Once reaching Miramar Peninsula and begin to enter Fitzroy Bay, we are given the send-off wave by Pencarrow Head. It isn’t a world’s largest, but it is the oldest lighthouse in New Zealand (1859). The beginning of our open water portion of the voyage remains quite close to the North Island until we pass Sinclair Head, the haul-out area for NZ seals (fur not military). Welcome to the scary part of the trip: the Karori Rip. We have delved a bit into the major catastrophes around this area but not the actual rip itself. The Karori Rip is an “area of tidal turbulence just off Cape Terawhiti caused by the ocean currents. As these deep currents are forced quickly to the surface when they meet the shallow waters near Karori Rock on the southwest coast, they create a stretch of rough water when the tide flows. There are also upwellings of water to the surface when deep currents are forced along the Cook Strait between New Zealand’s North and South Islands. Loved by fisherman and feared by helmsman, the Karori Rip can be seen in windy weather, and is also possible to spot as a rougher patch of water in calm seas”. Captain Cook experienced her mighty force after leaving Queen Charlotte Sound in 1770 when he narrowly avoided disaster.
The Endeavor was becalmed when the wind dropped and our lovely rip tide threatened to carry the ship to the bottom with the help of The Brothers, a formidable rock formation. Although the weather was overcast with a bit of rain and I kept having film reels from the Te Papa museum of shipwrecks run through my mind, we were fortunate to sail on moderate seas in the safety and comfort of the Karori Rip…….Bar.
After barely escaping with our lives from the rip we enter Rauteawa, believed to be a mere inlet by Abel Tasman in 1642, that is a 22km strait that in true explorer fashion is renamed after it’s European discoverer: Cook Strait. Perhaps, since I am now exploring it, we should rename it once again to Caldwell Strait (got a nice ring to it!). Because our direction of travel is opposite to his, Cooks lookout has yet to arrive but bare with me.
Cook Strait is 22km wide at its narrowest point and has an average depth of 128m (420 feet). The origin and meaning of the Maori name has been obscured over time. What we do know is that the English name first appeared on Cook’s charts in 1770. Cook confirmed the existence of the strait when, from Ship Cove, he climbed to the top of a hill on Arapawa Island and saw clear passage to the East. The strait can be flat, calm and peaceful. However, it is frequently subjected to strong winds with an average of 22 gales each year.
One of the many highlights of the strait is that it is home to more than 20 species of whale. Southern Right whales, so common in the 1800’s, that while “rooting” in the strait a visitor lodged a formal complaint that they kept him awake all night! Branching off a bit from Cook, this was whale-hunting territory from the 1790’s until 1964. This, in turn, brings us to another one of NZ’s oldest. The first shore-based whaling station was established in 1820 at Te Awaite in Tory Channel. Originally the whalers targeted the Southern Right, but once their numbers started to decrease the range grew to include a broader scale composed of Humpback, Sperm, and Blue. After the last of the whaling stations closed, there have been signs of recovery with an average of 300 migratory Humpbacks now using the strait each year. My hopes were high, but unfortunately I wasn’t lucky enough to see one. Although the strait is known for its whales, there is another mammal that is equally as well known: Pelorus Jack. The first Wellington PJ, not to be confused with the film director, was a well-loved dolphin.
Taken straight from factoidz: “Pelorus Jack was a Risso dolphin, a beakless species quite rare in New Zealand. In fact, there may have been only ever twelve Risso dolphins sighted in that part of New Zealand. For 24 years Pelorus Jack escorted ships sailing between Wellington and Nelson. He escorted them throughout the eight-kilometer journey from the entrance of Pelorus Sound in the Marlborough Sounds to the beginnings of the treacherous waters of French Pass between D’Urville Island and the mainland. He loved to swim up against the boats and playfully ride the bow waves. PJ became so famous that tourists would make the trip from Wellington, especially to see him. In 1910 he even appeared on the cover of the Christmas issue of the London News. In New Zealand a postcard was produced depicting the dolphin. Pelorus Jack led ships safely through the strait during a time when shipwrecks were quite common, and is believed to be the first ever sea creature protected by law. An incident did happen in 1904, when someone aboard the SS Penguin shot at the dolphin with a rifle. Fortunately his shot missed its mark and no harm was done. However, although PJ continued to guide other ships, he never again helped the Penguin. The Penguin eventually shipwrecked in 1909. After this incident, law protected all Risso dolphins in Cook Strait. In September of 1904 an Order-in-Council under the Sea Fisheries Act was passed, specifically to protect Pelorus Jack. The last time PJ was seen was in 1912. His disappearance was a mystery, although many rumors circulated about what happened to him. The most likely reason for his disappearance is that he died a natural death from old age. He was believed to have been at least 25, which is about the average lifespan of Risso dolphins. Other stories include a local lighthouse keeper seeing the carcass of a washed up dolphin and a man, in later years talked of how, as a boy, he’d helped his father kill a stranded dolphin after a storm.
