September 23,
2013: RUSSELL
For resort
guests a walk downtown is about the only activity unless one takes the ferry to
Paihia or a boat cruise. We did the afternoon cruise through Dolphin Cruises
for about $95. We were comped a ticket to Paihia to start the trip there and
get a lunch.
The trip to
Paihia took ten minutes and we spent some time looking at shops. I picked up a
Team NZ t-shirt for the America's Cup boat races now going on in San Francisco
Bay. New Zealand leads, but USA has won the last four races. We have been
watching the races every morning since we got here.
A quick lunch
of fish and chips preceded our boat trip (we were afraid we'd be late so we
took leftovers onto the boat). The boat was very much like those plying the
waters around Maui. Room for a sixty or so inside and out. We sat and talked
with a couple from Auckland who were using a voucher given them for a free trip
they had received some time ago. Guests get a free trip voucher if the boat
fails to see dolphins. We got a voucher after we failed to see dolphins on this
trip. Good for our next trip. Sometime.
The highlight
of the trip is to pass through the "Hole in the Rock" formation in
the east. Our boat passed easily through it. On the way back the skipper tried
to find dolphins. No luck. We did see some fur seals lying on some rocks,
however. And hundreds if not thousands of seabirds surrounding schools of fish.
September 24,
2013: RUSSELL
It was
raining today and the forecast was for a real storm later in the day and Wednesday.
However, by 3 PM there was not some light rain. We were told by a resort
receptionist that storms tend to pass quickly here because the island in rather
narrow. We drove a little up the hill to the east and saw the other side of
this promontory that is Russell. Many vacation homes lined the hills and the
shore.
After a stop
for groceries for lunch we headed back in the rain to eat and see what happens
in the weather. Fortunately there is CNN with news about the Nairobi terrorist
attack. There was only one America's Cup race today and USA won bringing the
score to 8-6 in favor of the Kiwis.
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