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Published: January 17th 2007
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luxury B and B
It was a complete apartment with every luxury...even heated towel racks! “Next time I’m gonna hang me undies on your heated towel rack,” Marty shouted as we waved good bye to the hosts, Tom and Monic, of the Lakeside B and B located at the bottom end of New Zealand’s 90 Mile beach. Marty was the guide we had hired to take us the close to 90 miles to Cape Reinga, accessible by beach only in a four wheel drive. I had just finished telling him as we jumped into his not new van that the bed and breakfast was really perfect. Built by Tom who is a life long resident of the area and a scallop fisherman, and operated by his lovely Swiss wife Monic, it was a great find …a taste of pure luxury for a much less than luxury price. The minute I mentioned that it even had heated towel racks, Marty, our guide from Mart’s Pack and Paddle, rolled down his window and hollered his farewell, complete with a big grin and hearty wave. We knew it was going to be an interesting day.
We had scheduled the trip for the previous day but it was torrential rain most of the day. We used that time to
Ultra modern
Everything matched! explore the Giant kauri Kingdom center where we viewed artifacts made from trees that are carbon dated to e 35000-45000 years old. There was a giant staircase carved form a single piece of tree trunk…weighing over 50 tonnes! It took one man over 300 hours to carve it, and two other men 200 hours each to finish it!
When Sunday dawned bright and sunny, we knew we had made the right decision…this is an area that truly sparkles in the sunlight!
We literally sped up 90 Mile Beach at speeds of over 100 km per hour at times. We stopped at sacred Maori fishing grounds, and went off the beach through a maze of dirt paths to find herds of magnificent wild horses. At one time, the beach was the only way to get to the cape, which is the northernmost tip of the island. Men with horses and wagons made the trip regularly with supplies…it took 3 days for them to get to the end, and since the average rate per day was about 30 miles, the beach became known as 90 Mile Beach (despite its being not quite 70 real miles!)
Marty stopped and showed us
Hec in Kauiri Staircase
Carved from a tree that is over 40000yts old! the hundreds of small clams buried just under the sand When he dug several, cracked them open and offered them to eat I couldn’t do it, but Hector was game and ate two!
While driving, Marty had no end of tidbits and tales to share. He has lived in the local area most of his life, and told us that he ‘stopped learning when he was 12 and quit school when he was 14’. By that time, he owned a bike, a car, a moto-cross bike and a boat …all financed by his trapping possums and eels. The possums are rampant in NZ and are considered real nuisances. Back in Marty’s youth, there was a big market for the fur, and he would check his traps every morning before school, skin the possums after school use the possum meat to set his eel traps and sell the possum skins! He had the entrepreneurial spirit very young! Today the market for possums fur has come back and NZ produces incredible garments (sweaters, gloves, scarves and socks) of a combination merino wool and possum fur. These have to e seen (and felt) to be believed…they are incredibly soft, warm, moisture wicking
90 Mile Beach
Its a major roadway! and long wearing! They are perfect for outdoor activities because they do not retain any odour from perspiration. (can you tell I am thinking of buying something??)
After the clams and the wild horses, Marty drove us straight up a river bed (with water in it) to the most amazing sand dunes we had ever seen. They were huge….I had to stop twice to catch my breath just walking to the top…and then the sliding down on a small boogie board was a real thrill (and not a little scary!!) I successfully navigated to the bottom then hec took his turn. It was the classic wipe out, folks…and I have the picture to prove it! He had sand in every part of his body….it was a sight to behold! He decided once was enough, but I had ‘another go’ as they say here before we jumped back in the van for the last miles to the cape, this time on windy gravel roads.
Cape Reinga itself boasts a beautiful lighthouse and views that are spectacular. It is the place where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea and there are strong currents and rips, as well as rocky
Sacred fishing Grounds
A break in the miles of sand. shoals that make it a navigational hazard but a place of stunning beauty.
We drove to another small cove and had lunch, complements of Marty. He had stopped en route and broken some branches from the Manuka or tea tree. He poured boiling water into two silver cups and let the branches sit in the water for a few minutes producing a lovely minty tasting tea which we had with fresh fish sandwiches and blueberry muffins…overlooking a while sand cove with crashing surf.
The drive back home involved more stories, several stops and hidden away places and Marty’s colourful commentary on the negative impact of ‘progress’ on New Zealand’s natural resources. He continues to thrive off the land, growing his own veggies, hunting and fishing for meat. Last year he won first prize in a big fishing contest…a trip to British Columbia which he turned into a honeymoon with his new wife.
When he dropped us off to pick up our car, we thanked him for a memorable day…one we certainly would not have experienced on or own. We know as travelers that its great to travel independently, but sometimes you need to pay for a special
Carved from single Kauri tree
This bench could be yours for a mere $35 000! experience and we surely enjoyed this one! We wished him luck on the pig hunt he had on for that night…and began the long and twisting drive south.
More on that next time!
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Brenda
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Deep Freeze
Hi guys! thought you would like to know it was a minus forty and sunny day today! There are so many contributors to your blog; lots of fun to read. We're enjoying the photos; recognize most so far, except for the spectacular sand spill! Way to go Hec....Love, B