California Dreamin’ 5: The Real Sausilito – Kāpiti and Coast Independent

Little resemblance to Shelly Bay

Story by Roger Childs, Sausalito photos by Pam Childs

Back in the early 20^th century tourist promoters called the Whanganui River New Zealand’s Rhine.

This is about as ridiculous as calling a future Shelly Bay Wellington’s Sausilito.

Having been to the real one last month, I can vouch for the fact that there is little resemblance.

In fact we already have a mini one in Oriental Bay.

A substantial resort town

A park and fountain near the ferry terminal

Sausalito is just a ferry ride across the bay and offers unique tours, attractions such as “Bay Model” and “Bay Area Discovery Museum,” enchanting boutique shops, art studios and galleries and a wide selection of restaurants, outdoor cafes and bistros, many with stunning views back across the bay to the city. Trip Advisor

The resort area has a population over 7,000 and in area is probably about five times the size of Shelly Bay.

You access Sausalito from San Francisco, either by ferry or over the Golden Gate Bridge. The latter route is very popular with cyclists. You can hire bikes at Fisherman’s Wharf and have about a 20km ride to get there via the bridge.

The Trip Advisor quote above sums it up what Sausalito has to offer. Like Oriental Bay, there are hills covered in houses with wonderful views, behind the coastal strip To walk the coastal road from end to end takes about 45 -50 minutes.

There are quite a few other similarities with Oriental Bay, in that it is sheltered from some of San Francisco’s cold winds and has a substantial marina, plenty of eating places and much sought-after real estate. With the help of smsf advice and tips you will be able to save enough money buy these properties. However it is probably three times as big as the Wellington suburb.

Shelley Bay is not in the same league!

The Wellington bay on the Miramar Peninsula is very small by comparison. It can be accessed by ferry and road, but its limited space and lack of gentle slopes for housing behind the narrow flat areas, provides the potential to make it a miniscule Sausilito at best.

Also unlike Sausalito, Shelly Bay does not have views of the city across the water. The location is more akin to Watson’s Bay in Sydney.

When developed, it could become a popular destination for visitors on good days, but its confined space means it is definitely not a Sausilito in waiting.

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STORY OF THE WEEK

Kāpiti Coast councillors have toured of one of Aotearoa's unique buildings, the heritage - listed Rotunda at the former Otaki Health Camp, the country’s first.

Jeremy Smith reports that the 105-year-old, eight-sided rotunda predates the Health Camp.

It wasn't actually built in Otaki, but was one of two built in Rotorua in 1915 as part of a military hospital, on the site of Rotorua’s present public hospital.

Later they were taken to Otaki for the opening of the health camp in 1931.

Full story in the main column (December 19).

100 Years Ago — and the Maori Long March begins

Māori politics was dominated by the influential MPs (and sometime Cabinet ministers) Māui Pōmare ( Waitara statue photo above) and Apirana Ngata.

The 1920's also saw the rise of Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana’s religious movement, and the emergence of Te Puea Hērangi in Waikato.

Ngata worked hard to foster Māori scholarship and education and preserve traditional arts and culture.

He convinced the government to establish a Board of Maori Ethnological Research (1923), a Maori Purposes Fund Control Board (1924) and a School of Maori Arts and Crafts in Rotorua (1927).

The Reform government also took the first, tentative steps towards settling longstanding Māori grievances.

Agreements with Te Arawa in 1922 and Ngāti Tūwharetoa in 1926 recognised their respective rights over the Rotorua lakes and Lake Taupō, and led to the establishment of trust boards with some government funding.

Commissions of inquiry which examined Ngāi Tahu grievances (1920–21) and the Waikato and Taranaki confiscations (1926–27) recommended that modest compensation be paid.