blog/2021-11-19-northland-bay-of-islands.md

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post	Northland & The Bay of Islands	Travel	2021-11-07 20:05:00 +0200

The warm waters of the Bay of Islands is the gateway to beaches, doplhins, islands, and a good time.

I've learned from my mistakes in Whangarei and arrived in the warm coastal town of Paihia adequately dressed for warm weather, and on a Friday. Paihia is a fashionable surfer's haven, and the gateway to Aoteraroa's Northland - home to Kaori forests, giant sand dunes, and the mythical Cape Reinga.

The township itself lays in the heart of the Bay of Islands (144, in fact) - which is an important historic site and a beautiful subtropical haven. The Bay is where the white man ( Pakeha in Te Reo ) first settled Aotearoa, and is the site of founding of the modern day New Zealand. Going against the grain of beach-goers and party animals who swore I'd end up staying in Paihia for months as they did, I went off to see some history the very next day.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

On February 6th 1840, British diplomat James Busby met with a coalition of Maori chiefs to sign the Treaty of Waitangi ( 'Te Tiritiri o Waitangi' ), which puts New Zealand under a British protectorate, recognizes Maori ownership of the land and the forests and gives them the rights of British subjects. Interestingly, relations between the British and the Maori began peacefully and with agreement (against the French in this case), and generally remained so - at least in comparison to neighboring Australia and the crown's British India. There had been conflict and discrimination against the Maori - Te Reo nearly died out from being repressed, lands were confiscated, and disease harmed the Maori greatly - yet it's a far cry from other tragic stories from the British Empire.

A few minutes of brazen walk from Paihia puts you in the Waitangi grounds, now a museum commemorating the treaty.

_{Maori culture is celebrated in the Bay - this is a Maori style Waka for a contest I spotted on the way to Waitangi. While not clearly visible, you can just see the Maori naval emblem at the rear, and the Maori flag on the boat to the left.}

Waitangi offers guided tours - and my group was assigned a kind, humorous and rather large (it's relevant!) Maori gentleman. He told us many interesting facts and tidbits of the pre-Pakeha Maori:

Don't look at me as an example - the average Maori was a lean specimen. Why, aside from birds and fish, there was not much meat going around in those days. It wasn't until you brought your Colonel* we got big!

_{*Referring to KFC - which is quite popular in NZ.}

He also had some to say on the conflicts that did occur after the signing:

When the British came here, they considered us primitives - with just sticks and stones. But once the fighting started, believe me - they were amazed at what we could do with sticks and stones!

He told us of how the Maori built their Wakas by tying together large logs of Kaori or Rimu with tight-woven Harakeke flax and treating them with salt water, and how roving Maori parties traded, bickered and warred, alongside many other interesting stories.

Up until the signing, things were generally peaceful - the first Pakeha were missionaries, who built small colonial houses with permission of the local chiefs, and relations were amicable. Then came American whalers from the newly-independent United States, who came to drink and whore in nearby Russel - and warned the Maori of both the British and the French. They inspired the Maori, who then drafted a naval emblem and formed a coalition - The United Tribes of New Zealand, so they could join the thriving international maritime trade.

The British were keen to annex the newly found New Zealand since first discovered by James Cook in 1769 - and sent the diplomat James Busby as resident Englishman to try and come to some understanding. Busby was wildly successful - and under his influence, the treaty was signed in 1840.

_{James Busby's colonial homestead.}

_{It really is a sweet little house.}

The agreement was signed just outside the house it was drafted in, and a flagstaff was erected at the point of signing.

_{I can't see how anyone could be disagreeable around the scenic sights of the bay.}

The Treaty Grounds also house some Maori Taonga (treasures), including a grand Waka Taua (war canoe) and a beautiful carved Marae (meeting house).

