Blogs from Paihia, Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 4

We were greeted by our host Heinz in his kitchen with freshly ground coffee, cereals, yoghurt, fresh fruit and eggs to order. He was meticulous in ensuring that everything was strictly vegetarian with many vegan foodstuffs accommodating Caroline. There were only the four of us for breakfast and we sat chatting to him for quite a long time. He suggested that the weather might turn and whilst the sun was shining we should take a boat ride out to the Hole in the Rock. Being very involved with the tourist industry here, Heinz booked our tickets with a discount. The sun was shining as we walked down to the wharf. Don realised that it would be his brother Mike's wedding anniversary when we returned home so we bought a card and wrote it out and then ... read more

26th February Bay of Islands, New Zealand Today sees our last port of call in New Zealand, having sailed overnight we arrived at anchor off Waitangi in the Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is in the northern region of North Island and is renowned for its silvery beaches and a coastline of bays and islands. This is a tender port and we landed at the small pier on Waitangi. Waitangi is famous for the historic pact between Britain and the Maori tribes, signed in 1840, the Maoris accepted British sovereignty and in return we agreed to protect Maori land. As mentioned in a previous blog the true implications of the treaty were questioned and this led to the infamous ‘Land Wars’. The treaty is still regarded as a true affirmation of Maori ... read more

Hi All, New blog for you to keep you updated with where and how I am :). After approximately 24 hours of travelling and losing a day, I arrived in New Zealand Friday night (9th Feb), made a new friend (Amor) in my hostel room, and decided to get to know each other better by going off for a relaxing drink. Found the Irish bar (called Father Ted) round the corner, and met a fun guy called Matt from Kidlington who love the pub, the music and dancing with every girl in the vicinity! The next day, Amor and I went to find breakfast and the mandatory (for her) Starbucks coffee before going back to the hostel and just chilling. To be honest I don't remember what else we did in the afternoon. In the evening, ... read more

We started our Kiwi Experience adventure on 2nd November. We left Auckland to go to the beautiful seaside town of Paihia. On the way to Paihia, we stopped at a sheep farm called Sheep World where we were able to feed calves and lambs! We stayed at the Pipi Patch in Paihia which was a pretty cool little hostel. The dorms have an ensuite bathroom and shower as well as a kitchenette. It's also attached to a bar which I'm pretty sure is the only bar in Paihia! Whilst here, we did the walk up to the Harura Falls. Although the actual waterfall isn't spectacular, the walk itself is just lovely. You pass over a board walk where you are able to walk through a mangrove forest. It was at high tide when we walked through ... read more

I really could have done with a lie in this morning, especially in such a nice bed, unfortunately the other 5 girls are all up at 6.30am to go on a tour. I make the most of being up early and go and sit on the beach to watch the early morning sun rise over the water. I walk into town and head to the information centre to find about a trip to Cape Reinga – the whole purpose of me coming up to Paihia. Whilst there I pick up a leaflet for the Gyunver boat and remember someone telling me along the way that is well worth a trip out on if you have time. So I decide to take the plunge, and as today are the best conditions forecast all week, I just have ... read more