Port Ross - Ranui Cove

Sunday, January 31


We have moved back to the main island and are now moored in Port Ross. At our early briefing, we hear about the significance of Ranui Cove.

On the outset of the second World War, a German ship was sighted in Port Ross, so the New Zealand Government quickly set up a coast watch station in Ranui Cove in case more Germans should happen to come along during the war. No other ships ever came though. It turned out that this particular ship had just stopped there to get firewood before moving on to South America........The buggers! They cut a whole heap of those lovely red flowered Rata trees for firewood! Barbarians!


We make a wet landing in this beautiful, dreamy cove. Rodney tells us to be quiet so we can hear the many different birds.

Very silently, we start making our way into this jungle like landscape. It is quite magical.

Quite unexpectedly, we come upon the coast guard huts. They are really tucked away and completely hidden, which was, of course, the idea.

From the base camp, we follow this wildly romantic track - as well as the old telephone cable which ran between base and lookout.

The little lookout hut is equally well hidden, nestling among the growth just below the summit.

From the lookout hut, it is only a very short scramble to the top where we get a 360° view.

It's good to see that the Rata trees have well and truly recovered.

Only too soon, we arrive back at the Zodiacs and are taken back to the ship. It has been another wonderful experience. Sadly though, this was our very last 'shore leave'.

The ship is soon moving on again. Rodney gives us a briefing about the Snare Islands where we will have a Zodiac cruise tomorrow morning. He shows us some pictures of what we can expect to see.

Later in the afternoon, Huw gives another interesting lecture, this one about explorers' diaries. I'll certainly miss his lectures.