NZ - Bay of Islands & Auckland

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Wednesday 23^rdNovember

Up at 6.00am and left 6.30am as the sun rose, as we needed to get through Auckland before the rush hour traffic! A lot of traffic even at that time but at least it was moving and we stopped for coffee and breakfast at 8.30am at Wellsford.

Carried on to Kawakawa where we had another stop at ‘the most beautiful loos in the land’ which were designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser!

Drove into Paihai and camped up in The Olive Grove Campsite. Walked back into town and caught the boat at 1.30pm for a cruise around the Bay of Islands and out to the iconic Hole in the Rock. We soon spotted dolphins and there were quite regular sightings of them throughout the whole trip which was brilliant!

The sea was quite rough going out to the Hole in the Rock and although the Captain reversed the boat up inside, we weren’t able to go through the rock! Cruised back to Urupukapuka Island where we had an hour to walk up to a lookout point, with absolutely stunning views, and also to see the site of an old Maori Pa (village)

Back onto the boat and stopped off at Russell, New Zealands first capital city, where we had a wander around the pretty historic village, which also has the oldest church in New Zealand, before sitting on the harbour-side for a beer!

Caught the ferry back to Piahia and walked along to Skippers Fish & Chip shop (an old sugar sailing barque), near the Holiday Bay Campsite, where we had fresh Snapper and chips! Delicious! (Info: Distance 297kms)



Thursday 24^th November

A cloudy morning, bit of drizzle but outbreaks of sun throughout the day so not too bad! We first went to have a quick look at Haruru Falls before going to Waitangi which is where the Treaty between the Maori people and the British Crown was first signed on 6^th February 1840. Had a wander around the gardens and looked at the 35m waka taua (canoe), built in 1940 for the centenary and is still holds the record for the longest canoe in the Guiness Book of records.

Walked up to Treaty House, built for the first British resident, James Busby and admired the colourful gardens before watching a 20 minute film on the history of the Treaty.

Drove back into Kawakawa for Chris to buy a new haversack before driving to Whangarei Falls where we did the 20 minute circular walk to view the 23m drop.

Camped in the Top Ten campsite and walked into the town centre of Whangarei – pleasant quayside for a coffee and an art trail walk along the estuary, but a bit industrial! Had a roast dinner in a greasy spoon cafe – very nice!

Friday 25^th November

Up early and visited the Whangarei Quarry Gardens just off SH1. Beautiful gardens planted up with loads of different colourful plants and cactus, with small stony paths leading up to a lake and a fountain. And the sun also came out for a while as well!

On towards Auckland, a quick stop at Kawakawa to buy a new haversack for Chris and then a short coffee break at Wellsford reaching Auckland about 12.45.

We were meeting Alison for lunch at Vulcan Lane and had a lovely meal and a good catch up, sharing all the news! (My lips are sealed!) It was a shame we didn’t have longer but maybe next time!

Left the city about 2.30pm hoping to get ahead of the traffic, but we soon hit the traffic jams and traffic came to a halt! Crawled along the SH1 and eventually got to Sue and Mikes at about 5.00pm.

Saturday 26^th November

After breakfast we set off on an unexpected mega tour of Auckland! ( We didn’t think there was that much to see!!) Our first stop was Mt Victoria where we had an excellent view of Aucklands skyline and Sky Tower as well as Rangitoto Island – a 700 year old dormant volcano! It also housed an 1899 hidden gun that was put on the Mount to stop any potential Russian attack. It was only ever fired once as the people complained when it cracked their windows!

Next stop was Devonport, the naval port of Auckland and a lovely little trendy shopping centre with gift shops, and a huge rubber tree!

On to central Auckland where we parked up and had a wander around the quayside that had been renovated for the world cup and now housed a lot of cafes and bars, including Auckland Fish Market – a renowned fresh fish eaterie, where we had a nice fish and chip lunch! Walked across the vertical swing bridge to the Viaduct area and had a look at NZ1 - New Zealands 1987 America cup entry yacht, before heading along the coast to Mission Bay.Had a wander along the beach and the shops and then onto Mount Eden, a dormant volcano, where you could see down inside the crater which had now grassed over.Had a walk in the wind around the top of the crater, with views to our next stop One Tree Hill in the distance.

One Tree Hill is owned by the Maori people and is so named because there used to be one tree at the top, which has now been replaced by a large needle tower. The road is lined with ancient pohutukawa trees and climbs to the summit where there is a working farm and wonderful 360 degree views all over Auckland.

We hadn’t finished our day yet and drove along the coastline past Maraetai beaches before driving through the high street of the local town of Pukekohe, and stopping at the local Chinese, where you could get a very cheap but excellent takeaway of a mixture of your favourite dishes!

Sunday 27^th November A travelling day but before we went to the airport we took the dogs out to Sunset Beach at Waikato for a run along the beach! A very wild beach with black sand and sand dunes, and huge rolling waves with a few people surfing. Then there was just enough time to pop into the shops at Pukekohe before saying goodbye to Sue and Mike(and Snoopy and Tiny!) who dropped us at the airport.

Usual queues to check in luggage and then we were unable to get a window seat! Went to the ticket desk and explained we were unable to book in online and now unable to get a window seat, and after a phone call our seats were changed to 23a & 23b which was the row immediately behind business class! Plenty of legroom so we did ok and settled down for the 12hr flight to LA and then a short flight to San Fransisco.

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