A week or so ago we went to this island in the Hauraki Gulf on a day trip with the Silverdale Historical Society. We got the boat from Westhaven, chugged around the harbour and then made out to sea, passing Browns Island and getting to Motuihe in about an hour. In the olden days Motuihe was a common daytrip for Aucklanders aand there was a regular ferry service. I hadn't been there for about 40 years! One man on the trip was there last as a 10 year old over 70 years ago when he was sent to the health camp there in the 1930s!! It is also famous for being the island where Von Luckner was held after being captured in the Pacific during the first world war and from where he made his escape, distracting attention from himself by setting a fire in one of the barracks. He ande 10 other men slipped away under cover of darkness and escaped in the commandant's motorboot, for which they fashioned a German battle ensign out of flour bags. They were recaptured off the Kermadecs a few days later and returned to Motuihe.
Motuihe also served as a quarantine station during a smallpox outbreak in 1872, and flu epidemic of 1918 and there is a small cemetery where casualties were buried. We walked there past trees that Sir Logan Campbell had planted there when he farmed the island between 1843 and 1858. We passed the remnants of the naval station HMNZS Tamaki which was in operation from 1941 to 1963. Now most of the buildings are gone, just an old water tank remaining.
Had a nice walk up the other end of the island and back along the beach before gettingthe ferry home agaian. We went back to Orewa with the group stopping along the ay at Browns Bay for an icecream and spending part of the weekend up at Orewa. Took some photos of the bach which I will post here having forgotten my digital camera on the Motuihe trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment