Here's our chat with Tracy and Andrew from MoaTours talking about their favourite spots and stories on the East Cape.

Andrew: Okay. Now, we're out at Lake Tarawera, near Rotorua, talking to Tracy from MoaTours. Hi, Tracy.

Tracy: Hi.

Andrew: Now Tracy, you're the person that most guests talk to when they're organizing their trips.

Tracy: I am, yes.

Andrew: Yes. You're making lots of friends on the phone these days?

Tracy: Yes, I am.

Andrew: Excellent. Now, but you were on holiday yourself recently, Tracy. Tell us about that.

Tracy: Yes, I went, did our East Cape Caper trip, Andrew, which we do in November and February.

Andrew: Right. And what are the spots that you visit on the East Cape?

Tracy: We visit Whakatane. We've got a night on Hicks Bay, two nights in Gisborne, and a night back here in Rotorua. 

Andrew: Excellent. And what was your favorite?

Tracy: The highlights for me, I enjoyed the Hicks Bay. The scenery was stunning there. Also walked out on the Tolaga Bay wharf, and I lunched with Judy Newell, in Anaura Bay, who has been hosting our guests there for 15 years now. She's got an absolutely stunning outlook on Anaura Bay.

Andrew: Yes, I've seen pictures of that. It's beautiful, isn't it?

Tracy: It is beautiful.

Andrew: The East Cape is a place that a lot of New Zealanders probably haven't been. So, what was most memorable for you out on the East Cape?

Tracy: Well, seeing the diversity of the Maori culture and the Christian churches all along that bit of the cape there was really interesting. I really enjoyed it.

Andrew: And it's a really historical spot too, isn't it?

Tracy: Very historical, yes, where Captain Cook came onto Poverty Bay all those years ago.

Andrew: Yeah, yeah, excellent. And how was the weather?

Tracy: The weather was fantastic, beautiful scenery. But Andrew, aren't you going to be driving at East Cape Caper tour, soon?

Andrew: Yeah.

Tracy: I'd like to have the camera now, please.

Andrew: No, no. This is mine. No.

Tracy: No, no. I would like to have it now.

Andrew: Oh, ow.

Tracy: So, Andrew…

Andrew: Yes.

Tracy: What are you looking forward to, driving at East Cape Caper tour?

Andrew: Well, I'm looking forward to sharing some stories I've kind of learned recently from that area. I have a family connection there. My uncle was in lands and survey around the cape for 40 years, and I've been talking to him lately and hearing some stories from him. But also, specifically about two people from our history, obviously Captain Cook, he arrived at that area in 1769 and made first contact…that was the first contact between the European and Maori cultures, and also someone called Te Kooti, who was the founder of an early Maori Christian church. 

Te Kooti was actually imprisoned on Chatham Islands for a few years and commandeered a brig and actually escaped and made landfall in the East Cape area. And kind of what followed from there is actually a really interesting, pretty raw kind of part of our history that I've been reading about and learning about lately. So, you know, it's a real historic area. And, you know, with the first contact between European and Maori in that area, there's nowhere else like it in New Zealand. And, you know, the backdrop of that scenery and the weather makes for a great trip.

Tracy: It'll be a great trip, I'm sure. And our guests will have great fun listening to all the stories that you're going to be telling on our next East Cape trip. 

Andrew: I'll try my best.

Tracy: Thank you, Andrew. 

Andrew: Now can I have that camera back?

Tracy: No, no. I actually would like to have the camera, still. No, no. It's my turn, still.