The Cream Trip

Today was one of those days where I started out, caffein low. This was a huge emergency, we had run out of coffee beans and did not have any instant coffee, not that I like instant, but I will choke it down if I have to. I was also out of ideas for a post for Keewee’s Corner. Mr. Completely suggested something from my childhood , geeez that’s a long time ago! Anyhow, after some thought, I do remember one special holiday in the Bay of Islands.

First, a little about New Zealand, The early Polynesian settlers called the country Aotearoa, meaning Land of the Long White Cloud. It is a name by which New Zealand is quite often known.

New Zealand consists of two large islands, North Island and South Island, plus several smaller ones of which Stewart Island is the largest and often referred to as 'our third island'. North and South Islands are separated by the 32km / 20mile wide Cook Strait. To the north and east lies the Pacific Ocean and between ourselves and Australia lies the Tasman Sea.


New Zealand's Climate
As a general guide, the North of New Zealand is subtropical and the South is temperate. New Zealand's seasons are opposite to the Northern hemisphere - the warmest months being December, January and February, and the coldest months June, July and August.

In summer, the average maximum temperature ranges between 20-30ºC (68-87ºF) and in winter between 10-15ºC (50º-60ºF


This graphic gives you an idea the size of New Zealand compared to United States of America.


OK the geography lesson is over, now on with my story.

One year, in the 1950’s, for our annual holiday, we went to the Bay of Islands and stayed at a nice campground at Paihia, which is 773km (480 miles) and a 11 hour drive from Palmerston North( my home city). Palmerston North is about 90 miles North of Wellington, New Zealand's Capital city.
.
During our stay at Paihia the family enjoyed going on a cruise around some of the many islands, this is called the Cream Trip, named because in the early years, the milk, cream, and butter, along with other staples were delivered to the residents of the islands by boat.

In the 1950’s ,the Cream Trip was a leisurely cruise on a fair size motor launch, these days you go on a luxury catamaran.

The Cream Trip meanders in and out of many of the smaller bays, calling on locals and delivering their stores and Royal Mail as it has done for over 100 years. The trip passes many different points of historical interest relating to both early European and Maori settlement. You may also see seals, dolphins and sometimes whales, as well as bird and fish life. I remember seeing a large hammerhead shark swimming alongside the launch, pretty exciting stuff for a youngster.

The trip takes about five hours and I can personally recommend it, especially as this is one of the few official Royal Mail runs by boat left in New Zealand.

If you go on the cruise now, you are served a delicious lunch at Otehei Bay Cafe on Urupukapuka Island during your island stopover,the sumptuous menu consists of:

- Fresh seafood mix
- A selection of cold meat cuts
- Hot, tasty chicken nibbles
- A variety of fresh salads
- Home baked bread
- Tea/ coffee/ milo

What I remember, from our trip, is a brown-bagged lunch with a sandwich, a couple of biscuits, (cookies) and a piece of fruit, can’t remember the drink, it was probably milo.