ahhhhh... unwinding!

It's wonderful to be catching up with ourselves a bit whilst we wait for the weather window to keep heading South. The wind is gusting sometimes up to 50 knots out in the Cooks Strait, and you can hardly believe it when you are calmly tucked away in here. We hadn't realized that Port Underwood has a significant part to play in NZ history. Ironside's Cairn is in the next bay over. Samuel Ironsides moved to Port Underwood in December 1840. He established a flourishing mission from which he buried the victims of the Wairau affray in 1843. He was a trusted mediator between Māori and settlers. It was also a big area for whaling (unfortunately), but it meant it was a busy port with ships from all over the world. The area is now mostly holiday homes or bach's and mussel farming.Read more