Moturua Island revisited: New Zealand marks 250 years since Captain Cook
by Lisa Benckhuysen 14 Nov 2019 17:40 PST
A calm day in the Bay of Islands. Most afternoons we enjoyed brisk winds and calm seas. Bliss! © Lisa Benckhuysen
Cruising in New Zealands's Bay of Islands in November we crossed wakes with the Tuia 250 Flotilla. What a thrill to turn on the AIS and see HMB Endeavour and Spirit of New Zealand approaching our anchorage at Moturua Island!
We then noticed a line of three historic oceangoing catamarans also coming into the bay: Vaa moana from Tahiti Faafaite (Tahiti Voyaging Society), Haunui (Te Toki Waka Hourua) and Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti (Te Kura Waka). R Tucker Thompson completed the flotilla on tour in New Zealand November 2-11. These vessels are part of the events surrounding the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Captain Cook in New Zealand and also celebrating the earlier navigational feats of Polynesians who fanned out across the islands of the Pacific.
Explorers were rightly impressed by the natural riches of this country and there is still a great deal for modern visitors to enjoy here. With its mild climate and protected cruising grounds, New Zealand's Bay of Islands offers a myriad of idyllic anchorages, dolphins, kelp forests and sea caves, as well as pleasant walks and important heritage sites.
Opua has a full spectrum of marine services and a large marina. Nearby Russell, with its pretty shops and cafes, was once a hub of the whaling industry. The larger town of Paihia is accessible by coastal walking track or by car.
Conservation projects are in evidence everywhere in New Zealand and here in the Bay of Islands, Project Island Song is bringing back the birdsong. New Zealand had no predatory mammals and the birds here were easy prey to introduced mice, rats and stoats.
A combination of community, government and volunteers began working in 2003 to eradicate pests, restore natural habitat, and reintroduce native bird species. I was lucky enough to see a Tieke with its bright orange shoulders and glossy black plumage. We didn't make the effort to go nightwalking to look for kiwis but we did see several wekas and it was clear these flightless birds would be easy game.
Some islands are still partly farmed and we met lots of sheep on our island rambles. You have exactly 15 seconds to get a nice picture of a fluffy lamb. After that it loses interest and will not look at you, no matter what odd noises you make.
Moturua Island is the site of possibly the oldest settlement in New Zealand. Archeological excavations have shown that it was occupied by early settlers from Polynesia who likely arrived in oceangoing catamarans similar to the ones in the current Tuia 250 flotilla.
The northeast anchorage here at Moturua Island was one of Cook's historic landfalls and a carved wooden monument was unveiled there on November 7. I got a look at it a couple of days before the unveiling as DOC workers were giving it a final scrub. I wonder what changes its carved eyes will witness over the next 250 years.