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Published: March 1st 2009
Kauri trees
Could just about make them out in between shivering.8/2/09 = Cape Reinga, Sand Boarding & 90mile beach
Woke up to the sound of Debs' paniced voice today. Were supposed to get up at 6am to be ready for 7am pick up, but alarm hadn't gone off and was 6:40...oh no! Tried to creep round room quietly to not wake other girls, but is really hard to be quiet when rushing so much...especially when have all belongings in seperate plastic bags. Rustled round as quietly as possible, grabbed out some random cloths and ran to shower room. Quickest wash ever, definitely no make up and not even a hairbrush. Gulped down some breakfast as quick as possible, while looking out on road for coach and even managed to throw some sandwiches together for lunch. Is amazing what you can do in 20mins really! Ran out to road then and got bit worried that had missed bus, so Deb went to phone to ring. Just as she went to ring, bus came and the cheeriest bus driver ever got off. Checked us in and we climed on bus relieved. Picked up another 2 people after that and when were all there, Spike (bus driver) started to tell us about trip.
Loved him
One of the cutest puppies seen in a long time. Well....one of the only puppies seen in a long time. Well, he started...and then just never kind of stopped. He talked through whole journey, but wasn't a bad thing, because he was really interesting and knew loads about Maori culture and history of NZ; was really good to listen to.
First stop was at Jungle Forest and although Spike was really interesting, had managed to doze off on way; just so tired. He even made a joke out of me which continued for rest of day. Pulled in anyway and got off. Really, really cold on a morning in NZ and gets really cold on a night too. Lot like England in that way. Wrapped up in scarf and cardi, then bumbled into forest cold and still half asleep. Had heard Spike talk a little about famous trees here = kauri trees. Nearly indeginous to NZ with 95% of them here. Did look around and thought it looked quite cool, but couldn't properly take it in because too cold and tired. Back on coach after 5 mins and made our way to major stop = Cape Reinga. Spike carried on telling us about Maori traditions and told us their creation story for NZ was formed, which I will be
One of views at Cape Reinga
Sorry, lots of photos coming up. very brief in explaining. He told us that Gods went fishing and caught a fish too big to eat. They left it in the water because was so big and that became North Island. They also left their canoe = South Island and the anchor for the canoe = Stewart Island. Cool story...and v.brief as promised.
Had some stops on way to Reinga and one was at a cafe/bakery (suprise, suprise) & a fruit shop. I dodged cafe and headed straight to fruit shop. Amazed to find bright red pears in there. Never seen a bright red pear in life! Asked lady about them and she gave me one to try...v.nice. Ate it and bought another for trip. Back on coach then and drove for another hour or so before made next stop. Next stop was for ice cream, apparently "the biggest bloody ice-cream in New Zealand" with scoops "the size of your bloody head". Spike liked the word "bloody". Nearly everyone got ice cream, but I wasn't really in mood. He was right though, they really were the biggest scoops of ice cream and everyone said they were nice too. I bought some post cards and when turned
Another amazing view from Cape
Literally right at the end of the country, with water all around us...brilliant. round from counter, found Deb in floods of tears, nearly hysterical. She managed to tell me - through tears - that she had gone outside to eat ice cream when 3 dogs came bundling over to her. She screamed for me to come, but I didn't hear her, so she ended up screaming for anyone to help. She was still really upset, so I removed ice cream from her (which she was still trying to eat whilst crying and nearly took my hand off as I prized it from her) whilst she calmed down. After few mins, when her breathing went back to normal, I went outside to find best dogs ever. A labrador Mummy with 2 cross-breed pups....they were the cutest things I had ever seen. Could see why Deb didn't like them though, they were really friendly and playful and gave out lots of kisses...a.k.a. my perfect dogs 😊 They were also profiting heavily from the humongous ice creams, which proved too big for most people to finish, but quite easy for the puppies to waffle down. Stroked them and played with them and then the Mum was even better. A Canadian guy was playing fetch with her
and she was super clever + never got tired. I joined in too and could have played with her all day because she was so brilliant! Didn't have all day though and had to say goodbye and get back on coach 😞
Another hours travelling, then arrived at Cape Reinga. Cape Reinga has pretty lighthouse, cool sign with directions and distances to major cities in world and is the only place in world where 2 Oceans meet from opposite directions and collide with each other = Tasman sea + Pacific Ocean. Only had 45mins to look round it all and write postcards, so headed off straight to lighthouse. Was an amzing view over land and sea and a beautiful day to see it all on. Short walk to lighthouse and really impressed with world signpost. Even more impressed with meeting oceans = churning waves in middle of mass of blue sea, although waves weren't as big as they could be. Cape Reinga = v. top of NZ and really felt like it too. Awesome. Meanderred back along path then and had to v.quickly write postcards. Apparently, get special stamp if post cards here, so rushed as much as possible.
