Bay of Islands still…

Jamie and I still had two days left at the timeshare, so we borrowed the bicycles and rode around to Waitangi and the Treaty House one day – the Treaty of Waitangi was signed on 6^th February 1840 between the British Crown and Maori chiefs from the North Island intending to recognise Maori ownership of their lands and give them the rights of British subjects, however some details were lost in translation from English to Maori, Maori to English and the Treaty has caused a great deal of consternation and legal issues over the years. Waitangi Day was declared a national holiday in 1974 and commemorates the date of the signing of the treaty.

We spent the next day cycling over to Opua – the port where we had initially intended to make landfall in New Zealand – an easy 7km ride.  Well, if it were flat, or if I were fit it would have been, perhaps. There are three or four hills – and the last of these is endless – especially when your legs are screaming – Stop, Stop, Stop. There was absolutely no way on God’s earth I was going to cycle back over them – I would rather have my fingernails pulled off one by one!!

We wandered around the marina, it has been developed since we were here in 2012 and the facilities looked superb. We scoped out the fuel dock and figured it would be a good place to pick up and drop off visitors. Finding there was a little track round the headland back to Paihia we decided this would be our route back. All started out well, nice bush track, ride some, walk the tricky bits – except the tricky bits got more and more so the further along the track we went – we ended up carrying the bikes in places. Never again I sooked!

Adventures around Paihia, Waitangi and Opua - by pushbike

Thursday night heralded the arrival of Marnie and Dylan, back with their good friends Claire and Barry from Cobram, Northern Victoria and Friday we moved out of “The Bish” (as Jamie has always called it) back to SOL and we were off sailing again.

Leaving Paihia on a grey morning (we seem to have had a lot of these) we motored in no wind to Awaawaroa Bay, stopping to do some drift fishing on the way – and yes, much to Barry’s delight we landed 4 good sized snapper to bake for dinner. Once anchored the paddleboards were unloaded, the Aussie tattoos applied, the boxing kangaroo blown up and secured to the front of one paddleboard and the Australia Day Celebrations began!!

Next morning, we had some wind so it was sails up and off to the Hole in the Rock, which we sailed around stopping to watch a couple of tourist boats go through the “hole” then it was back to more fishing before anchoring and again enjoying aforementioned fish. On waking next morning, we were greeted with the sight of a strange woman doing yoga on the beach – Otehei Bay will in future be known as “Up Dog Bay”.

Barry in his element - Fishing!!

Dylan catching dinner

It is such a pleasure to share SOL with the children, their friends and our friends. We had a super time with them all, before leaving SOL on the mooring in Paihia and driving to the apartment in Auckland for my dad’s funeral.

On 25^th January my father had died. He had been unwell for some time, in a rest home with dementia and although it was so very sad to have him gone there is no way he would have wanted to end his life in the way he did so it was with very mixed emotions we prepared to go back to Auckland for his funeral on the 30^th. He had given us a super childhood with summers at Kawau and winter skiing trips, and although he is gone we are left with many, many memories. I thank him for my interest in this sailing life.

Thomas Francis Turnwald 
18 April 1928 - 25 January 2018