Bay of Islands

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Arrived here a couple of stays a ago, found a lovely campsite just outside Pahia which is situated near the river, a lovely situation. The first day I visited the Waitangi treaty grounds where the treaty was signed between the Maoris and The Europeans hopefully to the benefit of both communities. A celebration is held here every year on the 6th February and the Maoris come in their waka's (traditional canoes) which are quite something to see. made from massive kauri trees and hollowed out to make the canoe. Apparently before the trees are felled they strip the bark from one side so that it begins to decay and makes it easier to hollow out. The canoes are huge and can carry the rowers, food and family. The treaty house has been made in to a museum and there is also a Maori meeting house there too.

In the afternoon I took the ferry across to Russell, a walk up to Flagstaff point then over the peninsula to long beach rewarded with tea and lemon meringue pie on the return to Russell town if you can call it that, just one or two small streets leading from the jetty.

Yesterday was spent aboard the sailing boat Carino, we left around nine to find dolphins in the bay. After about half an hour we found a small pod they swam under the hull of the katermaran and popped up around us, unfortunately we couldn't swim with them as the pod we saw had babies and swimming is not allowed if there are babies. Even so it was really lovely to see them swimming around but almost impossible to get a good photograph. At lunch time we stopped at a bay on one of the islands for a walk and a swim, I managed to do both as when I returned from my walk was quite hot and decided to swim out to the yacht anchored in the bay. After lunch and a glass of wine we took a sail around the bay looking at the islands, various wildlife and enjoying the sail and the sun.

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