Hicks Bay

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A beautiful way to kick off spring with an impromptu visit to Hicks Bay on the northern point of the East Cape. My adventure crew (Charl, Mags, Debbie and Tim, and our new couchsurfing friend, Maria) headed up the coast on Friday night for a weekend in a batch on the beach.

If you've been up the East Cape of New Zealand at all, you can picture it very well. Its common place to have to stop on the highway for cattle walking down the road. Sheep and lambs have a place on people's rickety front porches, where the boards are warped with time and lack of attention, horses roam wild on the beach, as do sea birds and children on quad bikes. Throw in a few scattered fisherman and dedicated surfers and you have Hicks Bay.

The batch we rented was quaint. Wherever there was an ounce of space, there was a bed there. Additions seemed to be the theme of the place - closets turned bathrooms and storage room turned bedroom. And who says the toilet shouldn't be right next to the kitchen? Who could complain about the location though - right on the beach.

After a run on the beach, we took the beautiful drive out to the lighthouse, the Eastern most point in New Zealand, apart from the Chatham Islands, and thus the first place to see the new day. We had beautiful weather as we looked east, into yesterday - a weird concept. Saturday night was a beautiful bbq, wine, cocktails and a few games. Sunday was a highly unsuccessful fishing mission, unless you consider losing fishing hooks and weights successful... Oh well, we got to stand on the rocks, talk smack about eachother's fishing skills and drink beer, so who could complain!

A leisurely drive back to Gisborne and a near miss with running out of diesel, I'm ready to start the week (back up to Hicks Bay for work on Tuesday)!! Life is so tough ;-)

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Photos

East Cape
A Pahutakawa tree on the way to the East Cape light house (forgive my spelling)

Wild horses
Not exactly show material, but something has to be said about wild horses on the beach.

Pretending to fish
The other sport you use a fishing rod for - its called "getting your line wet".

Chilling outside the lighthouse
After 759 steps, we deserved a beer as we enjoyed the view.