No matter what did become of Pelorus Jack, he will remain a NZ legend. Since 1989 the Interisland ferries (which I am on) traveling between the North and South Islands have been adorned with the symbol of a dolphin, no doubt that Pelorus will continue his service of protection.”
There is yet another mammal that swims the strait. The first person reputed to swim the strait from Kapiti Island to Rangitotu was a Ngati Kuia woman named Hinepoupou in the 18th century. She apparently swam for 3 days and was accompanied on her journey by another famous dolphin: Kahurangi. At some point in the 1830’s, another Maori is said to have swum back to the South Island in an Alcatrazesque prison escape. That being established, the first recorded successful swim was completed by Barrie Devenport in November of 1962 with a time of 11 hours and 20 minutes. Since then the feat has been accomplished more than 70 times, the fastest of which was 4 hours and 37 minutes (which is amazing considering my ferry crossing is a 3.5 hour trip). The youngest swimmer to complete the challenge was 11.
Once successfully completing the first leg of the crossing, it was time for breakfast. An explorer must have sustenance and my breakfast of choice is the “traditional” kiwi breakfast (mainly because it was on special for $10). It consisted of scrambled eggs, 2 sausages, 2 pieces of bacon, baked tomato, and a hash brown wedge (which I got two in place of the toma-toe). And I gotta tell ya, it was pretty darn tasty! As I finished my well-balanced meal of meat, eggs, and more meat we arrived at the beginning of the South Island. The first bay we reached was Whekenui Bay, the final resting place of Kupe’s giant octopus. As we entered the channel I discovered the oldest whaling station established in the 1820’s (Te Awalte) and the Perano Whaling Station that is currently being restored. Although there are a few scattered homes and businesses, it is very much the same as when Cook arrived. What an amazing site. The Marlborough Sound is the northern fjordlands and considered to look similar to Norway, minus the glaciers. With its rugged slopes laced in a green blanket and accompanied by jagged, rocky shores, the view is breathtaking.
As we progress through Tory Channel, named after Capt. Edward Chaffers ship Tory (which surveyed the area in 1839), we not only pass the historical location of John and Elizabeth Guard’ s whaling station of the 1820’s but also the modern businesses of mussel and oyster farms. New Zealand is renown for their green-lipped mussels, which are considered to be one of the finest eating mussels in the world. And from personal experience, they are pretty damned good! As we reach Cook’s Lookout, the route map reminds me to point out another “colorful” part of the Cook trip and local history. At this point on my adventure I am listening to one of my favorite podcasts thanks to my friend Tim: This American Life. The episode is focused on fathers. With multiple stories about people’s relationships with their fathers, the highlight was a story involving a young woman and her American immigrant father. The premise, which is a true account, is facing the issue of a father being able to say the words “I Love You” to his kids. Belonging to the Jewish faith, the man’s cantor set forth a challenge to the dad of calling his children every day for a month and admits that he loves them. You’d have to listen to the episode, but the daughter saved the messages on her machine and they are hysterical! “Naomi, this is the third day, and I missed yesterday. So I am telling you I love you twice. Once for yesterday and I love you once for today. I cannot wait till the month is over”. This was his second message, which would be his last!
