DAY 38 - BAY OF ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 6, 2010

ORIGINALLY THERE WERE NO EXCURSIONS SCHEDULED FOR THIS PORT, AT LEAST WHEN I BOOKED OURS ONLINE BACK IN NOVEMBER. THERE WERE 2 OTHER PORTS IN THE SAME SITUATION BUT THINGS HAVE OPENED UP AND WE NOW HAVE TOURS AT ALL THE STOPS AND ARE ON THE WAITING LIST FOR ONE OF THE OTHER PORTS IN EGYPT.

WE TOOK THE NORTHLAND AND MAORI HISTORICAL EXCURSION. SOON AFTER GETTING OFF THE TENDER WE BOARDED OUR BUS FOR A STOP AT THE FIRST MISSIONARY CHURCH ESTABLISHED ON THE ISLAND.

THE CHURCH IS SEVERAL MILES OUT OF TOWN. IT IS VERY SIMPLE AND STILL VERY ACTIVE. THE PIPE ORGAN IS WELL KEPT AND DATES BACK TO THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CHURCH CREATION. SERMONS ARE DELIVERED FROM A PREACHERS BOX THAT LOOKS OUT OVER THE CONGREGATION. ALL ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH REMINDED GEORGIA AND ME OF THE COLONIAL CHURCHES IN WILLIAMSBURG, VA. EVEN DOWN TO THE BURIAL GROUNDS AROUND THE CHURCH.

THE ADJOINING PROPERTY CONTAINS THE SECOND OLDEST HOUSE ON THE ISLAND AND WAS THE RESIDENCES OF THE PASTOR, HIS FAMILY AND SOMETIMES 100’S OF OTHER PEOPLE. THE HOME IS STRICTLY FOR TOURIST NOW AND HAS BEEN EQUIPPED WITH ARTIFACTS OF THE PERIOD. AS WE ENTERED THE KITCHEN OUR EYES WERE DRAWN TO THE RACKS OF DISHES ON THE BACK WALL. THEY ARE EXACTLY LIKE THE BLUE DISHES WE HAVE AT HOME. GEORGIA’S MOTHER BOUGHT THEM FOR HER MOTHER YEARS AGO AND WHEN GRANDMA PASSED AWAY THEY WERE GIVEN TO GEORGIA. THE PATTERN IS CALLED BLUE WILLOW FROM LONDON, ENGLAND. GEORGIA ACTUALLY PICKED UP A PLATE AND TURNED IT OVER. YEP, IT IS THE SAME. GEORGIA ASKED THE GUIDE IF THESE WERE THE ACTUAL PLATES USED AT THAT PERIOD. THE ANSWER WAS YES. THE SETTING FOR THE HOME AND CHURCH ARE AS COUNTRY AS YOU CAN GET, PEACEFUL AND SERENE.

OUR NEXT STOP WAS THE MAORI CULTURAL CENTER. THIS WAS TRULY AND EDUCATION, LEARNING OF THE CUSTOMS AND ANCESTRY DATING BACK 100’S OF YEARS. WHEN THE MISSIONARIES CAME TO THE BAY OF ISLANDS THE MAORI HAD VERY LITTLE TROUBLE IN CONVERTING TO CHRISTIANITY AS MANY OF THERE OWN BELIEFS WERE VERY SIMILAR TO THE MISSIONARIES.

WE WERE NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER THE WHARE UNTIL INVITED BY A MEMBER OF THE WHARE COUNCIL. BEFORE ENTERING THE WHARE WE HAD TO REMORE OUR SHOES. THE WHARE IS THE SPIRITUAL MEETING HOUSE OF THE MAORI. THE MAORI BELIEVED IN GOD THE CREATOR AND MANY OF THEIR CARVINGS INDICATE, NOTED WITH THREE FINGERS, THE RECOGNITION OF THE TRIUNE GOD, FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST. THERE CEREMONY TO WELCOME US WAS STARTED WITH PRAYER TO THE LORD TO RECEIVE US IN PEACE, HEALTH AND SAFETY. THEY SANG “HOW GREAT THOU ART” TO US IN THEIR OWN TONGUE AS ANOTHER SIGN OF WELCOME.

