Retracing My Steps in the Bay of Islands

Day 60, Grand World Voyage 2020

Wednesday, March 4, 2020; Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Today’s port call at the Bay of Islands in northeast New Zealand was remarkably similar to the one I made in late 2017. If I’m fortunate enough to come back here a third time, I’ll shake it up by venturing beyond the small town of Paihia.

Early in our planning for this world cruise my sister and I realized that taking a tour in every one of the 40-something ports would bust our budget. We focused on funding an overnight safari and a couple of other pricey excursions, such as the day trip to Borobudur in Indonesia. Then I suggested which of the ports I had visited before would be easy to do on our own — Sydney and Singapore, for example.

I knew that we would tender into Waitangi in the Bay of Islands, where a shuttle bus would take us the mile into Paihai. Alternatively, from the tender dock we could walk to explore the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Maori ceded rights to the land to the British in 1840.

Our anchorage actually was closer to the larger town of Russell, and I’m still uncertain as to why ships don’t tender there. When I asked our port guide Glenn-Michael, his responses ranged from “we’ve always gone to Waitangi” to “there aren’t adequate facilities in Russell” to “everyone wants to go to the treaty grounds.” None seemed fully explanatory to me, and the people who took the ferry to Russell from Paihia said it was a nice visit. Maybe next time.

Regardless, we enjoyed our time in Paihia, mainly spent window-shopping. Local artists and vendors set up a market with at least a couple of dozen booths whenever a cruise ship is in port. They sell warm woolen goods, beautiful woodcarvings, silver jewelry and herbal supplements.

Before we arrived in New Zealand, our Maori cultural ambassadors taught us a traditional war dance called a haka. In town I almost bought a t-shirt with the same haka we learned, but noticed it was cotton/poly and knew I would find it miserable to wear in Texas. I did get some cute orange earrings.

But my favorite purchase was an Upside Down World Map. Later in the cabin it replaced our traditional world map on the wall, where we have been tracking our progress with magnets. I think it will give us a different perspective, as this cruise is almost all in the Southern Hemisphere. And it breaks through the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Pacific, which works better for our journey.

With the humidity high and rain possible, we decided not to have lunch in town, but returned to the ship. The afternoon brought only a few scattered showers, which isn’t good news for the locals. This area is in the midst of a drought, and I noticed a big difference in the color of the hills, which were bright green a few years ago. Still the outdoor activities continued despite the heavy clouds, and the crew prepared for an outdoor sail away (which later moved to the Crow’s Nest).

Next time I come to the Bay of Islands I think I’ll branch out. I could choose from excursions ranging from boat rides to see the hundreds of islands (including a “hole in the rock” similar to the iconic Cabo San Lucas formation), visits to local Maori villages, explorations of caves with glowworms or walks through the Puketi Forest. Alternatively, once in Paihia there are a number of independent tour companies with similar offers. Friends of ours loved the helicopter ride they booked right by the shuttle bus stop. Others liked taking the ferry to explore Russell. I hope I’ll be back.