It was right about now that I noticed this sign. Yikes! Anyway, with the advantage of modern technology, I proceeded to laugh my way through Tory channel, but Captain Cook’s experience was not nearly as amusing. What exactly took place at Grass Cove in the Queen Charlotte sound on the 17th of October 1773 may never be fully known. The known points are that some of his crew formed a landing party and none would return. One of the misfortunate swabbies was a Mr. Woodhouse and his dog. The incident unfolded to Cook through the eyes of Burney, one of his crew that landed after the incident. Part of his eyewitness account:
inquired of them about the boat, to which they pretended ignorance. They appeared very friendly here & sold us some fish. Within an hour after we left this place, in a small beach adjoining Grass Cove we saw a very large double canoe just haul up, with 2 men & a dog. The men on seeing us left their canoe & ran up into the Woods—this gave one reason to suspect I should here get tidings of the Cutter. We went ashore & search’d the canoe where we found one of the Rullock ports of the Cutter and some shoes, one of which was known to belong to Mr. Woodhouse, one of our Midshipmen. One of the people at the same time brought me a piece of meat, which he took to be some of the Salt Meat belonging to the Cutter’s Crew. On examining this & smelling to it I found it was fresh. Mr. Fannin (the Master) who was with me supposed it was Dog’s flesh & I was of the same opinion, for I still doubted their being cannibals, but we were soon convinced by most horrid & undeniable proofs—a great many baskets (about 20) laying on the beach tied up, we cut them open: some were full of roasted flesh and some of fern root, which serves them for bread. On further search we found more shoes & a hand, which we immediately knew to have belonged to Thos Hill one of our Forecastlemen, it being marked T. H. with an Otaheite tattow instrument. I went with some of the people a little way up the Woods, but saw nothing else. Coming down again was a round spot covered with fresh earth about 4 feet diameter, where something had been buried. Having no spade we began to dig with a Cutlass, in the meantime I launched the canoe with an intention to destroy her, but seeing a great smoke ascending over the nearest hill, I got all the people in the boat and made what haste I could to be with them before sunset.
As we round Diefenbach Point (named after NZC surgeon and naturalist, Dr. Ernst Dieffenbach), near the end of our treacherous journey through Tory Channel and arrive in the Queen Charlotte Sound, I finish the podcast and become more and more engrossed in one of the most popular holiday areas. Queen Charlotte sound is the easternmost of the main sounds and is formed in a drowned river valley. She is known for her calm waters and is quite popular among sailing enthusiasts. Also, this is the point in our adventure that we come across a vessel of explorers that have preceded us, but we are most likely on a different mission: To obtain a camper van!
Once reaching Shakespeare Bay and making landfall of my own in Picton, I jump on a bus for yet another long commute to the city of Nelson. Along the way I enjoy a quick view of Marlborough County. The most notable thing about Marlborough, besides the sound, is their world-class Sauvignon Blanc. It is a “region of beauty, where water, wine and wilderness combine to create a relaxing escape. It is an environmental haven, with winding waterways, sheltered bays and native forests and includes the famous Queen Charlotte Track. Inland, the Wairau and Awatere Plains sweep towards rugged mountains, carpeted in vineyards, olive groves and cherry trees. Marlborough is abundant with local produce from wild meats (all introduced, non-native) and seafood to nut oils and heritage vegetables”. Unfortunately, due to the available time for my stay, I had to appreciate it from the window seat of a bus! However, after a two-and-a-half hour ride my freedom was restored after meeting a very charming man from Virginia and purchasing the sought after Delica.