OUR GUIDE, KENA, TRANSLATED THE GREETINGS FROM THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE WHARE MEETING HOUSE AND GAVE A DEEPER EXPLANATION OF THE FORMAL RITUAL THAT HAD JUST TAKEN PLACE. KENA CAN TRACE HIS ROOTS BACK 1000 YEARS TO ONE OF THE 7 CANOES CROSSING THE PACIFIC THE BAY OF ISLANDS.

KENA ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO BE OUR LEADER AND BOB FROM HAWAII VOLUNTEERED. HE GAVE OUR GREETINGS AND WE SANG “YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE” TO THEM. MORE GREETINGS WERE EXCHANGED AND WE ENDED BY SINGING AMAZING GRACE. THE ENTIRE PROCESS WAS ENDED AS OUR GROUP LINED UP TO SHAKE HANDS AND TOUCH NOSES AS IS CUSTOMARY IN THE MAORI CULTURE. WE FINISHED IN RECEPTION HALL FOR FRUIT, COOKIES AND DRINK. THIS WAS TRULY A MEMORY MAKER.

RE-BOARDING THE BUS IT WAS ONLY A SHORT DRIVE ACROSS THE SINGLE LANE BRIDGE AND UP THE HILL TO THE TREATY HOUSE. FILLED WITH 100’S OF ARTIFACTS FROM THE PERIOD THE HOUSE, ALTHOUGH BEING PARTIALLY RECONSTRUCTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, IS IN REMARKABLE SHAPE. REMNANTS OF SOME OF THE ORIGINAL STONE WALLS STILL STAND.

THE TREATY BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND THE MAORI WAS SIGNED ON FEBRUARY 6, 1840. (GRANNY WAS BORN ON THAT DATE IN 1918) IN 1845 THE MAORI REBELLED BECAUSE OF AN INTERPRETATION OF THE TREATY. THE MAORI, NOT BEING EDUCATED AND SOMEWHAT GULLIBLE, FELT THE ARRANGEMENT GAVE THEM THE RIGHT TO GOVERNOR THEMSELVES. THE ENGLISH DID NOT AGREE. THE FIGHTING LASTED FOR 32 YEARS.

AS ANOTHER SIDE NOTE, THE MISSIONARIES STAND IN VERY GOOD STED WITH THE MAORI EVEN TO THIS DAY. THEY ARE CREDITED WITH TEACHING THE MAORI HOW TO FARM, CARING FOR THEIR MEDICAL NEEDS AND SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS I DON’T REMEMBER.

THE CULTURAL TRUST THAT RUNS THE PROPERTY HAD A CEREMONIAL WHARE HOUSE BUILT FULLY COMPLETE WITH TRADITIONAL MAORI CARVINGS. UNLIKE THE WHARE HOUSE DESCRIBED ABOVE, WE WERE ALLOWED TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE INTERIOR. WE HAD TO REMOVE OUR SHOE BEFORE ENTERING THIS WHARE HOUSE ALSO.

GEORGIA AND I STROLLED THE GROUNDS AND EVENTUALLY FOUND OUR WAY TO THE BOAT HOUSE. MANY WAR CANOES WERE ON DISPLAY INCLUDING THE LARGEST WAR CANOE EVER CONSTRUCTED. IT IS WELL OVER 100 FEET IN LENGTH AND REQUIRES 140 MEN TO ROW.

RETURNING TO THE BOAT STARVING, WE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE LEDO DECK FOR FOOD. WE ATE ENOUGH THAT WE SKIPPED GOING TO THE DINING ROOM AGAIN. BECAUSE TOMORROW IS A PORT DAY SECOND DINNER PEOPLE HAVE THEIR SHOWTIME WHILE THE 1ST DINNER FOLKS HAVE DINNER. WE WENT TO THE LOUNGE FOR THE SHOW. BOB HOWE WAS BACK WITH HIS GUITAR IN AN ALL NEW SHOW.