VictoriaApril 16
Whangarei (pronounced Fuhng•uh•ray) is the gateway city to the Bay of Islands, our next stop.
The rugby team was quiet at 10 p.m. and for the rest of the night. Shortly after we woke up but before we were dressed, we heard the team chanting a haka, which is an ancient ceremonial Māori dance that includes chanting, stomping and facial gestures. It is a significant part of the Māori culture and is performed at many events across the country. We weren’t quick enough to capture a video but it was pretty cool to hear. You may remember that funny video from the All Blacks Experience a few days ago with us doing a haka with the team. Here’s what they look like:
It was a beautiful 70 degree sunny day. We went to the Whangarei Quarry Gardens, a 60 acre subtropical garden in the remnants of a former quarry.
We strolled the trails lined with native NZ and exotic plants and flowers and admired the work of the volunteers who made it all happen.
After the gardens, we walked around the Town Basin which is the main shopping area down at the marina.
The Claphams National Clock Museum stole an hour of our time (hardy har har).
Founded by Archie Clapham, the museum is one of the largest collections of timepieces in the southern hemisphere, with over 1,400 clocks. There was a lot of ticking and chiming and we even saw a cuckoo or two.
Fortunately the clocks were all set to different times otherwise the sound would be deafening!
Next we stopped at Whangarei Falls, an 85 foot high waterfall that cascades over 200 million year old basalt cliffs into an emerald colored pool.
During a dry summer, there is apparently little to no water. Dubbed by many as NZ’s most photogenic waterfall, we knew we had to check it out since it was nearby.
The falls were flowing fairly strongly but I didn’t think they earned the aforementioned title of one of NZ’s best. We took a short hike down to snap some photos and then headed out.
Back at the campsite, we cooked dinner and relaxed in our “living room.” The rugby team showed up around 7 p.m. and whether they were boisterous from a victory, or rowdy from a defeat, they were LOUD. We didn’t tell them to pipe down, since it wasn’t officially quiet hours yet and technically they weren’t doing anything wrong, apart from lighting off firecrackers and playing practical jokes on each other as they ran all over the park.
The people in the motorhome next to us started up their engine and left. One of the coaches finally told the boys to go in their rooms, pack up and quiet down. Around 9 p.m. we were able to hear ourselves think again.
We had to be up early for a tour, so we watched a show and headed to bed early.