And, of course, the first thing on the agenda was finding an amazing fishing spot! After referring to my sacred bible of fishing spots, X Spot, I ended up in an amazing little spot named cable bay. The road to cable bay is that of the typical NZ back roads in that they are anything but straight. Also true is, at the end of every back road is a treasure to be explored. When I reached cable bay it was stunning, but a wee bit different. This particular bay uses the road as a retaining wall. On the left is the rounded bay with the waves lightly crashing on the rock beach and on the right is a marshy swampland that seems ideal for mollusks. Under the description of spot 6 or 7 in the X spot, you park in the parking area and venture down the beach 400m. Once here you will need to cast a minimum of 50m to clear the underwater rock shelf and reach the sand. As described I made my way down the beach to what I believed would be aproximately 400m (still working on the realization of the metric system so not actually sure how far I went) and set up shop. It wasn’t the ideal day for fishing, a bit cloudy with a persistent drizzle. Still, no day fishing is a bad day fishing. So like usual I sat like a jerk in the rain waiting for a jerk on the line. Nothing. Not a bit, byte, strike or hit. The book said that it was the best at dawn and dusk, and being that the sun was beginning to go down, I stuck around for quite awhile, but nothing ever came of it…… well not at least as fishing is concerned. So, what I forgot to mention is that once I parked in the designated area and made my way to the trailhead there was a sign that stated the trail was closed till September for “sheeping”. Not a problem just took the beach route and made myself comfortable. However, and I am not proud of this portion of my adventure, as I proceeded to tempt the lil creatures of the sea with a variety of squid, pilchards and trevally, the tide had continued to come in. I knew that high tide was on its way but hadn’t realized how far it actually had come in by the time it was starting to get dark! Oops! So, as I made my way back down the beach towards the van I came upon a problem, the walk-able portion of the beach was well underwater with an impassible monolith directly between the water and hillside. I gave it a few attempts to see if there was another way around. The only other option that I saw was climbing the electric fence into the “sheeping” and hope for the best. Well, as with all captains, you must be able to make hard decisions. Cook had The Brothers during a Windfall and I have High Tide in Cable Bay. Mom would be proud, but I took off my shoes and socks and put them in the cooler with the array of fishing baits and proceeded to enter the water. Let me remind you, for those folks not in the Southern Hemisphere, of our proximity to Antarctica and the fact that it is winter. The water was COLD! But a captain must stick to his guns and trudge on through his hard decision. Making sure that I did not loose my footing and end up nose deep, I slowly made my way around the monolith as the waves continued to crash against my miserable self. Not to bad thus far. As I reached the final stretch of the monolith there it was….. a very small cove before the second monolith. Shit, forgot about that one. Now it was inevitable, I’m gonna get soaked. Three steps later the water has now risen to the jewels! Anywho, eventually I did make it to the beach in full jaw chatter and proceeded to the van. One small problem. Being that I was only coming across for all of a day and a half, I only brought one pair of pants! Yup, no shorts, no extra boxers, just a bag with an extra t-shirt and pair of socks. Fortunately I did have a pair of long underwear that I had brought just in case it turned a bit chilly (refer to previous blog and the camping in the car scenario). In true fashion, my new adorned outfit would be a pair of long underwear, T-shirt, and a half soaked jacket. I planned on using whatever inner parts of the van I could to dry the clothes overnight and all would be good. Well….. half way back into Picton while trying to find a place to camp, the vehicle decided it was running out of gas even though the gauge said 1/4 of a tank. Perfect. It just so happens that I was reasonably close to a gas station, but here is the kicker. One of the endearing things about most of New Zealand is it has the vibe that I imagine the US had in the fifties. It is easy to find a mom n’ pop dinner or a great little café. The people are extremely welcoming and until recently crime has been almost absent. These are the good things. What comes along with that quaintness is hours of operation. The majority of stores close between 5 and 6pm, and this includes petrol stations. Now, in most places throughout the states it doesn’t matter what time you need to fill up because they have that absolutely outstanding invention called a card reader. In most of the countryside of Aoetorea these do not exist. Dilemma. Do I go for it and chance running out of gas tonight and hope for a car reader or do I simply pull over and wait until manana. The two biggest factors in the mix are that it may get cold this evening and using the heater will require petrol and there was another fishing spot along the way that the X said was good after dark. Screw it! I went for it and got lucky. Made it to the gas station with the van kickin and spittin. It was during this time, nozzle running, that I received a call from the gentleman that I bought it from in an attempt to warn me about the gas gauge. He had forgotten to tell me, and it had occurred to him at work, that the gas gauge was off and that 1/4 of a tank means empty. I appreciated the call.
With my sails full of petrol octane I continued down the road to that little spot in the book and it was near the same scenario: beautiful place and no fish. Well, it was now pushing 2 am and I decided to get a little bit closer to Picton and camp. Low and behold I found a great spot that didn’t have the annoying “no camper van parking” signs and called her quits.
When I woke in the morning this particular parking spot happened to have a pier attached to it. Wahoo! So, let me introduce you to camper fishing. It is truly awesome. After gathering your gear in the usual fashion, build the 12-foot pole, bait, hook, sinker, cast and set. Now add the awesome factor! As it had the whole trip, it was still raining. I pulled the van up as close as I could get to the little pier and sat, comfortably with the heater running while watching my pole diligently through the front windshield waiting for a strike. This time I did get a few hits, but nothing worth mentioning. So the fishing spot at Grove Arm Jetty wasn’t happening but, I did get to indulge in a bit of camper fishing and it was glorious!
