Endeavour - drive to Whangarei

A few weeks ago I was looking online to see when the Endeavour replica tall ship was going to arrive from Australia as part of Tuia 250, celebrating not only Captain Cooks mapping of NZ but the pacific islanders who travelled around the Pacific Ocean using only the stars. Tuia 250 is all about the meeting of all these different people including the first interactions between Europeans and Maori, both the good and the bad.

Lunch on the way to Whangarei

While doing this investigation I noticed that the Endeavour actually takes fare paying crew, in fact 39 trainee crew and only 16 professional crew. So I then thought – WOW and yes what a great opportunity to be on a tall ship with square sails, up the masts and all the action that a tall ship from the 1700’s provides but it was only three weeks away! And I am heading to Melbourne for 9 days during this time.

As such it was a mad rush for me to arrange time off work and confirm Julianne looking after the boys on her own.

I had just enough leave for the Whangarei to Bay of Island trip, with my annual leave balance right on zero after this.

As I have never been on a ship before I didn’t really know what to take and I had to make sure everything I had for the trip meet the limited space restriction on the Endeavour. I think I over packed but this is a whole new experience for me.

But come Saturday I was all packed up and I drove up to Whangarei with the family to get dropped off. It’s strange but I’ve never been to Whangarei before, and it was super nice that my Mum joined us; we picked her up while passing through Warkworth.

We arrived in Whangarei around 2pm and we went to where the Tuia 250 fleet was moored up so I can show my Mum the Endeavour. Julianne, I and the boys had a good explore of the ships the prior weekend when the Tuia 250 fleet was in Auckland. Tuia 250 includes three waka including Fa’afaite -the Polynesian ship which sailed over from Tahiti using only traditional stars to navigate and three tall ship the Spirt of NZ, Endeavour replica and the Tucker Thompson.

It was a great everyone got to see the Endeavour as she is a mighty fine example of Living History.

Luke, myself, my Mum, Robin and the Endeavour in the background

Cell Backpackers

I was then dropped off so the family could start there drive back to Auckland. I explored the centre of Whangarei and I was pleasantly surprised it looked really nice through I did pass a number of shops for lease which is never a good sign.

I am staying at a backpackers which is located in a converted old police prison block which was interesting but was really well done and I got to stay in a cell which was really comfortable and nice.

What was unusual was that as I was making my taxi booking my roommate asked if he could come along, what a coincidence but he is also going on the Endeavour and happened to be around as I made my booking.

It’s an early night tonight as tomorrow is going to be all on!