Chatham Islands birthday trip

 

The Chatham Islands is a group of several islands with a population of about 600, most of who live on Chatham Island. It is part of NZ, way out there in the Pacific, 860km due east of Christchurch. It's one of the most isolated places on Earth and that remoteness influences everything.

We went for a week on a group tour and it was fabulous. We drove to Auckland so got a road trip as well, via Hamilton on the way up and Coromandel, Putaruru, and Taupo on the way back.

So far this is the oldest I've ever been:

We ventured out every day with about 20 others in an old tour bus and bounced over most of the island's gravel roads learning about history, geology, flora and fauna, environment,  farming, fishing, community, rust, and isolation.

It's a marine environment.

The main town, Waitangi, with Hotel Chatham at the bottom of the road next to a fish factory, and the wharf beyond.

Looking back at Waitangi town.

Some of the group walking back to the hotel, past a weather beaten sign. 

The bus at one of our stops, with Mish and a buoy we picked up on the road.

On a path down to a beach. 

The Chathams is the first place in the world to see the sunrise of a new day. It was a big deal here January 1 2000. Mish on our hotel balcony at sunrise.

Looking down at me photographing the sunrise beneath our hotel room.

The view from our room across the bay at sunset.

Here's some experiences.

A half day fishing trip, where Mish and I just gawked at Buller mollymawks while the others hauled in 40 blue cod on lines. Too easy.  The birds are a pretty Chatham Island albatross, they know a fishing boat when they see one. 

The skipper filleted the cod while we motored back to harbour on auto pilot. The fillets were frozen and divvied up for the group to take home, while the fins were smoked and we had them for lunch a few days later. The mollymawks got fed.

Then a royal albatross arrived! What a beauty. 

Heading back, filleting blue cod with an entourage.

Still on fish, the hotel's rental cars are all named. 

Coffee stop after fishing. 

We went out to farms and properties where the owners talked about work and play on the Chathams and what it is like to live in a remote area. The supply ship from NZ comes about twice a month and is due for replacement (which the locals are thrilled about), and the 34 seat Saab plane comes several times a week.

Mish found some beautiful blue shark teeth fossils on Blind Bills beach in the lagoon.

There are wild horses and pigs and cows roaming around. Emu from a failed venture. Rare birds and rare plants. Seals and whales. No goats, no wasps, no rabbits.

Wild horses living their best life. 

We watched sheep walking along the wharf to the ship that came and went in the week we were there. The horses and wild cows are culled now and then and everyone loves a pig hunt. Weka are food too.

Chatham Island shags hanging out at the archeologist's place.

It's a windswept island, a peat filled volcanic landscape, known for its changeable weather that can alter plans daily. We had the sheer luck to have a week of mild weather with six drops of rain one morning. 

Ancient volcanoes all over the landscape. 

If your car or boat or tractor carks it, you just leave it to rust away.

One of several wrecked boats at Port Hutt.

Barns have to weather the elements and just keep going, because replacing anything aint  quick and easy.

Splatter rock (pillow basalt lava).

Bold and black basalt columns.

Hotel dinners were fun - high quality and delicious. Lots of fish of course, with crayfish and blue cod  and paua starring. Dinner at 6pm - except for the day the power went out, and staff still managed the full meal a bit later. Our group snaffled the best tables, beating the cycling tour group who were also staying at the hotel. We coated the cyclists in road dust a few times but they were cheerful.

The hotel owner's dog, Peggy Sue, had the run of the place, and is here being hopeful in the  dining room.

Breakfast in the hotel was a bun fight. We had picnic lunches on the road, dropped in to someone's living room one day for treats, and on the last day had a delicious bbq in the hotel's big garden/nursery area. They grow as much as they can in sheltered sunny spaces. We asked the hotel what they'd like people to bring in when they visit the Chathams = lemons and avocados! We took books for the main primary school.

Outlook from our hotel room.

We had a talk from an archeologist at her property one day. She and her husband, like  others on the island, have planted a hundred thousand natives on their land. She explained some Moriori history.

Moriori were the first arrivals to the islands. Like Maori, they came from the Marquesas area of the Pacific and they arrived at the island they called Rekohu via NZ around 800 years ago. French and English ships began to arrive late 1700s. Then came the whalers and the sealers. Maori paddled over in 1835 and that was disastrous for the peaceful Moriori.

Little physical evidence remains of the pre European Moriori: dendroglyphs and petroglyphs like these seal like carvings into rock. 

A main benefit of being in a tour group was access to places in private ownership, which is most of the island.  

There we go, hiking over another paddock to get down to the petroglyphs on the coast.

Moriori are a definite presence still on the islands and they are determined to reclaim their rights in NZ law. The relationship of Moriori, Maori, and pakeha is complicated but calm.

Carol being 70.

And leaving.

We had two terrific guides on the island. Here's a reflection of our cheery leader and driver waving at everyone we passed.

What a great week!