Blog

Saturday was a DONSA or “Day of No Scheduled Activities. Dotty took a couple of walks along the beach. We took a walk up the hill and met the dive bombing Tui bird who wakes us up each morning with his song.

Dotty, Jim, and I ventured to Hell Hole, a quaint little coffee and breakfast sandwich house, before all separating for the day. We ordered takeaway and brought the food back to the veranda where we often sit. I continued to work on the blog about arriving in Russell.

Then we all walked down to the Pompallier House which was a Catholic Mission and Printery and later a tannery. Check the link I added to learn more. Quick facts: 35 year old Jean Baptiste Pompallier was sent to the area to convert the Maori people, well maybe not all the Maori people as this area known as Korarareka (sweet penguin) and Hell Hole, for all the grog shops and gambling dens.

Back to Pompallier who had the Catholic church send him a Gavreaux printing press from France and he and the Maori people translated the prayer book from Latin to Maori and then printed those books. Pompallier needed leather to cover the books and so he invited James Callahan to come from Cork, Ireland. When the mission moved, Callahan bought the mission and moved his tannery business there full time until a mudslide destroyed his house. A dig later discovered the hides Callahan had stored.

As we were walking back to The Duke, we passed the Anglican Church and cemetery.

I stopped into one of the grocery stores (there are two) to see what ciders are available. Found these instead. I did not buy them, nor will they be on the NZ Beer Report 🤣

We returned back to our rooms and veranda to make sandwiches for lunch and take a nap. Did I mention Dotty had been taking walks along the beach? She was looking for beach glass, but found other treasures.

After nap, Jim and I decided to go on a walkabout. It started to rain on us and we ducked into the Nauti Penguin. Dotty was out and about and joined us to get out of the rain.

Back to the hotel to pick up the Gammy and head to dinner at Hone’s Garden. We met the lovely Sophie who is on Holiday but lives in Wellington and works at Te Papa (Museum) so we will be visiting with her again. After dinner we strolled back to the hotel viewing the sunset. Of course we had to have another rousing round of Rummikub before bed.