DAY 10 AUCKLAND to WAITANGI

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We were delivered to our Motor Home by an amazing Maori gentleman who was very informative about the travel plans we communicated to him. He has worked for the Pacific Horizon Travel Home company for 15 years and was able to instruct us in detail of all of the workings of the Mercedes Benz van we had hired for the upcoming 22 days.

Expertly guided by navigator Jane, we negotiated our way through early morning Auckland traffic and finally left the big city behind and certainly relaxed a lot more. Our plans changed, as we wanted to see what we had planned before the forecast heavy rain hit the areas in the far north of the North Island so instead of Piha (slightly south of Auckland), it was onto the Bay of Islands to stay the night beside an inlet at Waitangi before heading to Cape Reinga and hopefully to free camp, tomorrow. The plan is then to return to the Bay of Islands and do the beautiful area justice. The weather will be making those decisions for us. Road closures are predicted, and the unknown occurrences of landslides can hold up the best of plans.

Muriwai Beach on the west coast (washed by the Tasman Sea) was our first stop. The beach sand and dunes are black … not a dirty black.Muriwai Beach extends 60 kilometres to the north - a line of black sand between the thundering surf and the sand hills. In the heat summer the sand must become very hot as signs warning pet owners to be aware of their pets’ paws. I had read about the Gannets and their colony, so we trekked to see them. We were not disappointed. It reminded us of the Galapagos Islands and its birdlife. Hopefully the photos do them justice. A walking track leads to a viewing platform right above the main colony area. Out to sea, the colony continues on two vertical-sided islands. About 1,200 pairs of gannets nest here from August to March each year. These two-and-a-half kilogram birds have a wingspan up to two metres, and their mastery of the onshore updrafts is impressive to say the least.

After a few warm buttered cheese scones and coffee, it was further north we journeyed. The State Highway 1 is a very windy road and follows the undulating countryside through luscious cattle farmland and forest with tiny allotments scattered along the roadside offering an assortment of homemade goodies. The views were impressive.

We shopped for provisions at Whangarei. Onto Karakawa to join highway 11, bordered by dense forest hugging the steep cliff faces, to Paihia and Waitangi where we are now camped.

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Photos

Parked at Muriwai Beach

Warning Sign

Beach necessity ... Surf Rescue

Muriwai Beach

2.5kg and 2m wingspan.

Each owns their position.

Is anyone coming?