Don’t know where we going.. got no way of knowing…heading on a road to nowhere!
9th July 2006
Well where did we leave you all last….think it was just before England got knocked out of the world cup!
Hangovers in tow we picked up our spaceship…the company’s name for our campervan….which is really no more than a bright orange converted people carrier called ‘Krissy’ (think the motorised sowing machine of campervans!) but has been doing us a treat until it broke last night. The second battery has gone and we have no lights and more importantly no DVD player which up to now has been our evenings entertainment.
First stop in Krissy was a little place called Whangerai which has a lovely waterfall. From there we headed up the east coast to Bay of Islands (will let you work out why it is so called). At the bay we took a boat tour out to the hole in the rock and to dolphin watch ….number of dolphins spotted….nil! So we treated ourselves to an ice cream each with extra whipped cream and sauce …purely to lift the spirits and liven the soul!
The following day saw our first real bit of culture with a visit to Watangai which is the place the treaty between the Maoris and the British was signed. Basically the British came in with their guns and the Maoris didnt have a lot of choice. Here we visited a Maori meeting house which was carved out of wood…very beautiful (check the pictures when they are posted) and saw a 30ft long Maori war canoe.
From the Bay we headed North to Cape Reinga which is NZs most northern point. We arrived as the sun was setting and had the whole place to ourselves….it was breathtaking….on oneside the sea was crashing and you could see many whitehorses and on the other it was peacefully calm. At the cape it is possible to see the two colours of the of the Tasman sea and the Pacific mixing. To top it all ….a mist set in whilst we were there and teh most vivid rainbow appeared ….(have taken pictures for Maxwell….as I know he loves a “Bo”).
The next day we returned to the cape as we loved it so much and once again had the place to ourselves before we headed off in search for the dunes. A place called Te Paki just south of the Cape has massive sand dunes so we hired a board and partook in a spot of sand- duning. We reckon the largest dune was somewhere in the region of 50-100ft ….so we picked up a fair bit of speed coming down. Now instinct told me that the only way to slow down at the bottom was to stick a leg out….wrong….I only managed to flip myself up and land face first in the sand….been picking grains out of my teeth all week!
Chris was in his element on the dunes and had to be dragged away (not unlike a small child kicking and screaming!).
From the Cape we headed south of Auckland to the Cormandel Penninsula visiting Cathedral Cove …so named for the limestone arch formation in the bay. The next morning saw an early start dictated by the tide. We headed to “hot water beach” where you can dig your own spa pool 2 hours either side of low tide. In places the sand is too hot to stand on but if you dig close by the water is just right for sitting in. Chris built our waterside palace with a shovel we bought from the shop in the bay and proceeded to remove the skin on his hand whilst doing so. Hot water beach was alao the bikinis first outing in NZ.
From the beach we travelled inland to the Cormandel Forrest park and climbed the pinnacles. The pinnicle was originally a rock formation which formed the plug inside a volcano crater but as time has gone on the volcano has worn away and the plug is all that’s left.
We are now in a place called Waitomo (Maori for water hole) which is famous for its caves and glow-worms which are actually maggots that live in snot-like surroundings …but I digress. Here we have seen a bunny rabbit get sheared with sheep shears …..(once again wait for the photos) to shear the bunny rabbit they get placed in a rack like device…but each bunny has a long and fun packed life and get a proper burial when it dies from natural causes in the pet cemetery (that last sentence was for you Nic). Chris being extremely fond of Bunny Rabbits once again had to be dragged away! ….and more recently been on the “Black Abyss”.
The Black Abyss run by ‘The black water rafting company’ started with a 30m abseil down a hole through a narrow space called the throat into an underground cave. The experience involved a pitch black zip wire underneath the glow worms which looked like lots of tiny little stars and then a 5m jump into a black river landing on an inner tube. From there we paddled /waded upstream taking in rock formations and to travel back downstream in a chain in the dark once again taking in the glow worms. The river in which you could spot eels and the occassional river rate was extremely narrow in parts (one particular spot called the birthing canal was extremely tight and we had to pull ourselves through on our stomachs). The exit involved a little rock climbing through two waterfalls. The day has been pure adventure and probably our best yet whilst in NZ.
This afternoon we travel to Rotorua…..will keep you posted of what is has in store!
Tags: Cape Reinga, New Zealand, NZ, Sandboarding, Waitomo
Chris and Charl
Love the “spaceship” pics! Can’t imagine you both living in there! You’ll come home several inches shorter I think – having to bend in two all the time? Great pics of the snow boarding etc. etc. Looks a bit cold out there?
Chris says,
Hello Mum! It isn’t too cold over here (no worse than Whitley on a good day), although it will get colder once we get over to the south island in the next week or so. I’m a bit worried about you, your eyes must be failing you in your old age, it was sand boarding, not snow boarding, that would have been cold!
Lots of Love, Chris