Sepia Saturday: A Big Boat.

Have you ever been amazed at how things from one's childhood
shrink when revisited in adulthood?

This is the 'AWHITU'.
I remembered it so well in my mind from when I was a child
growing up on the Manukau Peninsula.
The Awhitu carried passengers and cargo to and fro around the harbour,
from the peninsula to Onehunga, Auckland.
My older brothers and sister travelled on the Awhitu to Auckland
but when my little sister and I came on the scene after the war
our infrequent trips to Auckland were by car.

The Awhitu was still doing some trade around the harbour though
and I remember a summer picnic from Big Bay
travelling on this sturdy wooden launch.

Once we travelled on the Awhitu down to Waiuku to meet maori canoes
that were re-enacting canoe journeys from the Waikato River to Onehunga.


The shock came recently when this old photo came into my possession.
I stared in disbelief at how small the Awhitu was!
I laughed at how I, a child had thought it was such a big boat.
I can still smell the cabin below where we could sit.
I remember it as being rather hot and stuffy.

I look at it now from an adults perspective
and I smile and feel affection for this means of transport from the past.