Waters meeting
Awesome really. Just finished in time when realised didn't know addresses. Ran back to bus to fill them in, but didn't have time, was time to go 😞 Told Spike and he v.kindly offered to take them and post them on his repeat journey tomorrow. V.nice 😊
Headed to a nearby beach for lunch then. Had a quick look round - did look nice - then sat down and had lunch. Ate sandwiches and fruit (not v.exciting) then went to beach for a paddle. Nice, private beach, but not one of best beaches ever been to or anything. Then, didn't come to NZ for beaches anyway! Paddled, wrote name in pebbles, then got back on bus for next stop = 90mile beach. Drove through Te Paki Stream (didn't think bus was going to make it, but it did) and then parked up in front of some huge sand dunes. Started to get really excited for sand-boadring then. All filed out of bus and Spike gave us some quick tips about how to actually sandboard. He then showed and talked to us about each of the 3 sand dunes in front of us. There was a small, medium and large. He proceeded
to tell us to ignore small and medium, because they were for people collecting a pension...we were going straight to the large! V.excited, but also a little nervous; big difference between the small and large...surely we would be better to practise on small first? Grabbed our sand boards and started the walk up the dune, which was actually the hardest part. Really steep, long dune + sand boiling. Head down and started trekking up. Some people couldn't make it up without stopping for a rest. Got really mad at one Canadian girl who didn't even make it a 5th of the way up; she was younger than me and an ideal weight...no excuse to not make it up other than shockingly poor fitness! Even the oldies made it further than her! Tut! Finally got to top out of breath and already in pain, and looked at the giant slope down....would be lying if said wasn't nervous...but was alot more excited. Were about 5 people before us, so watched them go. Looked cool, but bit more nerves now, especially at queue wittled down. Got to Debs' turn, but she had a sudden wave of panic and didn't want to go, so
An even better shot of the lighthouse
Sorry, just couldn't decide between them. I went first. Kness on floor, laid down on baord, elbows down and hands gripped...ready?!Said my last little prayer for life, then Spike counted to 3 and pushed me off. Wow...brilliant. Flew down at first. Put toes in to slow myself down a little and steer, but felt awesome. As got closer to bottom, put toes in to steer more, but that was big mistake! Toes in too much on right side = spin to right side. Still travelling so fast that flew off board. That flew up into air and I carried on with momemtun in a James Bond roll. Must have been highly funny to watch; was even quite funny to experience. Lay still at bottom wondering if I was dead, but then looked down and all bones still under skin = 😊 Got up, dusted myself off (so much sand all over & in body = unreal) and headed straight back for queue. Loved it!
Saw Deb come down as I started trekking back up dune and she seemed o.k., so carried on. Harder to walk up dune this time because not as many footholes to stand in and sand really hot, not to mention pain
in poor thigh muscles, but plodded on. Got to top and had to join a different queue this time to go off on our own. Only 2 other guys up there and me, so waited and watched behind them. Determined not to fall of board this time! Scraped some of sound out of my mouth and eyes (not nice), then plonked on board, another prayer and wriggles myself down. Didn't move as quickly this time and no need to use feet other than to steer = good. Got over main hump and decided not to use my feet or slow myself down at all, so should stay on board! Fingers crossed! Flew over hump and skidded nicely right to bottom of dune. Yeh...made it! Came to a halt still on board! 😊 Enjoyed it even more this time, so decided to go for one more...3 seems like a nice round number! + have seen a few guys make it down dune and into river because travelling so fast...want to do that! One last trek up hill...good for the muscles I suppose...no sand to scrape out of eyes or mouth this time, so got straight on board and off I went.