As our misadventures continue I did stumble across a rather interesting locale: Kaipupu Point. Taken from the informational sign,
Kaipupu is one of many places around Marlborough Sounds and Aotearoa New Zealand that has an association with Kupe the early Polynesian explorer. Kupe (as we have already discussed) is credited with discovering Aotearoa after a long and hazardous journey across the Great Ocean of Kiwa (pacific Ocean) – navigating by the sun by day and the stars by night, the early Polynesian explorer sighted Aotearoa. As described in Maori mythology, Kupe was chasing the giant wheke, or octopus, and his pursuit brought him to this point. Here he feasted on periwinkle and other delicacies of the sea – kai meaning food, and pupu meaning periwinkles – hence this place is called Kaipupu.
But what I found interesting is the floating piles of deforestation that may have been left behind from the struggle between Kupe and Wheke. It seemed, at first, to be quite the eye sore but as the sign continued it actually became quite a cool relationship between our need for lumber and the fragility of our natural landscape. Once upon a time, Kaipupu point was entirely forested until farming began here in the 1880’s. The native bush to the Picton side of Kaipupu Point is reminiscent of the original forest cover of New Zealand. Today industry sits alongside nature with the bustling Shakespeare Bay deep water shipping port below. This area was also home to the Picton Freezing Works which closed in 1983 What they have done is set up two distinct areas, one for tree farming and the other a pristine nature reserve. In fact, they have also installed a predator fence protecting the reserve peninsula from the imported animals that now roam throughout New Zealand which include not only possums and rabbits, but also deer and wild pigs.
As we come to the end of our brief exploits in the South Island, I return to Picton. Picton has always been a major supply and processing town for the sounds, but it is also an important link between the North and South Islands. Originally known as Waitohi by the early Maori inhabitants, whaling, gold rushes, the railway, and more recently inter-island ferries, tourism and the aquaculture industry, have all contributed to Picton’s prosperity and growth according to yet another informative sign. However, what it fails to mention is that one of the coolest attractions in Picton is the Edwin Fox.
I could write an entire paper on what I have learned about the Edwin Fox, but I will give you the abridged, brochure version. Basically, it is yet another thing to add to the list of “World’s Coolest”.
Built at Sulkeali on the Ganges Delta, India in 1853, as a Moulmein Trader, The Edwin Fox was the last of her type. Before we continue with the brochure version do you know why ships are referred to as feminine? I found this rather interesting. According to a tea mug from the H.M.S. Victory “a ship is called a she because there is always a great deal of bustle around her; there is usually a gang of men about; she has a waist and stays; it takes a lot of paint to keep her good looking; it is not the initial expense that breaks you, it is the upkeep; it takes an experienced man to handle her correctly; and without a man at the helm she is absolutely uncontrollable. She shows her topsides, hides her bottom and, when coming into port, always heads for the buoys’ as written by Ann Andrusysszyn of Ontario, Canada. Anywho, back to the Fox. Similar to those built for the
East India Trading Company she was constructed exclusively of Teak and Saul timber in just 9 months. She was sold to George Hodgkinson of London prior to her launching and named the Edwin Fox. On her maiden voyage to London via the Cape of Good Hope she carried 10 passengers and a general cargo. Less than a year later she was purchased by Duncan Dunbar and was immediately put into service with the British Government as a troop ship for the Crimean War, reputedly carrying such illustrious passengers as Florence Nightingale. After the fall of Sebastopol she was refitted out to again carry civilian passengers and general cargo. Edwin
Fox made her first voyage to the Southern Ocean on 14 February 1856 carrying 5 passengers and some cargo arriving in Melbourne on 28th May. She then spent a period trading between various Eastern ports culminating in a contract to carry 300 coolies from what was then Swatow in China to Cuba where they were destined to work in the cane fields. Large amounts of extra water had to be taken on this voyage. In 1858 she was again chartered by the British Government to transport convicts to Freemantle in Western Australia. Between 1858 and 1872 Edwin Fox was used primarily for 2 purposes: to sail between England and the East as a
trader carrying a range of cargoes including several trips to India carrying a pale ale earning her the nickname of “Booze Barge” and as a troop ship again, making several voyages with troops from the UK to Bombay. The return voyages were with casualties: many dying en route. As far as is known these voyages ended Edwin Fox’s role as a troop transport. Duncan Dunbar died in 1863 and Edwin Fox was sold to Gallatly, Hankey and Company of London. In 1873 the ship was chartered by Shaw Savill Company to carry immigrants to New Zealand from England. She was to make 4 such voyages carrying a total of 751 passengers to the new colony. A number of ‘incidents’ around this period have been recorded in the ships log. On the first voyage she ran into a storm in the Bay of Biscay and was severely damaged. The ships doctor was killed having been impaled on a metal rod. A seaman was killed trying to secure one of the ships boats and a young girl was swept overboard only to be swept back onboard again by the next big wave. There were many other incidents on subsequent voyages. By the 1880’s the age of steam had arrived and the sheep industry in New Zealand was booming. Edwin Fox was fitted as a floating freezer hulk and was used as such in several South Island ports. She was finally towed to Picton arriving 12th January 1897 where she has remained ever since initially as a freezer ship, later as a coal hulk and now preserved under cover as a prominent tourist attraction.
