'We’re here!" exclaimed Bishop Jim White as he and his school friend, John Tuke, dragged their kayaks up the beach at Oihi.
Passengers in a tourist boat anchored in the bay applauded and waved encouragement as the pair made their last few strokes to the land.
Getting to the beach was not the final step, though. The pair wandered up to the Marsden Cross carrying their paddles for a moment’s reflection on Samuel Marsden and Ruatara.
The journey by kayak had been a time to remember the first missionaries' arrival by sea 200 years earlier.
This was a high achievement, for it had been no easy journey – despite the sparkling Northland water today.
Highlights along the way included camping on the coastline, marine life, as well as the company of dolphins and orcas.
Eight days after leaving Mission Bay in Auckland, Bishop Jim described the arrival at Oihi as great.
“I’m overjoyed to be here, it’s fantastic. Some days it didn’t look like we’d make it, some days it was a real slog.”
That was when when wind gusts made moving forward almost impossible, so the 250km trip covered many more kilometres in reality.
On the way the pair had plenty of time to reflect on the work of the missionaries and to see traces of whalers on the coastline.
They both were also grateful for their friendship which goes back to adventure school camps.
In the next two weeks there will be many more pilgrims to Oihi.
On December 21st Rangihoua Heritage Park will be opened, and on Christmas Day a bicentenary ecumenical service will mark 200 years since the gospel was proclaimed at the site.
Bishop Jim has kept a blog to tell of what the pair saw on the coastline.
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