Caught one of the ferries across to Russell this morning. The Bay of Islands area was one of the first inhabited areas of New Zealand -- by both the Maori and European settlers. Russell was a whaling port and in the 1800s it had a reputation as being a rowdy, lawless place (like the wild west I guess). Someone had termed it then as "the hell hole of the Pacific". Bit different these days. Today it is a lovely seaside holiday village with some old historic houses and beautiful flowering trees.
The photo below is of the house where the village's policeman lives (how cool is that! I feel a crime novel coming on). The tree is a fig tree that was planted about 120 years ago. It is wonderfully gnarled but still growing strong.
I walked around a bit checking out the shops and art galleries as well as the houses and rental accommodation (because I do plan to find myself back in this part of the world again). Then I went to the historic Duke of Marlborough hotel on the harbourfront to have lunch on their lovely old Victorian porch. I had the fish and chips along with a glass of Otuwhero Estate's "O:TU" savvie from Marlborough region. A bunch of leather clad bikers pulled up on their choppers and strutted up on to the porch and I thought maybe Russell was going to become raucous again (no worries as I knew where to find the policeman) but they ordered glasses of wine and sat around discussing the glorious weather. So much for this "hell hole".
After my lunch I went to Pompallier Mission which was started in 1839 by French Roman Catholic missionaries. I was pleasantly surprised to find it housed their book printing and binding facilities that have all been restored. They produced thousands of handmade leatherbound books in the Maori language like "Ko Te Ako me te Karakia o Te Hahi Katorika Romana (The Teachings and Prayers of the Roman Catholic Church)" over a period of eight years (really pissing off the Anglicans in the area who apparently made no effort to translate their teaching texts into Maori). The mission is New Zealand's oldest Catholic building and its oldest industrial building (since it housed the leather tannery and printing press).
Then I wandered up to the Anglican church, Christ Church, which is New Zealand's oldest church.
It is a lovely wooden church and bright and airy inside. All of the pews have needlepoint cushions on them that have been created by area women (and likely some men I suppose -- there must be a kiwi equivalent of Rosey Grier) with local flora, fauna, historic buildings etcetera featured on them.
The little graveyard was also nice to wander around. (Saw the graves of some of the Fullers -- who ran a boating company in the bay and whose descendents still run the company that I will be going out with tomorrow for my day tour on a boat.) I also really liked this gravestone for Minnie Eveline Ford who died at age three. I just really liked the inscription "Is it well with the child? It is well." Minnie died in 1876 but I thought of her today. And, because you are reading about her and seeing her grave in this photo, you are thinking of her. Minnie lives.
I caught the ferry back to Paihia (it is about a 15 minute ferry ride) and went to one of the local shops, Flying Fish Design Shop, where I bought a few little treats for myself. Great store with lots of New Zealand crafts and jewelry. I have a feeling I will be going back there again. Also popped into the local bookshop to look around and bought Elizabeth Jane Howard's new novel (I enjoyed her 'Cazalet Chronicles') and a copy of the latest issue of 'New Zealand Quilter' magazine for my mum. Then I popped back to my motel and put on my swimming cozzie and walked down the road around the bluff to a lovely beach and had myself a good swim. So nice to just bounce around in the waves and the water was nice and warm with the sun beating down upon it. Then I lay on my towel and read for about an hour and a half.
Came back to my room and sat on my little deck with my book and a glass of savvie and the motel cat (who I now know is called Sassy -- or Sassy Sally in full, as the daughter of the family who owns the motel named her). She's a talkative little cat and kept jumping in and out of my lap which was just fine with me. I picked up some fresh pasta and sun-dried tomato pesto at the grocery shop so am going to eat in tonight. Best go make my dinner now as it is going on 9 o'clock. Tomorrow morning I head out for a full-day boat trip to see the bay. The weather is supposed to be just as grand as it was today.
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