Day 25: 20231018 Wednesday, October 18, 2023- New Zealand Bay of Islands
This was our first time in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands, but won’t be our last because it is also part of the Royal Princess itinerary in December. The ship anchors out in the bay and uses tenders to shuttle passengers to the yacht club next to the Waitangi Treaty grounds, where the British signed a treaty with Maori Chieftains to establish New Zealand and forge a peaceful relationship between Britain’s global naval power and the Maori’s local power and knowledge of the region. The tender ride took about 15minutes each way as the sea conditions were calm. The weather was overcast and cool for the area. That means temperatures in the low to mid 60’s, which was perfect for us. There were apparently some scattered showers that some tour groups ran into, but our tour group stayed dry the entire time.
We could have easily walked to our first tour stop, which was the Waitangi Treaty site, where there are historical buildings and a museum. It was probably less than a 15 minute walk from where the tenders dropped passengers off. But our tour included a Maori guide who did an excellent job of explaining the relationship between the Maori and the various white men who ventured by in ships. Ultimately, metallurgy and weapons technology proved to be one of the more important drivers of trade between the Maori and Imperialists on ships. Those Maori who traded with the British ultimately decimated their competing Maori tribes because spears and war clubs were no match for muskets and gunpowder. Interestingly, it was the American whalers who taught the Maori not to trust the British too much, and push for their own independence and sovereignty. The site features the 1833 Treaty House, residence of James Busby, the crown’s representative in the colony, and an elaborately carved Maori Marae (Meeting House). There is also an impressive war canoe carved from a massive Kauri tree which can seat over 100 warriors. It would be the Maori equivalent of a battle cruiser.
The next stop of the tour was about a half hour drive to the City of Kerikeri, which is the largest city in the Northland (northern portion of the North Island). It is still a pretty small city by US standards and is still surrounded by rolling hills with forests, cattle, sheep, citrus and kiwi plantations. We had tea with scones across from the historic Mission Stone Store, built in 1832 and the oldest stone building in New Zealand. There is a small museum upstairs, and a gift shop on the ground floor. The stairs are twisty and a bit irregular, adding to the authenticity of the experience. Next door is the Kerikeri Mission house, dating to 1822 and built for missionary John Butler who brought Christianity, muskets and gunpowder to the Maori. It has been preserved in the style of the 1840’s.
We had some time after returning to the yacht club, so we took a free shuttle into Paihia, which is one of the main coastal towns in the Bay of Islands. It has lots of charters for fishing, boat tours, and other activities. We walked around the downtown and found the historic library and gardens to be interesting.
After returning to the ship, Janet took a Power Nap while Ben met a couple who had boarded the ship in Auckland for a short cruise to Sydney and won a Beatles trivia with them.
After dinner, the Princess Theater featured a group of 4 male singers called the Leading Men, who did a mashup of broadway songs, and even a funny medley of Waltzing Matilda in Italian operatic style ( imagine the 4 tenors ). They were very talented singers and performers who put on an enjoyable show. Janet thought they put the Cover Girls act in their place.
The ship is now headed across the Tasman straight which separates Australia from New Zealand, and it is predicted that it will be a pretty bumpy ride for the next 2 days.
