This is a very scenic area of InZid. We are now starting to talk just like the locals. We hope that we might run into an Eckadimmock (one who works in a university) but we only seem to run into Poms who are out here to see their family.
Yesterday, we went for a cruise that replicates the orignal ‘Cream Trip’, supplying outlying settlements throughout the area. The boat called in at many of the islands in the bay and dropped off supplies (lots of wine) , newspapers and picked up the mail. I expect that the original service was very necessary to support the struggling farmers in the area but now it seems that the boat delivers news and wine to the millionaires who can affod to own their own islands. However, it was a very enjoyable day.
Today, we jumped back into the ‘Rocket’ as we have nicknamed our 1996, 1500cc Toyota Corolla and drove up to Waitangi, where the orginal treaty with the Maoris was signed. This is an interesting place and very symbolic. It represents much of the origin of modern NZ. From there we caught the car ferry across to Russell which in many ways still looks like a town from the movies of the South Pacific. It is a delightful little place and well woth a visit. The buildings fronting the beach all have white picket fences and across from the narrow 1-lane road that runs past them is a grassy bank which leads to the sandy beach. This is a place straight out of one of the stories of James Michener. (Who’s he everyone younger than 30 will ask).
