New Zealand – The Far North
Oct 15 – 17
So we had finally left the South Pacific behind and it was time for some adventure in New Zealand. Thank goodness we had already gotten our fill of sunshine and warm temperatures, because we certainly weren’t visiting New Zealand for the weather. Our plane landed in Auckland in a grey drizzle that continued off and on for most our visit to New Zealand. We had allocated three weeks to see both the North and South islands so it was going to be a challenge to fit it all in. After landing in Auckland we quickly found a cheap rental car with only 275,000km on it for only $21/day. As an added safety bonus, it pulled slightly to the left which helped to keep the driver alert at all times. After spending our first night in a cheap airport motel, we headed north the next morning.
Our first stop was the Bay of Islands where Alexa and I were looking forward to fulfilling one of our goals for our trip – swimming with dolphins.
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Unfortunately, New Zealand was experiencing an unseasonably cold, wet spring and the weather was definitely not cooperating. Five weeks in the South Pacific had spoiled us and, short of wearing dry suits, we were not getting in the frigid water. We decided to hold out and try again in the South Island in Kaikoura. Instead, we headed for the northernmost point in New Zealand and a sacred Maori site, Cape Reinga. On the way, we stopped at Te Paki to go sand boarding on the massive dunes of Ninety Mile Beach. These steep dunes are not for the faint of heart and provided us with loads of fun and thrills as we tobogganed down them.
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| From New Zealand (… |
The only thing missing was a chairlift. There was a pair of young German guys watching us and, after witnessing Claude come screaming down a particularly steep dune at about 70km/hr not once, but twice, they asked if they could borrow our rented boards and give it a try. The first guy lost his nerve about halfway down and made the mistake of sticking his foot out to slow down. The result was a spectacular wipeout that could have graced the opening sequence of the Wide World of Sports. The second guy, undaunted, doggedly climbed the dune for his attempt. As he hit top speed, something went wrong and he started cart wheeling down the hill and didn’t stop until he hit the bottom. As we ran over to his prostrate form we could hear him moaning, “Oh man, I think I’m going to be sick.” The poor guy was so dizzy he couldn’t stand up for about 15 minutes and Simon thoughtfully climbed the dune to retrieve his lost sunglasses and hat. After their humbling experience on the dunes, the two Germans were in even greater awe of Claude and his sand boarding abilities. Those poor guys are probably still finding sand in orifices they never knew they had.
Next it was on to windswept Cape Reinga, also known as Te Rerenga Wairua, where the Maoris believe the spirits of the dead depart the earth. The sheer isolation and beauty of this place makes it easy to understand why the Maori believe it is sacred.
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| From New Zealand (… |
The breathtaking beaches of Cape Maria van Diemen quickly became my new screensaver.
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Next we headed back down the coast and drove right on Ninety Mile Beach which was perfectly flat and wide and we didn’t see another soul for 30km.
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Alexa and Simon were thrilled when we let them sit on Claude’s lap and drive the car.
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| From New Zealand (… |
They’re still talking about it when we ask them about their favourite memories of New Zealand.
The next day we continued down the west coast and visited the Waipoua Kauri Forest where we saw ancient towering Kauri trees that give California’s redwoods a run for their money. We saw Tane Mahuta (God of the Forest)
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and the 2000 year old Te-matua-ngahere (Father of the Forest) with a trunk over 25 feet in diameter.
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We also came to the realization the New Zealand has the windiest roads on the planet. The funny thing is that the speed limit on almost all highways is a laughable 100km/hr, a speed which, unless you are Mario Andretti with a death wish, is impossible to achieve.
While in the Far North, we discovered that New Zealand has a well-organized hostel system with excellent budget accommodation for everyone. Throughout our trip to New Zealand we predominately stayed in BBH hostels and really enjoyed meeting travelers from all over the world as well as our gracious hosts who were always more than happy to provide excellent information and advice on the local region. As a family, we were welcomed almost everywhere and never felt out of place. The BBH guide also provided a list of hostels by town with backpacker ratings on each hostel which made it much easier to select places to stay.
To see our photos from the Far North, go to our web album.
Tags: Bay of Islands, Cape Reinga, New Zealand, North Island, Travel
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