25.01.2020 Think I'm in paradise !!!

Today I'm travelling to the Bay of Islands a maritime park of around 144 islands and bays Captain cook came here in Endeavour in 1769 and gave the area it's name. My place for the next few days will be Russell which was New Zealand's first town and capital and was once known as the Hell Hole of the pacific due to the bars, prostitutes and generally bad guys predominantly British who came in on the trading and whaling ships back then. But first I stopped in at the Waitangi National Reserve and Treaty House where New Zealands founding document was signed in 1840. According to my guide the British bamboozled the chiefs into signing away their sovereignity to Queen Victoria. The missionary who helped translate the document into Maori couldn't find a word for sovereignity!!

I spent a couple of hours here, admiring the views visiting the Treaty House and the incredible Maori war canoe or waka which is 70 years old and carved from one tree. It's one of the largest in NZ and is brought out every year in February as part of the Waitangi day celebrations when it takes to the water with a crew of upto 80 paddlers and 55 passengers. The Maori meeting houses are considered sacred and shoes have to be removed before entering. Te Whare Tunanga is a carved Maori meeting house erected to commemorate the centenary of the signing of the treaty. The carvings inside were beautiful and represent all tribes in New Zealand. we were welcomed by tribal families in a beautiful ceremony.

As I am staying in Russell, the quickest way for me to get there was to take the ferry from Opua to Okiato and then I only had a short drive to Russell. I watched the ferry come in and wondered about getting on there - it didn't look very big!! Actually it was easier than I thought - the more difficult part came when I got to my accommodation at Bell Rock Lodge which is beautiful but perched right above Russell with a steep narrow drive and a very tight turnaround space at the top - there was no way I was ever going to be able to reverse out of there! My host Peter was very patient as I manoeuvered my 4 x 4 into my parking slot - don't think I'll be moving it again until I leave here! My room is perfect, with a deck overlooking the bay, Peter and Helen are the perfect hosts helping with booking tours and making sure I know all about the area - so good that I have decided to stay on for an extra night here, so that I can go to the most northerly point (on a bus) and get to see Paihia which is just a short passenger ferry trip across the bay.

Some shots of my day...

The ferry to Russell and the view from my room - how lucky am I?