PIONEER CEMETERY

The McLeod Bay Pioneer cemetery, other than crossing a farmers land is only approachable by water.We kayaked across the bay and landed at a gravel beach next to the most magnificent and oldest pohutukawa tree I've seen with huge branches stretching out over the water. A short, steep path leads up to the cemetery. This is a secret place (apart from the sign at the bottom of the path saying 'Pioneer Cemetery'), with old tombstones surrounded by regenerating native bush. The small area is surrounded on three sides by tall cabbage trees standing like sentinels. I took some photographs but intend going back there at dawn to capture sunlight filtering through the surrounding bush with hopefully shafts of light highlighting a tombstone. It was peaceful though and although someone tends to the weeds the cemetery looks like it is disappearing into the bush. I found some graves from 1850's to 1890's that may well be of my ancestors. Returning to our kayaks I was struck by the realisation that the pohutukawa tree was there when the people interred in the cemetery were alive and that as locals they may well have climbed its branches.