Bay of Islands in Winter

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I flew into Auckland from Melbourne but I only spent an evening in the former, so I can't say much about it except that The Attic Hostel has a really inviting atmosphere - the best of this trip, in fact.

I took a 10:30AM Intercity bus to Paihia, the central point in the Bay of Islands. Apparently Captain Cook counted 144 of these islands and he was truly terrible at naming things, with such gems as "The Bay of a Lot of Islands.”

The drive was stunning, and it just made me wonder what the rest of New Zealand would bring. But when I got to the town center, I was disappointed, as it's just another touristy town. Across the bay is Russell, a ritzy town that was once the capital of the country for some reason, which was no better. Due to my guidebook's brevity, I expected ferries in Paihia that would take me out to different islands with different accommodations. Instead, Paihia is just a touristy town center used as a hub for expensive "tours" and "cruises" to places like Hole in the Rock, where you spend 200 dollars to go through a hole in the rocks in a boat. Not having a car and deciding not to bring a tent made it pretty limiting for me.

I stayed at Haka Lodge Paihia, which has just opened, and that was my own fault. The management was friendly and the place was spotless (not to mention I had a six-bed dorm to myself for 25NZD a night). There were only a few tourists and staff staying there and some of it was still under construction and no one really talked, so it was pretty boring. It's hard to judge a place before it's fully ready to go, though.

I went for a run on the eastern side of the bay and everything about it was pretty striking and impressive. The ground felt calm, natural and benign. Calling the beaches and water pristine would be an understatement. These aren't beaches you'd want to lounge around on, but they're astonishingly untouched, even more so than in Australia. The water was clear as air, and it was comforting to know that when I got to an estuary, there were no crocodiles waiting to pounce. The beach eventually turned into the Opua Coastal Walk. I ran the single-track trail for a while but it started to get pretty muddy, so I turned around after a couple of miles. It seems like it would be a worthwhile 4-hour (round trip) day hike.

The next morning I braved the sunny cold to kayak for an hour, exploring 4-5 of the closest islands. There are several places along the beaches to rent from, so if you want to kayak to the waterfall in the estuary, it would've best to start by the bridge. Even then it would take an hour to get there. I paid 15NZD for an hour.

In the afternoon I ran along the northern beaches to the Treaty House, which is where the settlers signed a treaty with the Maori people to share the land- basically the start of New Zealand as a nation. I figured I could take a look at the outside and snap a quick photo, but there is a 25NZD entry fee that I've heard isn't worth it all... at least until they finish the museum that is under construction.

So instead I ran around the nice meadow they have there, and then onto the Haruru Falls Mangrove Walk. I only passed 4 other people in the 6 kilometers and I stopped a few times because the views were so distinctive. Most of it is single-track dirt and there are a few somewhat challenging
sections, but it's fairly flat and some parts are well-constructed boardwalks over the mangrove swamp.

I didn't do enough research so I didn't know that I should have taken the same route back. Instead, I took the road, which was more of a highway with a small shoulder. It started to rain and got very windy, so it was a pretty miserable run back.

I got the most out of the area, but I was limited without a vehicle or tent. People here often ask how your day has been so far, but they expect an honest answer and a conversation, not a "good." In one of these conversations, a supermarket cashier really recommended going farther north, and I wish I had more knowledge of the area to do so. I would have gone to Cape Reinga, the northernmost point of the island, to camp... or at least to Karikari (not to be confused with the nearby Kerikeri) to a hostel there that is much more remote. But if the weather is reasonably good, the area is worth a look even in winter.

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Photos

Sunset on beach
I took this with my iPhone 5c, but it captured it fairly well.

Motumaire Island beach
Even though it was only 39 degrees F when I rented the kayak at 10 AM, the sun was out, so I got hot after 20 minutes. I stopped in this island (which is maybe 100 yards in circumference) to shed a layer of long underwear, which was probably amusing to the people on the tour boat going by.

Peace field
Since I couldn't get to the Treaty House, I had to settle for the field.

Haruru Falls Mangrove walk
I stopped fairly often to take photos on my run.

Across the estuary
That doesn't look like too bad of a place to live.

Bay in Rain
I ran the road on my way back, which was a mistake. It started to rain and it was a nasty 47 degrees and windy, but I still stopped for the views.

Taylor's Island
A quick google search shows that Taylor was the Armourer of the Endeavour. It's pretty small and there's no way to land on it... not sure why Captain Cook couldn't give him a better island.