The locals call this town Mot – short for Motueka, which means, according to my info, “clump of trees with weka” (native birds similar to a hen). Apple orchards are across the road from our camp, and the area is well known for it’s mild climate which so suitable for growing hops, grapes and kiwifruit. This town has a historical connection to the maternal side of my family. A young man on the Green side of the family jumped ship at Motueka and supposedly hid under the voluminous skirts of the publican’s wife while the search was on for the absconder. Once the ship had set sail he was free to start a new life in the colonies and did quite well for himself in business, married and had quite a large number of children. There is even a local street named after him. One of his grandsons (my great grandfather) travelled to Martinborough and set up a boot and shoe shop. But we never did hear what the publican’s wife thought of that young man hiding in such an intimate place while the police conducted their search.
We started our tour of Motueka with a visit to the local museum, housed in the original District High School building, and the many displays tell the stories of the early settlers and the local Maori population. The French explorer Dumont d’Urville anchored his ship, the Astrolabe, 12km north of Motueka. A crew member went ashore and sketched the Maori village, and this painting was produced from his sketch.
Driving out of town we crossed over a rather narrow bridge which has the reputation for being dangerous for drivers of motor-homes and caravans. Although this bridge is two laned, we have been warned not to cross the bridge while towing if a truck is coming the other way, as there has been several accidents with people being forced against a raised concrete lip and damaging water tanks and steps.
Robin was taking us to view the Riwaka Resurgence and an information board showed how the water winds its way through caves and underground passages before re-surfacing at the resurgence.
The easy graded path led us through damp forest, very reminiscent of the West Coast rainforest. Ferns grew on the forest floor and the trees were covered in lichen.
The path followed the river until it stopped. The water emerges from the under-ground cave after it’s long journey through the mountains.
We stopped at the Crystal Pool which seemed quite magical. This would be the sort of place that would be sacred in pagan times. Emerald green coloured moss covered rocks glowed in the river bed a little way downstream.
Next on our sight-seeing list was a trip to the old wharf area of Motueka. Sitting high and dry in the mud flats was the rusting remains of the ship Janie Seddon. Built in Scotland in 1901, her first job was as a submarine mining vessel, and she was used by the New Zealand Royal Navy in both world wars. After her war service she was purchased by Tally Fisheries and her role changed to that of a fishing trawler. This proved uneconomic and the once proud navy ship was beached and finally broken up for scrap. This is the most photographed wreck in the country, we were told.
So it just goes to show that there is always plenty to see around town. Our short time in “Mot” has been very pleasant and relaxed. This is quite a “laid back” sort of town with a lovely climate, and very popular with campers. You can be assured, we will return!
No comments:
Post a Comment