http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand , North Island , Bay of Islands , Paihia en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:28:41 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:28:41 UTC The people we spoke to on the South Island were unanimous in their view that the North Island was there but it wasnrsquot really up to much. One lady told us that really the best plan was to get off the ferry in Wellington and go straight to the Bay of Islands probably trying to ignore Auckland as you go through I suspect. Even then so we were told the Bay of Islands is really just full of A http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-350439.html 9.11.08Tag in vier in Paihia. Gestern nix getan und auch heute mache ich mir einen ruhigen Tag. Habe zum ersten Mal Hot Fuzz auf Deutsch gesehen. Das kommt dabei raus wenn man an ein Hostel gert in dem sich viele Deutsche aufhalten. In meinem Zimmer sind zwei Jungs aus Deutschland eine sterreicherin ein Brite und drei Mdels aus Amiland. Im Ganzen sind es aber um die 15 Deutsche hier. Die w http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-348624.html The road to Waitangi Sunday 23rd November 2008On Friday morning we collected our Toyota campervan and set off north towards the Bay of Islands and Waitangi. The camper isnrsquot as new as we had hoped. In fact it is pretty wellworn and hasnrsquot been wellcared for. A lot of backpackers hire campers in New Zealand so they get thrashed about a bit. The fridge door flew open half way up t http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-347985.html Day 147 Sunday 23rd November Wet WaitangiOn arrival back in Auckland at 4.45am I have a surprisingly easy time through immigration this time. No questions just straight through. Customs want to clean my boots though as I have a few grains of grit stuck in my boots......talk about being strict. Finally at about 6am I get through another ordeal at Auckland airport and catch the shuttle bus to t http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-347913.html Viernes 21nov08 Me he comprado unas gafas de sol de 5 euros me he puesto las chanclas sin calcetines eso si voy hasta las tetas de bonceador mi sombrero de ala ancha mi mochilita de paseo y camara de fotos en ristre dispuesto a pasar desarpecibido en un tour por la bahia en busca de delfines que es el plan para esta soleada maana.Van llegando barcos al puerto y rezo por que el mio me de http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-347133.html We are now near the top of the North Island in Paihia. The weather is gorgeous and sunny and the views over the bay are fabulous. We have been on a longish walk over boardwalks through mangroves and tropical vegetation. Saw lots of interesting new birds and we were reminded that it is Spring here seeing nesting and baby birds. Also went on a coast walk and visited the house where the treaty betwee http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-347072.html Martes 18nov08 Hoy todo va a ser mas sencillo tengo contratado un tour para poder ver el norte del norte del norte de NZ y solo se puede ir en 4x4 o si te llevan ellos en unos autobusillos que no se como aguantan la tralla que les meten todos los dias ldquoworking nine to fiverdquo agua de mar rios dunas piedras y todo a toda leche. Como el seor que seguramente sere algun dia me r http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-346462.html Friday 31st October8460 We left our motel at 9.30 and drove to Waitangi Treaty Historic Site. This is considered by many New Zealanders to be their most important historic site. The Waitangi Treaty grounds here comprise of 506 hectares and are beautifully manicured and with views of the Waitangi River estuary. The naval flagpole marks the spot where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between t http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-344704.html Thursday 30th October.Today was a lovely sunny day. We wandered the short distance to the Wharf for the fast ferry over the township of Russell briefly in 1840 New Zealandrsquos capital. The journey across was very picturesque. At 10.00 we got on a Mini bus for a town tour. We learned the story of Kororareka. The legend goes that a Maori chief wounded in battle asked for some penguin broth. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-344694.html Took drive up to Paihia Bay of Islands where we should have been the day Bill decided to visit Auckland AE. Sunny warm day to arrive in very relaxing town of Paihia. Decided to visit Treaty Grounds not far from town where Maori Chiefs signed Treaty with British to share land 170 years ago. We saw a Maori Cultural show there no bare bums this time and just as we thought show was finished t http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-342403.html Our first nonbuild adventures. Many of us went sea kayaking which was supposed to be a guided adventure however when we arrived the owner told us the guide had died that morning. It was shock to us and to the owner as well since he had been in supposedly good health. He was only 52 years old. We took the lsquounguidedrsquo version of the trip and spent most of our time searching for the http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-340786.html We had to get up early today as we were hoping to drive to the coast and pick up a boat trip to the Poor Knights Islands. I know the weather here hasnrsquot been that warm but the guidebooks and leaflets all said the diving and snorkelling around the Poor Knights is the best in the country and one of the best in the world as itrsquos a marine reserve area. Plus there is a lot of wildlife on t http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-339590.html A few days ago we stopped on a bay to spend the night we locked the bikes to a tree and went for a walk when we came back there was another van next to ours and we thought we'll have company tonight when I got there this guy started talking in German to me asking me if I was from Chemnitz so I told him I'm not but Dax is and how the hell did they know well they saw the bikes from t http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-337871.html I'm in Paihia a small coastal town north of Auckland. This place has great diving fishing and generally all things watery. So