Gave myslef a little push for bit more speed, but still daren't do run up like some of guys! Off I went...no breaks...no toes in ground at all. Definately moved faster and when saw myself moving into stream got really excited. Yeh...halted in bed of stream. Got up, made a marker and decided to try and beat it...4 is a kind of round number?! Started back for dune and noticed there was hardly anybody on it...maybe time up 😞 Wanted to get some photos too before we left, so ran back to coach and took a few snaps. By time had finished that, was time to get back on coach 😞 Oh well, 4 is not a round number afterall! Very impressed with all oldies on there sand dune; might have been smaller than ours, but was still a massive dune and they were still flying down it! Respect!
Drove to 90 mile beach then and Spike started telling us about some of injuries there have been...obvious why he was telling us now! 1 person had broken their neck, lots of teeth knocked out and he himself had broken jaw, arm and lost teeth. Prayers must have worked...thank you
Last one now...promise
It just looked even better as we walked away from it. God! Pulled onto beach and was quite spectacular. Again, not as good as Fraser beach in Australia, but was still miles and miles of beach and sea in either direction, for as far as eye could see = still pretty amazing! Drove down it a bit, then pulled in to go fishing for shell fish and wash off in sea. Sand now all over body like an extra layer of skin...had some good exfoliation today! Meanderred down to beach with everyone else and impressed to see hole in rock even though was far away. Spike got everyone on digging duty to find shellfish...he was having a barbie tonight! I joined in too and was brilliant. No matter where you dug on beach, youy would always find a shellfish just a couple of cms down. Found loads, but opening them up to eat was a different story. Spike showed me trick = slide across really hard, but no matter how many times I tried to do it, just couldn't! Didn't have enough strength in my puny little hand/arm and still couldn't do it when tried with 2 hands! Determined to do it though, so continued digging and sliding! On about my
Another view from Reinga
...they just keep coming! 12th attempt, when both aching and annoyed, finally got one to open..he must have been a weak one! Knew he wouldn't taste nice, but after all that effort, I was definately going to eat him! Gobbled him down in one. Yep...not that tasty, but then not that un-tasty either. Went to sea to wash off sand then = a near impossible task! So much sand in ears that am sure must be in brain! Did what could, then got on bus for next part of journey.
Drove up remainder of 90mile beach, which actually is only 64miles long. Thought this was wierd, but Spike explained 2 reasons for it: 1) Was named by Maoris who used to drive up and down it. It took them 3 days to get from one end to other and they guessed that they did about 30miles each day = 90miles. 2) Australia has Fraser beach = 79miles & didn't want to be beaten by them, so never bothered changing name. Ha! Took an hour to get up rest of beach and then continued on to next stop = place to look round while Spike ordered fish and chips for us all. Fish and
Us and the oceans
Nicely placed smack bang in front of them...it's all about us you know! chips in Manganui supposed to be best in NZ...we'll see! Put order in, had a nosey around craft shop, then got back on coach for journey to fish and chips. V.excited! When got there, they were all ready and waiting and could put owjn salt and vinegar on...yeh! Disappointed when opened them up to see portion size though. Not many chips and definately smallest fish ever seen in life...hope they taste good! Got back on bus and all ate them on journey home. Got to say, they were v.tasty actually; lot better than Oz...but obviously not better than England. We are the home of fish and chips afterall...you can't beat perfection!
Took another 1 and half hours before got back to hostel and started to get tired. Been an awesome day though...one of best so far...really enjoyed it. Clambered off bus with all bags (brought everything but kitchen sink because of all rush this morning) and waddled into room. Had quick chat with girls there, then headed to shower to try and remove some of 90mile beach from body. In shower for ages, but still didn't get quite all of sand...just can't get that far down ears! Gave up
Where we had lunch
Well, not in the water obviously, but somewhere on a dry bit. after a while and went to ring Mum with rubbish 12minute phonecard. 12 mins = no where near enough and hardly got to say anything to her, but was at least nice to have a mini catch up. Trapsed round for internet then and did my usual 2 hour slot to try and catch up on this blog melarchy...which, by the way, will never happen! Did 2 hours though, then came back to hostel, had museli and yoghurt snack, and retired to bed at 9:30 😊 Wrote for a while, then got some much needed sleep. Really happy in NZ...feels just like a home away from home. Looks like a totally different country to ours (i.e. miles more land/scenery and miles less people), but somehow has a v.similar feel. Happy here 😊
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