_{Maori Hakas (war dances) are performed here regularly by Maori folk in traditional grab - a cheesy tourist show but fun nonetheless. The performers I watched cheekily remarked 'Yes, We speak English!' after the Haka, prompting surprised laughter from many of the tourists.}

_{This Waka Taua is meant to impress and intimedate your foes - with ominous carvings, a metal front and strong coloration. It sails once a year on Waitangi Day - February 6th.}

Russel Kororareka

A short ferry ride from Paihia stands the historic town of Russel Koroareka*. _{*It is customary to use both Maori and Pakeha names in towns that carry both.}

The guide in Waitangi told us a fact I reflected upon often in my travels across Aotearoa. Maori place name often stem from stories and folklore - and both quaint Kororareka and the nearby Kerikeri have origin stories. Kororareka translates to 'Sweet Penguin' - comprised of Korora (the local Little Blue Penguins, or Fairy Penguins in Australia) and Reka (sweet). Unfortunately, the intention isn't as friendly as you might guess - remember, meat is sparse in old Aotearoa. The story tells of a great war chief who fought off an invading tribe - and sustained a grave wound in the process. As he lay injured after the battle, an aide brought him penguin broth to restore his strength. All he could do was mutter in delight- 'The sweet penguin! how it restores my strength!' (paraphrasing) - I do not recall if he made it. Kerikeri is named after a time the local Maori chief showed the newly-arrived Pakeha pastors how they farm the land - only to witness the Europeans plow the land with metal much, much faster - to his great jealousy. He demanded of his workers - 'Kerikeri! Kerikeri!' (faster! faster!), and the name stuck.

Now, Kororareka.

An offshoot of the nearby Maori town of Okiato, Kororareka was something like a town in the 1830's - the very first western-style settlement in Aotearoa and first real point of contact for the Maori with the world. Kororareka became a site of taverns, brothels and dubious morales - much to the dismay of the early missionaries - and it was nicknamed The Hell Hole of the Pacific, known to many whalers, sailors, captains and crew. Today it is a peaceful little tourist town, full of boutique shops, restaurants and hotels.

_{Christ Church is the oldest and very first church in New Zealand, established by the missionaries. It is still active today.}

_{This screams '1800s missionaries' to me.}

_{Russel was a whaling hub since the Maori settled it - groups of whalers would venture out in boats as small as this one and hunt them.}

_{The Bay is rich with history.}

Northland & Cape Reinga

The Bay of Islands was also my excursion point north, into Aotearoa's upper reaches of Northland - with a tour operator who took us through it all in a single day. Though relatively small, Northland is full of wonderful things to see - the first of which was the ancient Puketi Kaori forest.

_{Though a shadow of the great Kaori forests that covered Aotearoa, Puketi is still beautiful - the pictures don't do it justice.}

_{This walkway was constructed especially for the Queen of England when she visited here, around the 1950's.}

Puketi is also one of the last places where you can see decades-old Kaori.

_{Compare this proud old Kaori to the saplings at Whangarei - and see just what was lost.}

From Puketi we continued the journey further up the slender coastline on Aotearoa passing sleepy towns, forest and avocado groves, and eventually reaching the northernmost point. Where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman sea lies a mythical, sacred site to the Maori.

In Maori mythology, when a person dies, the spirit begins its journey towards Hawaiiki - the legendary Maori homeland.

It passes through the places of its life - its hometown, the course of its journeys, places of its failures, successes and loves. Leaving those behind, the spirit begins the final journey north, across Aotearoa, to the point of farewell - Te Rerenga Wairua ( Leaping place of the Spirits ) - colloquially known as Cape Reinga. Cape Reinga is a haunting place - and one's mind can only begin racing when laying eyes upon it.

_{This place has two guardians - the old, lonely lighthouse... ...and the ancient Pohutukawa tree - the place of descent into Reinga (' Underworld ') in Maori folklore. The spirit is said to slide down the roots and into the ocean after taking a last look at Aotearoa, and emerge in Hawaiiki.}

_{The walk to the lighthouse amid fierce salt breeze and rolling fog will no doubt fill your mind with reflections and memories.}

Once all that serious business was dealt with, it was time for some fun - sliding down giant sand dunes!

Just south of Cape Reinga are the Te Paki sand dunes - and as it turns out, tour operators fill the buses with sliding boards and everyone can zoop down the dune!

_{The down we had chosen was about 15 meters in height - and quite steep!}

_{If you're not brave enough to slide down, you can also zoop sideways.}

The dunes are created from winds from both the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean shuttling sand from their respective directions. Since Northland is so snakelike, all of these sand deposits gather roughly in the middle - creating giant dunes.

The strong winds and slender topography also created another Aotearoan wonder - the Ninety Mile Beach. This massive coastline is both incredibly deep, pristine, and flat - our bus could comfortably drive on the beach without interrupting families camping, people swimming and surfers.

