Landing at the Chatham Islands

8 November 2013

Written by Wieger Homan:
“Early morning, after seeing the lights of Chatham Island on our port side all through the night, finally the contours of the main island become visible. Green rolling hills, white beaches and steep cliffs.
A beautiful day, sunny with a calm sea. Slowly taking away sail until with a thunder the anchor drops around 10 o’clock.
Around the bay there are a few houses visible up the hill. Lower at the waterfront there is a fish factory and buildings that later on turn out to be a hotel and a shop. There is also a wooden pier that is too small for us. Under the blue sky we drink a toast to our safe passage.
Together with Jimbo and Werner we are the first three to go ashore with the dinghy. The first contacts with the local people are friendly. Big strong man leaning against their enormous 4 wheel drives. Anything can be arranged, a tour around the island, full day and half day, crayfish dinner, internet, whalebone, a flight back for David.
We get a hike to the hotel/bar/restaurant, 500 meter down the road. We meet the only police officer of the island, who shows us his station and the courtroom. In one of his two police cars he drives us to the health centre 400 meters further, where we can use the internet. First impression, all very friendly people. Not many tourists get here. There is an airstrip and we see a two-propeller engine airplane take off.
When after lunch the rest of the ‘Oosterschelde’ sailors get ashore, the local shop gets ransacked. Chocolate, t-shirts, sweaters, postcards, everything flies over the counter. In the meantime we enjoyed the fish-and-chips, blue cod, chips and beer.
The crayfish dinner is a disappointment. We wash it down with a lot of wine and some more fish and chips. The bar at night gets crowded with fishermen and farmers in various state of intoxication. Big bottles of beer disappear in their impressive bodies. Some of us say goodbye, others stay a bit longer while they can. It feels a bit unstable, but there is land under our feet. The ‘Tecla’ arrives in the afternoon and the ‘Europa’ anchors around 10 o’clock at night.
Early morning the next day most of us go ashore for a full day tour of the island. Lorraine and Kelvin introduced us to the history and the Maori people overpowered culture of the Moriori, a peaceful people that lived here originally. The whole tour of this beautiful island was centered on the decline of this proud and peaceful people. When the Maori invaded the island in 1853 with 900 men, the 2000 Moriori after ample considerations decided to not give any resistance and stay peaceful. As a consequence almost all of them got killed or taken into slavery.
The tour of the island was great. Pearl-white beaches surrounded by clear blue seas. Many scrapped cars, sheep, centuries old woodcarvings in trees, sea lions and all this explained by our excellent Moriori guide Lorraine.”