After a very calm night, the ship entered the Bay of Islands in the early hours of the morning, and dropped anchor. The sun slowly rose to reveal its location within the sheltered and very scenic bay, a short way off the small town of Russell, and the very historic site of Waitangi on the other side of the water.
Breakfast was held at the outdoor café, and gave us a chance to soak up the atmosphere and ready ourselves for a busy day. Heading ashore in the Zodiacs we were greeted by the expedition staff and a local guide gave us an introduction to the deep history that surrounds this location. Captain James Cook was the first European to visit this area in 1769, giving it the name it now holds, and making acquaintance with the local Maori. Whalers and sealers came next, towards the end of the 18th century, and shortly thereafter the first missionaries. But it was the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840 between Maori leaders and the Crown that make this place what it is today. Our guides gave us a full and rich rundown of this history and what it means to Maori and Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent) today, as well as an insight into the lives of Maori, and their culture. Several large waka (canoes) were on display and made for spectacular photography.
We wandered the beautiful treaty grounds, before having a cultural performance, where we were greeted onto the Marae, and able to watch a variety of singing and dancing. Afterwards we were able to talk with and take photographs with the performers, before slowly walking back through the grounds on our own, or with the photo instructors or other expedition staff who were able to point out flora of interest and some of the local wildlife, including tui, New Zealand fantail, variable and South Island oystercatchers, and New Zealand dotterel.
Lunch was back onboard in the sunshine, after which we boarded the Zodiacs again for some time ashore in the quaint little town of Russell. This town, established in the early 1800s, was once described as a ‘Hell-hole of the Pacific,’ renowned by whalers and sealers. Today it is a picturesque town nestled amongst the forest-covered hills, with bustling cafes and bars, small boutique shops, and tree-lined narrow streets. We joined Tom, Mike, and Darrin for a walk to the top of Flagstaff Hill, where the 5th flagpole to be erected after previous ones were cut down, still stands. Brent and Richard led a nature walk spotting birds and enjoying the rich flora present, and David, Amy, and Matt led a photography walk around the town. With lovely sunshine and warm temperatures it was not hard to enjoy our time ashore, and before long it was time to head back to the ship. As the anchor was raised, the last of the Zodiacs were hoisted onboard, and we sailed out of the Bay of Islands and were greeted by a pod of bottlenosed dolphins. The animals ‘played’ with the ship, riding the bow wave created by the bulbous bow, and we had great views of these large dolphins from the bow of the ship. They escorted us for a little while, as we headed northwards along the eastern coast of Northland.
