November 29, 2023
We shouldn’t need 6,000 miles to bring us together…Clearly the cement of our young adulthood spent among dorms, apartments, classrooms, tennis courts, and parties while navigating and testing out our grasp on maturity created bonds that kept us linked, even 50+ years after our diplomas launched us into the “real” world of adulthood.
Nick, Wendy, Debbie, Ray, and daughter Dana taking the photo of Thursday’s Child, according to the nursery rhyme “has far to go…”
My college buddy Ray, his wife Debbie, and their “free-spirited” (Ray’s words) 30+ year old daughter Dana hosted us for drinks and dinner on their 46′ sailboat fresh from crossing the Pacific via Tonga, etc. to New Zealand. Sitting aft with the captain’s helm behind us, a spread of munchies fit for any discerning appetite, plus lovely wines and beers native of our now host country, I kept wondering if I had fallen down a rabbit hole or was somehow over the rainbow or maybe it was just a time machine as we reminisced. Dinner, cooked in the 8′ square galley was worthy of a full-grown kitchen. Debbie clearly had her galley and the food, nailed.
“It is 5:00 somewhere.”
The Torok’s were berthed in the marina at the Bay of Islands which is on the north eastern side of the North Island in the general region called, not ironically, the Northland. The Bay of Islands were first discovered by the Maoris in the 1100 or 1200s and then “discovered” again by the Europeans. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman (put a pin in that name as it will come up a few weeks from now) sighted New Zealand coming from the west (from Indonesia) but never actually landed. The English and French made their way with whaling and trading but eventually, the English “colonized.”
The Treaty of Whaitangi (pronounced Faitangi as the “Wh” in Maori is pronounced as an “F”) was supposed to respect the local Maori chiefs and ensure that the Maoris had rights. As with most indigenous peoples the world over, when confronted with the Pakeha (European) concept of owning land and acquiring wealth, things did not go well. A great deal of the initial history after the arrival of the Pakehas is on display at the Whaitangi Museum that looks at New Zealand’s history first as that of the Maori’s and second at how the Pakehas affected their lives.
The meeting house where we watched and listened to a Maori cultural performance. The performers often made similar faces as part of their dance. The music, of course, was similar to Fijian harmonies.
The Bay of Islands bay area is smaller than the San Francisco Bay, but has almost 150 islands of various sizes. It is stunning. To the California onlooker, the area has become a yuppie vacation spot and reminds me of a mini Sausalito or Carmel, without the California resort prices. Lots of little shops ready to sell knick knacks, sun hats and t-shirts, all in nautical themes with a trace of Maori influence….and lots of food. Our hotel was next to the Tipsy Oyster, a very apt name.
We took the ferry across to the small village of Russell which sits on a peninsula. Russell, nicknamed “the hellhole of the Pacific” in the 1840s, was the capital of colonial New Zealand for a full two years before the brothels, saloons and general lawlessness prompted a move to a more sedate and governable place. The 20-minute ferry ride allowed us time to watch parasailors, fishermen, sailing vessels, and even a cruise ship pass us by.
This is an exhibit at the Kauri Museum, which is a great museum on many levels, including the logging industry. The middle photo gives a clue to the girth of a kauri. At the right is the “Big Kauri”…Unfortunately, I didn’t capture the girth which could match that of an old growth redwood. Note the long, straight trunk before there are branches. It is a hardwood and is no longer logged. They have found kauri trees that were buried in swamps that have been carbon-dated to 45,000 years old and the wood is still good. “Gum” is also a product of the kauri which, as it turns out is the equivalent of amber.
One more crazy dinner with the Torok’s and we headed out for a circuitous route back to Auckland. The Northland has a variety of climates: Sonoma county green hills, subtropical flora, farms, and primeval forests. We had a lovely lunch of leftover pizza overlooking the Tasman Sea on the west coast. Note to self: Do not keep pizza decked with anchovies overnight. Make Nick eat all the anchovies first, then you can put it in the cooler.
A panorama of Rainbow Falls. Where’s Nick? This is the first of many “Where’s Nick?” panorama shots to come. I may publish a key to “Where’s Nick?”…maybe…
We leave Auckland on Friday, December 1. First stop: Hobbiton.
~Wendy and Nick