What the brochure leaves out is that it was left to rot in one of the many bays located in Marlborough Sound and it took an amazing feat of nautical engineering to get her to float again and be able to make the final move in 1999 to her final resting place. What is so cool about this ship in particular is that it is the: 9th oldest ship in the world; The sole remaining wooden sailing ship that transported troops and supplies to the Crimean War of 1854; The only surviving wooden ship that transported convicts to Australia (1858: which I do have a complete roster of the prisoners and their crimes which I am sure will turn out to be quite the colorful history); New Zealand’s only surviving wooden sailing ship that brought immigrants to NZ in 1873. Plus, it is just damned cool that the way they display the ship allows you to not only go inside and below deck, but also below the entire vessel! After being attacked by the Toledo Worm for who knows how long, she now can rest in the harbor amongst the newer versions of her class and the cheeky SS Echo that has been turned into a café.
After spending hours at the exhibit, my time on this adventure was coming to a close with the scheduled departure of the return ferry looming. With a mere hour and a half left before boarding began, the van and I trekked around the marina to a beautiful point I had observed while coming into Picton and gave it one last go at catching a fish on the inaugural voyage to the South Island. I never did catch a fish per say, but I did catch something!
Final check in for the return ferry back to Wellington was at 12:45. With a mere 5 minutes to spare, I cue up with the newly acquired camper van and get ready for the white-knuckle trek back across the Cook Straight. If Cook would have made it back to England he could have expected to receive a fortune for his endeavor along with pomp and circumstance reserved for a king. Although he died in Hawaii on 14 February 1779 and never would return to his beloved England, he did find a bit of pomp.
On his return route, Cook decided to visit the Hawaiian Islands once more after the overwhelming success of his first visit. When he reached Hawaii the first time his reception was that of a god, because the locals believed that he was just that. However, not fully realizing the Polynesian culture, he would now undertake a grave mistake. In the Polynesian belief, once a ‘god’ visits you they are not supposed to return. I believe this would have become apparent to Cook when the locals attacked him with spears after trying to regain one of his boats. Unfortunately, unlike Pelonius Jack, those shots had hit their mark and the Captain never got the chance to change his mind. What he did get was an unusual funeral ritual. This consisted of his heart being divided in hors d’oeuvres for the local chiefs, his hands stuffed with salt and preserved, and many of his bones spread across the island or given as trinkets to other local chiefs. Eventually his remaining remains were handed over to his crew shrouded in a white cloak with black feathers. Fortunately, my return trip did not have the same conclusion. I once again returned to the Karori Rip Bar, ordered a beer, and began to transcript my adventure for your enjoyment….. rather than BBQ-ing my organs for your enjoyment! And you could say that I received a bit of pomp and circumstance with the arrival of the new vessel. We had previously purchased tickets for Revolver Circus for the evening show, and it was outstanding.
With the safe arrival of my complete captain and crew, I am already dreaming of the next adventure. Never would have thought that a Leo would be a water sign, must be the influence of the cusp!
