Day 35, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

 

Pulling into the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.  First of six New Zealand ports

One of the over 100 islands in this bay

Not all of the islands are big

New Zealand Navy Inshore Patrol Vessel

Getting closer to docking

View of  a few islands

Tickets for the Glow Worm Cave and Puketi Kauri Forrest

Tender boat dropped to take us to shore.

View of the boat as the tender brought us inshore

A meteorite that landed nearby in the village that was brought to the caves

Rob was one of the lantern holders 

No pictures are allowed past the first section of the cave because the caves in this area were used as burial sites and are sacred. Pictures that Toni took before we weren't supposed to take pictures.

Some people didn't listen and then posted them on the World Cruise Facebook site

Close up from the brochure that the cave gave out.

Outside the cave, there were a certain type of tree.  The said there is always one near the burial caves.  These trees have both male and female trees that will be near each other.  Rob is in front of the mail tree with in single trunk. Toni is in front of the female tree that splits into many trunks and branches.

We then went into Pukepukerau, a local town, with time from a drink and snack.

First stop was the unique restrooms the town had

Tile art?

Time to taste a local ale and a stop at a bakery for some cookies

Next Stop was the Forest for a guided walk

These trees are one of the largest growing trees in the world and can survive for 2000 years and grow to about 15-20 feet in diameter.  These trees are unique because they drop their lower branchs and do not leave knots in the wood. Unfortunately all of the big 2000 year old trees were cut down by the British and mostly exported out of New Zealand. The tree below was about 6 feet in diameter. and only about 750 years old.

Many of the people on the bus were trying to talk the bus drive/tour guide for a detour to get ice cream.  Didn't work

Heading back to the Bay of Islands

Once back in town, we visited a Fish and Chips shop that the Tour Guide recommended.  Hoki is a local fish. We got the C5 with an extra oyster so we had 2 of everything.  One New Zealand dollar us equal to 63 cents US.  

In most of our Maryland seafood places, they cover the tables with paper. The food here comes all wrapped in paper. You take to the table, unwrap, and you have a covered table and feast.  It is a good thing we only got one because this was a lot of food! Actually the two of us couldn't finish. But it was all local seafood!

The town had an outdoor market. It is not an every week market but they do one every time a cruise ship docks.

When we got back to where we would take the tender back to the ship, we found that there was about three hundred passengers in line. It was about 45 minutes before the latest time for us to get there.  I guess everyone was enjoying the town.  The line went all the way to the local Yacht club.  So that presented a chance for Rob to try another local beer.

Finally on the tender and on the way back to the ship.

After getting onboard and still full from the Fish and Chips, we decided to celebrate the sail-away from our balcony with a drink and Chips and Guacamole.  Toni with a Pina Colada and Rob with a Dirty Banana (tastes like a Chocolate and Banana Milkshake)

Passing a smaller boat as we pulled out.

The scenery of these 100+ islands was remarkable

The Hole in Wall island

The birds that followed us out and the calm sea made for some great pictures.  And we finally got to see some dolphins.

The Sun setting.  

After clearing bay and all the islands, turned south toward Auckland.