far I have been on a dolphin cruise around the Bay of Islands the region I'm in and was able to see all the cool scenery. Unfortunately we saw no dolphins so I have a voucher to go again. I keep taking pictures of all the landscapes I feel that I'm going to be si http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-334348.html On Tuesday I attempted to wake up early but failed. I took the 28 bus out to the gondola near Lyttleton. It was a really windy day but it was a gorgeous view. Unfortunately I was a total idiot and forgot my camera. There were sheep and lambs all up the hill and the tall grasses were waving in the wind. I had booked a mountain bike to ride down from the gondola and I chose a track that went down http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-330028.html Sunday 3 AugustDeparted Sydney at 1100 and arrived in Auckland about 1500. Uneventful flight as usual. Hired a car and immediately left the city bound for Bay of Islands first stop was Orewa. This was to set the scene for our future travels...drive all day and end up looking for a hotel just as it gets dark.Mon 4Walked along the foreshore of Orewa Beachhellipwow some beautiful houses with a f http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-318752.html HiAt Rick and Sue's for a few nights at Haruru Falls.We left Dargaville Friday after a few days cleaning up after the storms. We travelled up to Mangonui and spent a night parked by Graeme and Margarets. Yesterday we went on to Tauranga Bay and stayed at the camping ground on the waterfront overnight a lovely spot. We plan to be back in Auckland on Wednesday and will put our bus into storage at http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-309971.html The day after the clay pigeon shooting we went on the Luge and sadly I lost.. 30. In my defence Alex races dirty and I was unlucky and the races were close we have photographic evidence but I did lose and faced him taunting me for the rest of the day and probably for the rest of my life. We didn't make it to the spa and hot pools in Rotorua we went to the ones in Hanmer Springs and th http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-288243.html As we were arriving into Auckland on the Plane the sun was rising up over New Zealand on my 26th Birthday. We were grateful just to be in NZ after having problems at HK airport with our visas which thankfully we sorted out.Arrived into Auckland and found a hostel by picking one from a map at the airport. Arrived at Albert Park Backpackers and got ourselves our Dorm. Met lots of really friendl http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-288241.html The long wait is finally over but more to come on that laterYesterday morning I hopped on a bus at Sky City and headed four hours up the road to Paihia located in the gorgeous Bay of Islands. I arrived at lunch time and booked into the hostel as well as making a booking for a certain activity for the following morning. With one afternoon to use I asked the receptionist what I should do. Sh http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-286403.html Firstly let us apologise in the delay in writing this blog. We only had 13 days in New Zealand so we had to make every second countWe flew into Queenstown on 24th May through a medly of snow capped mountains and lakes before touching down and stepping out into the freezing cold of the South Island. After picking up our Jucy Camper van our first point of calll was the New Zealand equivelant of Pri http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-284223.html Umm the map server isn't working right now which I tried to use after I wrote everything below. So sorry if I say something is on the map and you don't have one. I'll make a map as well as add pictures with the next blog. Hello from paihia i'll try to give a quick rundown of what I've been doing. Umm I last checked in I believe talking about monday the 26th... that night I hung out in th http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-282639.html A morning of sunshine made cleaning Tui up a pleasant event. With this being Tui's last adventure it was time to take inventory and see what we had swept under the carpet.High in the North at Paihia it was time to take to the waters. We took a beautiful kayak through the pristine waters of the Bay of Islands. It would take a bit of training for us to make any speed records so we enjoyed some http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-280157.html So I was asked to explain why I'm traveling in New Zealand. Here is a quick breakdownWho Just meWhere All around New Zealand. I started in the south island Christchurch where my old roommates James and Julia just moved to. Currently I'm in the Bay of Islands in a Hostel called the Bay Adventure in Paihia. Next I plan on heading south of Auckland to see some other towns and do some Black Wat http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-276748.html No one travels so high as he who knows not where he is going. Oliver Cromwell.I had seriously begun to doubt if it would ever come. So much anguish surrounding Freedom so much time and money wasted. All the anxieties of my past life in Edinburgh rearing their ugly head again and screaming round in circles in the pit of my stomach all came to an abrupt end when the garage phoned and told me t http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-269835.html How you goinAfter Coromandel we had a 6 12 hour drive to Paihia which are where the bay of islands is. Is was a long and twisty drive up and over mountains as much of the driving is in New Zealand When we got to Paihia it was late afternoon so we watched a couple of films on the ipod and chillaxed. The following day we got up and went for a hike to get a good view of the islands and it was http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-268093.html Going to have to make this brief because I'm mileskilometres behind on my blogs I'm in the US of A at the moment been to Fiji and this blog is now about things that happened 6 weeks ago Windy WellingtonTent nearly blew away in the night Amy and I had to jump out 3 times in the night to peg the thing back down Never been to a city so windy Botanical gardens were pretty especially the rose http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-266535.html