After three days sailing the Tasman Sea, we were rested up and ready to explore our first port of call in New Zealand. Bay of Islands is exactly as the name suggests: a large bay dotted with islands. There are several small communities scattered over the islands and the mainland here, but none have a deep-water pier, so our ship, Royal Princess, would anchor in the bay, and we would tender to the local yacht club’s pier in Waitangi.

After perusing the shore excursions available to us through Princess Cruises, we decided to look at what Viator had to offer. We found a good variety of options, and across the board the fares were less than Princess’. We chose a five-and-a-half-hour tour that would hit the highlights of attractions in the region (and that promised to get us back to the pier on time); and although we were late getting to the meeting point on shore due to a medical issue that delayed the tender transfers, we found our guide patiently waiting until all on the tour had arrived.

This area is known both for its history and its natural wonders. Close by were the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where, in 1840, the British Crown’s representatives and 43 Maōri chiefs signed the first treaty between the colonial government and the indigenous people, and nearby Russell was the first colonial capital. Today many Auckland residents come here to vacation and enjoy the lush, subtropical forests; rolling hills; and lovely beaches and water sports. On this summer day in December, we faced cool, sometimes drizzly weather, and it felt more like a typical spring day in Oregon instead. No water sports on this day!

Our first stop was a visit to the Manginangina Scenic Reserve in the Puketi Forest. During our hour-long drive to get there, our driver-guide provided an interesting narrative that covered the history of the area, information about the unique flora and fauna, crops and industry, daily life and culture. At the reserve, we followed a wooden boardwalk into the heart of a kauri grove. These trees can be nearly 2,000 years old and rival our redwoods in height and girth. They once covered vast areas of New Zealand, but they were harvested to near-extinction by shipbuilders, and their native ecosystem has been severely damaged due to non-native species such as rats and possums and feral goats, cats and pigs. Trapping and other measures have reduced those populations and led to the recovery of many bird species including kiwis, tuis and fantails. We marveled not only at the massive kauris but also the lush growth at their feet. Rotting, fallen kauris served as hosts for other plants that took root in them, while ferns and other plants grew right out of trunks high above our heads.   I was especially enthralled by the tree ferns, some twenty or more feet tall, which provided a lovely, lacy canopy overhead.

Our next stop was the Kawiti Glow Worm Caves, a family-owned and -operated destination tucked in a valley and surrounded by pastures and kiwi vine gardens. A lush tangle of trees, vines and undergrowth partially masks the limestone cliffs surrounding the cave entrance. Sadly, we couldn’t take photos in the cave so as not to disturb the worms. Inside, small groups were guided along the pathways with just a few dim lanterns to help us find our way. A small stream trickled beneath the elevated walkway, and all around us were limestone formations, stalactites and stalagmites, damp and dripping and continuing to grow. As we went further into the cave and our eyes adjusted to the darkness, we were able to spot the glow worms (or, at least, their dimly glowing derrieres) high above us, spangled across the rocky ceiling like green-tinted stars in the heavens. In fact, one “room” was dubbed The Milky Way for the thick concentration of the creatures. It really was rather magical, and I was sorry we could not have spent more time there.

Because our tour had started late, we were able to only make brief stops at a few places, such as a sturdy-looking stone building, now a store but early in the 1800s the Kerikeri Mission Station.   Our guide explained that in early colonial times there were basically two factions operating in the settlement of the area: rough and wild traders and sailors, and missionaries determined to convert the Maōri people. We also missed out on a stop at a local chocolatier (darn!), but we did make a lunch stop at what our guide described as a very typical eatery for New Zealanders. According to him, Kiwis are very fond of their pies (meaning hand pies or meat pies), and he brought us to the Kerikeri Bakehouse and Café. It seemed to be doing a booming business, but the line moved quickly enough, and we were able to peruse the extensive choices of sausage rolls and meat pies    (as well as a case full of pastries and desserts) before we ordered. We found the pastry itself flaky and light and the fillings generous and tasty, all at very reasonable prices. Suitably fortified, our driver turned us back toward Waitangi, making a stop at Haruru Falls so we could stretch our legs and admire the not-too-tall but pretty little falls. As we headed back to the ship, our driver took us a bit off the official route to offer us a nice view of our ship at anchor in the bay.  Then, as promised, he got us back to the pier in time to catch one of the last tenders back to the Royal Princess. Not long after, we began to sail out of the bay, passing between the islands and on our way to our next port: Auckland.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor