Bay of Islands to Cape Reinga 23rd -25th January

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We spent 3 nights in the YHA Paihia in a double room with en-suite which cost approx £44 per night and was really pleasant. We probably raised the average age of guests by 2 decades but everyone was really friendly and it was a nice quiet environment! It took about 4 hrs to drive to Paihia from Auckland with an hour lunch stop at the Whangerei Falls which was a really nice place to picnic. Saturday was an early pick up from the YH for the trip to Cape Reinga - the most northerly point in New Zealand and the place where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. En route we stopped at the Puteki Forest to see some of the oldest Kaouri Pine trees which were much sought after by European sailors as Kaouri is the only wood in NZ which floats and the sap is used as resin. Because of their location 800 m above sea level they survived deforestation due to the difficulty in transporting them to the sea. The trip included a fish and chip or falafel salad lunch at a boat club. Needless to say there weren't many takers for the falafel!! Cape Reinga is a really stunning area to visit with panoramic views of the Tasman Sea to the left and the Pacific Ocean to the right. It is also a place of great spiritual significance to the Māori as it is the point where the Male sea meets the Female sea and is the creation of life. It is also where they believe the people return to their homeland after death. I had often wondered what it might look like when two bodies of water meet and, although less dramatically than in the winter months, you can see the waves approach each other.The signpost is a nice reminder of how far away you are from home but equally of how air travel brings us all so quickly together! The return journey is along 90 mile beach, technically it's only about 55 miles but apparently was named by Captain James Cook when he saw it from the sea. The beach road is only accessible 2hrs after high tide so while we were waiting the coach driver provided surfboards for everyone to try Sandboarding. The contrast between the sand dunes on one side and the dense vegetation were quite stark. The drive along the beach at about 50 mph with the sea on the right was exhilarating and a unique experience. It reminded me how privileged we are to be able to undertake a year of travel and how the simplest things can be so moving. Sunday morning we went on the Bay of Islands tour, which again was outstanding. I can only liken the scenery to that of the Lake District but on a massive scale. Hundreds of varieties of trees and the NZ fern dominate the view set against the blues of the Pacific Ocean qand the sky - breathtaking. We sailed out and very quickly came across of pod of Bottle-nosed dolphins. Their power to captivate and enthral people of all ages is endless. Needless to say, everyone was on their feet trying to capture that elusive image! Sunday afternoon we visited Waitangi, the place where the treaty was signed between the British and the Māori to establish what is now New Zealand. It's a really interesting visit and also houses the largest war canoe in New Zealand which needs a minimum of 76 rowers to be safe! It's next outing is on the 6th of Feb, Waitangi Day which is effectively New Zealand's Independence Day. In the evening we decided to splash out on a meal in a restaurant and went to a seafront restaurant called Only Seafood. Tom had Green-lipped Mussels as a starter, which were huge, followed by Salmon Teriaki and I had Scallops with bacon in a pastry case with Marsala Sauce followed by Snapper cooked with tomato, spinach and cream on a huge bowl of fettuccine. It was absolutely delicious and well worth a visit if you are ever in Paihia.

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Photos

Whangerei Falls
Perfect place for picnic stop

Puketi Forest
Endangered Kauri Pines

Cape Reinga
So much to see, so little time!

Māori Waka
War Ship manned by at least 75 men