I was just in time for the second(?) of 96 shots, but my camera battery died so I wasn't able to catch the reaction of the thousands gathered harbourside outside Te Papa, our national museum with the Hikitia - the "oldest working steam-powered self-propelled crane vessel in the word", born in the SAME year as Elizabeth - in the background after the final gun fired. It was respectfully quiet.

Losing Queen Elizabeth feels like I've lost a big chunk of that tiny tie to my ancestors, being a third generation Kiwi there's nothing really here that I can point to and say "ten generations ago a forebear walked here", it's weird. I'm neither monarchist nor republican, but I think I'm going to miss her existence. I don't believe for one second her job was easy ,and she was the epitome of dignity and tradition. People like that, it creates stability even if it's a token role now.

Back to boats. She liked boats - they even named a really big one after her. It's appropriate to mention the Hikitia, being the same age as her, as both witnessed the same almost whole century of modern history. The Hikitia is steam powered, as were the trains she would have ridden on growing up. Everything Hikitia saw during WWII, the teenage Princess Elizabeth was already deeply involved in.

In 1943, Hikitia saved Wellington from being 'taken off the map' when the John Davenport, a merchant marine-manned liberty ship, caught fire with over 3,000 tonnes of munitions destined for the planned offensive in Rabaul, New Guinea and Truk (I've dived both of those locations and it's so peaceful that it's impossible to imagine the nightmare it must have been for everyone on all sides now - let's never do that again. Looking at you, Putin).

It's an amazing story, well worth a read - bravery wasn't just reserved for military, everyone everywhere stepped up and put their life on the line in WWII ;
hikitia.nz/Articles/The%20ship%20that%20nearly%20t…

96-gun salute articles;
www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/royals/300684227/queen-…
wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=147258

Hikitia links;
hikitia.nz/
hikitia.nz/history-of-hikitia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikitia
   • Hikitia Crane Ship from 1928 Wellingt...  

Bookmarks
00:21 Hikitea at top right, about all I caught of her
01:25 Close up firing
03:35 Another nice closeup firing
04:51 Zoom out showing a bit of a 1925 gaff ketch liveaboard