morning and caught the ferry to Russell, where we had a nice breakfast at the Waterfront Café then walked back to the wharf and boarded the R. Tucker Thompson, a traditional tall ship.
The R. Tucker Thompson at dock:
Captain Garth was quite a character but seemed to favour certain guests over others. Mom made a point of telling him that we were from Canada (cringe) but I suppose she was right to do so because, hell, we’re just as foreign as other foreigners who were sailing on the boat that day.
We got underway at 10am and motored to an island where Cook, as a lieutenant, had anchored and traded with the locals. We anchored and a small Zodiac took people ashore to explore the island. Mom wasn’t sure if she could climb down to the boat but when she saw me do it she was sure she could do it. She clambered down to the boat with confidence and had no problem climbing off onto the beach.
Manton and Mom on the Zodiac:
We gazed in awe at the rocky lagoon then walked up a grassy bank to a sign post, which encouraged people to walk up a path to the top of an ancient Maori pa (fortification). It was a twisty, wet path with lots of tree roots but Mom powered up the path like a trooper. After the roots there were more than 100 steps to the summit. The view at the summit was amazing and well worth the trek. We turned around and around and admired the view, and slowly more people from the R. Tucker Thompson arrived. We all took photos of each other, then Mom and I made our way back down to the beach.
Enjoying the warm lagoon waters:
Finally! Made it to the top of the hill:
We caught the Zodiac back to the ship and I immediately changed into my bathing suit. I climbed down the swim ladder then splashed back into the warm Pacific Ocean. A lot of people were complaining about how cold the water was, but I kept thinking about how cold the Pacific is on the west coast of Canada and laughed at them. I swam around the ship and talked to a few other swimmers then clambered back onto the boat – more difficult than I’d imagined.
View of the R. Tucker Thompson from the Zodiac:
Lunch was salad with a lovely balsamic vinegar sauce, curry chicken, and bakery-fresh French bread. There was also New Zealand wine and beer. We feasted, and watched as some of the younger sailors swung off the yardarm into the sea.
Lady Sarah Battersby serving lunch:
After lunch we pulled off the hook then put up the sails. We had a good westerly into Russell and enjoyed the silent power of sailing. A bit catamaran pulled alongside so Captain Garth fired off the mock-canon, to the great amusement of all passengers. The crew – Mark, Manton, and Sarah – said that sometimes the catamaran retaliated by spraying the R. Tucker Thompson with its water canon.
Mark at the topsails:
We arrived back in Russell at 4pm and most of the stores were already closed. We headed back to Paihia and had another early night.
This morning we were up at 7am (Mom’s fault) and ready to go by 8am. I checked my email then we drove around a bit until 8:45am when we arrived at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It opened at 9am and we were the first guests in to the grounds. We enjoyed a video then walked to the giant waka (war canoe) and to the Treaty House where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. It was very interesting to see how small the house was and to learn about how the grounds were used for mediation. From there we visited a Maori greeting house that has no name to ensure that there are no tribal arguments. We had a coffee on the way out of the Treaty grounds then started our drive south.
Traditional waka (canoe) at Waitangi Treaty grounds:
We weren’t sure how far we’d travel and just winged it. We made it to Whangerei in no time, stopped at Wellesford for lunch, drove through Auckland with no problems, had ice cream in Waihi, and arrived – 500+ kms later – at Tauranga. Like many cities in New Zealand there were plenty of signs pointing us into the city center but no information once we entered the city. I just kept driving until I hit a dead-end. Turns out we were at the bottom of Elizabeth Street and the youth hostel was at the top of the same street. We had to swing around a round-about to get to it.
They didn’t have any twin or double rooms left so we booked into a dorm room. Mom wasn’t too pleased about that, but because I’ve stayed in lots of dorm rooms I felt very comfortable and convinced her to stay.
We had dinner of soup and sandwiches in the kitchen. I checked email again – which is fantastic because the availability of email in the Northland was really limited – and now I’m updating this blog. I’m ready for bed already but 8pm is a pretty indecent time to go to bed in most dorms. I can sleep through anything but Mom’s a bit more particular.
Tomorrow we head to Rotorua where we’re looking forward to learning more about Maori culture and history.
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