Cape Kidnappers

I got to walk along side of the Pacific Ocean in an area called Cape Kidnappers. It was a 6 hour walk/hike to the top of the plateau where the largest gannet colony exist. These birds nest here and what a great place to call home. The views were amazing - well worth the walk. Although I wasn't saying that on the way back. I was exhausted and couldn't wait to sit down. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that we were going to a wine tasting after the walk so that gave me motivation to keep moving. If you want to walk Kidnappers you have to leave in the morning and once you hike the plateau you need to start heading back shortly after noon or you'll be swimming with the fish. The tide comes up and splashes against the rocks giving you no way to get back. I barely made it. But that first glass of wine was rejuvenating and I felt great. We hit a vineyard (Te Awanga) on the way back. Their Chardonnay was delicious! I'm convinced that a nice long (very long) walk along the ocean mixed with some wine, sun and music makes for a great day and I was SO glad to be sitting with a glass of wine in my hand.

Here's a little bit of history on Cape Kidnappers:

Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, the Maori mythical hero, was fishing with his brothers, when he decided to show them his supernatural powers. Using a sacred jaw-bone as a fish-hook and the blood from his nose for bait, he hauled a great fish up from the depths. He fished up the North Island or as the Maori name it, Te-Ika-a-Maui, the Fish of Maui. After Maui departed, his brothers attacked the fish with their weapons, hacking it into pieces and helping to form the mountainous terrain of the North Island. The sacred jawbone used as the hook was left to form what is now known as Hawke Bay. The fish hook shape of the Hawke Bay coastline adds to the legend of Cape Kidnappers origin.

When Captain Cook visited the area in 1769, a group of Maori in canoes came out to the ship Endeavour to trade. They took aboard the canoes a Tahitian boy. Shots were fired at the retreating canoes resulting in some Maori being killed and the boy swimming back to the ship. Cook then named the area where this occurred as Cape Kidnappers.