We have only had to use an alarm a couple of time during the whole time we have been away, but this morning was an early start as we were being picked up at 07.50 to be taken to Paihia in order to catch the ‘Cream Tour’ around the Bay of Islands. It’s still called the Cream Tour as in 1927a ship was used to collect the milk and cream from the dairies on the islands and deliver empty churns. Some aspiring person thought that the growing number of tourists would like to go on the boats and even more revenue could be made on these daily runs. When the boats stopped collecting milk as the dairies closed down on the islands, it was seen fit to continue the routes, but just for tourists; hence the Cream Tour. Even today, the tourist boats are used to deliver the mail and essential supplies to the islands, just as they are in Marlborough Sound and Abel Tasman in South Island.
As we left the motel unit and walked to the entrance to the campsite, there was just a hint of rain in the air, but the clouds were definitely breaking up. Our driver picked us up just a little after 07.50 and we were in Paihia by 08.30 for a 09.15 departure. So with a little time to kill and the rain ceasing we stood on the jetty and watched the tour boats come and go along with the dive and fishing boats. At 09.15 we boarded the boat and before long we were on our way to Russell on the opposite side of the bay to pick up a couple more passengers. Part of the trip was to go dolphin watching and for those who wish to part with more of their hard earned, they could swim with the dolphins. As we left Russell the captain, who was a lady; our second on this holiday, said that dolphins had been sighted not too far away and we would head for them straight away. Those who were going to swim with the dolphins went off to get changed into wetsuits etc. In the meantime off we went to find the pod of dolphins. I guess these skippers know exactly where these various mammals and animals hang out, as we found a substantial pod of dolphins within a few minutes and they soon gathered round the boat. The skipper lowered the boom net, something that can only be described as a giant net hammock over the side that was suspended between two poles extending from the side if the boat. Into this hammock jumped the paying swimmers and hanging on for dear life, off we went amongst the dolphins.
Then they were cast into the ocean to swim freely amongst the dolphins. Unlike the parks in Florida and other similar places, these are wild dolphins and you are not allowed to touch them, even if you could as they contract diseases very easily and the NZ conservation dept forbids any such action. They also do not allow skippers to put people into the water if there are baby dolphins in the pod as their mortality rate is as much as 40% before reaching maturity, so the last thing they need is human viruses to reduce it even more.
These dolphins were the regular bottlenose variety and were not quite as lively as the Dusky variety we saw off Kaikoura with the whales, although one or two did oblige with a couple of jumps out of the water. After their paying swim they were called back into the hammock and then onto the boat, whilst we headed off to the next stop. Because of the cyclone that has been lingering around, the sea had quite a good swell running and although there were no ‘white horses’, once we were out of the shelter of the islands and into the open ocean, the boat did start to move around a little. We were heading for the ‘Hole in the Rock’, which was right at the end of an outcrop where the islands start. Normally the skipper will take the boat through the hole in the rock, but as there was a significant swell running and therefore huge amounts of white water, it was not possible to do so, but we did get pretty close.
Once back in the relative calm of the islands we went alongside at Urupukapuka island for lunch and a stretch of the legs. Fully refreshed from our packed lunch, we were soon off and almost immediately came across one of our favourite birds that we have come across in NZ – the little blue penguin. One solitary bird was flapping around close to a flock of cormorants, then without notice, down it goes looking for food.
Of course the problem is, you have no idea where it will resurface, so it’s easily lost in the swell. We cruised round numerous other islands, each with its own history attached to it and well recited by the skipper and crew members.
One more bit of water torture was to be endured by anyone wishing to be trawled along in the boom net alongside the boat, but this time at high speed. There were four willing volunteers who jumped into the net and stood up, pulling the net up on each side, so they were like a filling inside a wrap. With the victims Holding on for double dear life the skipper pulled back the throttles and off we went with the human cargo skimming through the waves alongside. Slowing to a stop the victims changed to holding the front of the net and that was the skippers sign to pull harder on the throttles and do her best to dislodge the victims from the front of the net.
Partially successful, the young lady victim lost her grip with one hand and repeatedly disappeared under the water forcing skip to call an end to the cabaret.
With everyone back on board we headed off for the final few islands and returned to Paihia around 4.30, just in time to be collected and returned to our campsite after what has been a most enjoyable day.
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