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Published: September 30th 2009
Friday, September 25th
Our day started out with us wondering what vehicle to buy. We're leaning towards a van, but also looked at a few 4x4's and caravans. Mel reminded us that we were getting ahead of ourselves; we'd need visas if we wanted to stay another three months. We didn't think we'd need to rush, but when Talita phoned immigration they said they'd need 30 days to process our application. Our current visas expire in 27 days! So, with no time too lose we downloaded the forms, scanned through it to see what we needed to submit, then drove to the nearest print-shop to have it all printed out. We had just over an hour to get to the immigration office in the city, fill out the forms and submit our application. We just made it, dropping off our forms and passports just as they were asking people to start leaving. Phew! That’s a load off! Back home Mel made us burgers and we had a nice chill evening.
Today's highlights:
1. Managing to submit our visa applications.
Impressions of NZ:
30 days to process a visa application seems a bit excessive. Saturday, September 26th
We packed
up and along with Mel, Nicol and Keira set off north for a long weekend. They needed a break and also wanted to take their new Honda Odyssey 7-seater for a proper test drive.
After filling up with petrol we left rainy Auckland heading for Baylys Beach, 170km north. It was a rainy drive and after a quick stop for supplies in Dargaville we arrived in the sunny Baylys Beach.
We had sandwiches for lunch then walked down to the beach. It was windy and the sea was very rough. Keira had a blast grabbing handfuls of sand and giving each one of us a muddy gift. We found an area where the erosion of the waves had uncovered trees and charcoal long hidden beneath meters of soil.
When we had enough of the wind we walked back to camp where we sat enjoying the sun, drinking a few beers and chatting. For dinner Nicol cooked sausages and lamb chops while Mel and Talita made a potato, pea and curry dish.
There are two ginger kitties on the premises; a young one and a big one with only three legs (he's missing his right rear leg).
Photogenic Keira
Sand dune seat at Baylys BeachWe played with them as much as they allowed, then turned in for an early night.
Today's highlights:
1. Arriving in sunny Baylys Beach.
2. Finding the buried logs.
3. Playing with the kitties.
Sunday, September 27th
At 3am this morning NZ moved into Daylight Savings Time, which means that we moved an hour forward (we're now 11 hours ahead of SA). This was our first encounter with the phenomenon and if Nicol hadn't said anything we would've continued to live in the past for a good while to come.
After breakfast we said goodbye to the cats and headed to Kai Iwi Lakes, a few kilometers north-west. The main lake has a beach and a gorgeous free camping site (we'll remember this place for future trips). We walked along the beach and Keira gave everyone sandy gifts again. Heading back to the main road we stopped at one of the smaller lakes with lots of dead trees. In these trees there were numerous Shag nests (it's a type of water bird) and a few ducklings swimming around.
Back on SH12 we continued north-west to the Waipoua Forest. We drove up a dirt road to a
lookout tower where we enjoyed panoramic views of the forest, then continued on. We stopped by the tallest Kauri tree in NZ, with a trunk of 17.7m, a total height of 51.5m and a trunk girth of 13.8m, Tane Mahuta (lord of the forest) is estimated to have started growing during Jesus’ lifetime. That's a pretty old tree! Unfortunately this giant is easily slain. The Kauri tree's feeding roots are very delicate and shallow, so even walking over the roots could kill it.
After the tree we stopped at the Arai-Te-Uru recreational reserve for lunch. We enjoyed spectacular view over the Hokianga Harbour and Omapere. It was a beautiful area and we found a grassy spot to enjoy our picnic lunch. After lunch we turned north east, crossing from the west coast to the east coast in a mere 90km.
Once on the east coast we went to see the Haruru falls, then dove on to Paihia, a small town overlooking the Bay of Islands. We walked around town a bit, got some supplies then found a great camping spot overlooking the Haruru Falls. After dinner we enjoyed cheese, crackers and the red mead we bought at the
Shag nests
Kai Iwi Lakes Honey Hive. Yummy!
Today's highlights:
1. Visiting Kai Iwi Lakes.
2. Seeing a Kauri tree that is over 2000 years old.
3. Gorgeous lunch spot.
4. Great camping spot.
Impressions of NZ:
They say that possums, goats and rats can destroy the Waipoua Forest in just a few decades. No wonder the Kiwi’s hate them.
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Bob Carlsen
non-member comment
What are your plans?
Now that you have seen most of New Zealand, and have applied for a further three month visa, what are your mid to long term plans? Will you just work there for a short while or do you seek to immigrate to NZ. If you seek to make this the end of your travels, what kinds of jobs are you looking for? Where do you think you would like to settle?