31.10.09 Boat Trip - Bay of Islands

We made an early start from our campground today to get to Russell for 9.30 (when our boat comes to pick us up). We do have time for a fresh pastry pie from the bakery and a chat with the baker herself. Most people around here are very friendly and don’t mind passing the time of day. It’s still quite sleepy here but come Christmas and the tourists will be flooding in. On our boat trip one of the highlights is to swim with dolphins, so we have our wetsuits ready to hand but, although our captain is in constant contact with all other boats in the area in case they spot anything, the dolphins aren’t coming out to play today. We do manage to catch a glimpse of a mother whale and her calf, swimming through the waters, which we’re told, is a much rarer sighting to make. It’s cold out on the water but the sun is beaming, showing all the many islands in their full glory. Most are privately owned but public access is allowed during daylight hours. There were many famous landings in these bays including Captain Cook and his ship, the Endeavour. Missionaries set up a church on one of the coastal embankments and this whole area was extremely significant in the relationship building between the Maori and the Brits. The historic treaty of Waitangi was signed just up the coast, in 1840, which was the agreement drawn up between the Maori and the British to decide on governmental power and land ownership. The Northland is the seat of the foundation of New Zealand as this is where all pioneers including the Polynesian Maori first landed. It subsequently has the most population of Maori in the whole of New Zealand.We jump ship at a little scenic reserve island for a stroll to the lookout from where an impressive panorama of the Bay of Islands can be viewed. Back on the boat we go on a wild dolphin chase but to no avail. Sometimes they don’t want to be found, or if they’re with their babies it’s not possible to get in the water with them anyway. So we head back to shore where we have a long drive in front of us up to the Far North because we want to make it to Cape Reinga tomorrow morning.