_{The beach. Is. Massive. And amazingly clean!}.

Urapukapuka

Finally, my last order of business in Paihia was what I had intentionally meant to do in the Hauraki Gulf - camp on an island! Luckily, the Bay of Islands had a great candidate as well - the island of Urapukapuka! ( 'Grove of the PukaPuka trees' ).

Ignoring warnings of bad weather and the fact that there's not a lot to do on Urapukapuka, I set out by ferry the very next day - which ended up as a bizzare, oddly tranquil experience I remember fondly and was determined not to repeat. The ways of the mind are truly wonderous.

I was the only passenger on my ferry for Urapukapuka (the rest continued, uhm, elsewhere), and had the island mostly for myself for my overnighter.

_{Uh oh. Did I make a mistake?}

So. What do you see on a full 24 hours alone on a random island in New Zealand?

First - sheep.

_{Yea, we're just chilling, bro.}

And like anywhere New Zealand, the view is gorgeous.

_{Great view of the bay from Urapukapuka, reminding you you're not that far out. Almost like a backyard, really.}

The weather in the bay is extremely fickle. You're drowning in rain for a moment, and cook in the sun not five minutes after that.

_{Storm clouds come and go and assault you with strong gusts of saltwind and freezing rain at random. Look to the skies!}

Urapukapuka is also a nice birding spot - while most of the island is a livestock pasture, the native bush is being replanted, and the birds return with it.

_{The common Oyster Catchers prowl the shores looking for a meal. It met its mate on the way. Be a friend like an oyster catcher.}

The wooded areas were once the home of the Kutuku (White Heron), a rare bird in Aotearoa precious to the Maori. It is hoped that they will return once the island reverts to the original foliage, painstakingly replanted over the years.

_{The Kutuku carries strong significane in Maori mythology for its white, elegant feathers. It has also gathered stories and myths around it which vary from tribe to tribe.}

I really enjoyed seeing the intertwining of the peaceful sheep next to the wooded, birdfull bush - a clear boundary cuts through the island.

_{This is one of the most iconic pictures I've taken on my trip - I feel it signifies what Aotearoa New Zealand is perfectly. The right is classic British pasture, which is pleasant but also a great loss compared to the natural habitat. To the left - resurging local bush, signifying the return of Maori culture and restoration of native Aotearoa flora and fauna. It also houses a small Maori sacred site.}

On the camp grounds, the noisy, rude Tui birds flock to the Harakeke plants around the fence, getting drunk on the nectar (literally drunk - it often ferments), and gaggles of Pukekos cowardly flee from you with inelegance. It really is an ungraceful bird.

_{Not a bad view to wake up to. I was sitting near my tent enjoying a wonderful apple while watching this sunset. Life is good.}

Once settling in for the night, it also became clear that I was quite ill-prepared, which I knew well in advance and chose to ignore. That is just the kind of person I am. The plan had several faults:

• I got lazy buying food. Urapukapuka was the site of a culinary tragedy, which will not see the light of day here.
• My stuff was seriously heavy. Too heavy for an overnighter. And that is without the food...
• In my arrogance, I strongly underestimated how cold it gets in a small island at night. (Spoiler: very.).

I did manage to sleep - a whole day of climbing around Urapukapuka certainly helped.

Once weathering the night, I explored some more - some of the shots above are from day 2. When making my way back to the ferry pier, I was surprised to find a cafe - which only operates around ferry departures and arrivals. Since a large arrival was scheduled, I could sit down for my first ever Mussel stew. Awesome! I made sure to go for seafood at every opportunity in my travels afterwards - the stuff is great!

And just as a final treat, we were escorted back by a pod of dolphins!

_{Doplhin sightings are common in New Zealand, and a great joy for the first, tenth, and millionth time!}

_Showoff!

Overall, Northland was one of my longest an most meaningful stops - I learned a great deal about New Zealand's history and saw very diverse places in a very short time. I had also explored the area on foot and on various ferry rides - there was always something to see!

_{The Hole in The Rock next to Paihia has a very original name. It was also a very nauseating boat ride - shy only of Rakiura in the deep south.}

_{Spotted in the local 'Around the Bay' hiking trail from Paihia to Russell. It just makes me happy.}