Bay of Islands, New Zealand

            Monday, 25 Feb 2019 – Sally hadn’t slept well, so she was still tired when we hurried to breakfast at 9:25 AM.  After returning to our cabin, she napped for a little over an hour which helped.  Since we had visited New Zealand in 2012 but not the Bay of Islands, we booked an excursion, “Relaxing Lunch Cruise to Historic Russell.”

            We boarded the tender at 12:15 PM for a 25-minute ride to the pier.  Most passengers were at lunch or had gone ashore earlier, so there were only six passengers in our tender.  Since we made the mistake of sitting near the door, we endured a constant sea spray through the entire ride.  We thought about trying to change seats, but the ride was much too rough for that.  While waiting for our cruise boat, we sat in shade in chairs provided by Oceania.  It was only 70 degrees, so Sally was very comfortable, although Jesse was cold, even with his jogging jacket.

            Our cruise began in Waitangi, where in 1840 New Zealand's founding document between the British Crown and the Maori chieftains was signed.  As we cruised along the bay’s coastline, we sailed past a vineyard, an oyster farm and several historical sites that have influenced the country's history.  Omata, once a favored destination for European immigrants, has now established itself as one of New Zealand's premier wine-growing regions.  In the early 19th-century, Kororareka was the largest whaling port in the southern hemisphere and notoriously inhabited by hard-living seamen, deserters and escaped convicts.   As we sailed along, one of the crew took our lunch orders.  We had a choice of veal, lamb, fish, or vegetable lasagna.  Jesse also ordered us Ginger beers, which were very tasty.  Although brewed and bottled in Australia, we were told that the beer is available in the USA.

We arrived at Historic Russell just as we finished our lunch.  Okiato, also known as Old Russell, was New Zealand's seat of government before it moved to Auckland and then Wellington.  Once known as the “Hell Hole of the Pacific,” by whalers, traders, and sealers, Russell was the original port in the North Island. Today, Russell is a picturesque waterfront village full of old homesteads, historic churches, and wooden cottages.   The historical town is filled with meticulously restored buildings from the mid-19th century.

On the Historic Russell Pier

            During our hour of free time, we walked past an ice cream parlor and several restaurants, and browsed several souvenir shops before finding comfortable seats in the shade.  While we waited for “Darryl’s Dinner Cruise” boat to re-dock, we conversed with a couple of other passengers.  We found out that they are on the world cruise and staying in the “owner’s suite,” which means they paid a lot more for the cruise than we did!

            It was 4:30 PM when we returned to the ship and Sally was too tired to swim or dance.  So after dinner, we retired to our cabin for the night.