IN BEAUTIFUL PAIHAIA

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Thursday 30th October.
Today was a lovely, sunny day. We wandered the short distance to the Wharf for the fast ferry over the township of Russell, briefly in 1840 New Zealand’s capital. The journey across was very picturesque. At 10.00 we got on a Mini bus for a town tour. We learned the story of Kororareka. The legend goes that a Maori chief, wounded in battle, asked for some penguin broth. After drinking the broth he said “Ka reka te korora” (how sweet is the penguin). Thus - Kororareka - korora, the blue penguin - reka, sweet. In 1844, Kororareka was renamed Russell. Today Russell is a quiet seaside village enjoyed by many tourists. The town is very conscious of its unique heritage and is concerned to preserve its historic character and the natural beauty of the Bay. We passed by some of the historical buildings and churches before going up to Flagstaff Hill and the Sun Dial. From here you could see the beauty of the Bay and the town. Another breathtaking view. After the mini tour we had a little wander down to the Christ Church, which is the oldest working church in New Zealand and some graveyards and after a coffee, got the ferry back to Paihaia. We had lunch and then boarded the Dolphin Discoveries launch out to the Hole in the Rock. This is a weather permitted trip, as you pass through the narrow rock opening but we were lucky. It was a lovely relaxing trip with a stop off on a private island - Moturua Island - for a walk along the beach and was highlighted by lots of dolphins obliging with a lovely display of flips and flops. Once more, was a fun filled interesting day. La Scala was the venue for our meal tonight and once again, we were not disappointed with the meal. Then it was into bed.

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