New Zealand 2 – Northland

It was a long but enjoyable drive up from Auckland. Initially the roads were quite busy with people heading out of the city for a Sunday at one of the many beautiful beaches along the eastern coast of the peninsula. It was noticeable how parched the ground was with fields of brown grass. At regular intervals along the roadside were notices warning of the high risk of fires, while others warned of stringent water restrictions.

As we headed further north the traffic began to thin and we stopped for the first of many excellent coffees consumed on this trip, and something tasty to eat – a pie!

By mid afternoon we reached Ahipara, a small coastal settlement at the southern end of 90 Mile Beach. It was a hot Sunday afternoon and children were jumping off the bridge, on the outskirts of the village, into the cooling deep waters of the Wairoa Stream. The confidence this gives children is immense.

Our house, Ahipara Surf Breaks was in a superbly elevated position overlooking the golden beach. Much of the house was glazed panels that led out on to a deck with a view; a good place to enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, despite the fact that we were buffeted by strong, warm winds coming off the sea. It was too windy for us to have a BBQ, so we resorted to the restaurant across the road where good food was available. We were able to sit outside on the deck, because, as soon as we made the decision to eat out, the wind dropped.

The following morning, while the ladies enjoyed a beachfront coffee, John and I hired quad bikes for an hour from Ahipara Adventure, a company that provides a wide variety of associated activities. It looked like a pretty big company on the web, but, when we went to pick up our quads, they were operating out of a shipping container. Not as grand as we imagined.

90 Mile Beach is a recognised highway and cars, even buses, travel along it. You cannot take hire cars on to it, hence the need for John and me to take advantage of the quad bikes. I don’t think I have ever driven one before but it proved to be really easy and a huge amount of fun. We sped along the firm sands at about 70km/hr, although it felt faster because of the wind blowing into our faces. After about half an hour, having travelled some distance, we turned around and headed back. I would have liked to have driven through the water’s edge but we had been instructed to keep out of the water. Shame. By the time we returned the bikes we were glad we only hired them for an hour. Another hour may have proved quite uncomfortable. Great fun! I want one!

Afterwards we drove the length of 90 Mile Beach (it is actually 88km long!) on the parallel road, up to Cape Reinga, the northern most tip of New Zealand, where oceans meet. We had hoped to have a picnic lunch on the cliffs but we soon learned that we were not allowed to take food beyond the car park. Lunch consumed, we headed for the lighthouse and classic finger post on the cape. There are a number of stunning beaches on either side of the headland, all deserted. Beyond the cape the sea was turbulent as the Pacific Ocean currents met with opposing currents from the Tasman Sea. It was one of those places where you could have spent hours sitting on the clifftop soaking in the view – it was magnificent.

But we had to drag ourselves away, for a few kilometres to the south, at the northern end of 90 Mile Beach are the huge Te Paki sand dunes about 10km long, 1km wide and as high as 150m. We just wanted to see them but these dunes are a playground for sand surfers. Walking on soft sand is very tiring and difficult, particularly when the sand is very hot from the sun. The souls of your feet feel the urge to move quickly while the lungs protest and want you to slow down.

On the way back to Ahipara we did a quick supermarket sweep for dinner, while Angela went to another shop to buy a hat to give her some protection from the sun. When she returned, with a bright red hat on her head, she looked like a match!

The following morning we took to the road again for the short drive across the peninsula to Paihia, taking time to visit the Ancient Kauri Kingdom at Awanui. The Kauri tree is an ancient tree that can live for up to 2000 years. Many, when they died, collapsed into wetlands and lay hidden for hundreds of years more. When they are retrieved, and dried out, the timber is still in perfect condition and many fine pieces are made from it. The showroom has a spiral staircase going up through the inside of a trunk, while a table in the showroom was priced at $28,000 (c. £14,000). It was incredibly solid and heavy. Some retail therapy did take place but nothing as bulky or as expensive as the table.

Arriving in Paihia, we just had time to check in to the Kingsgate Hotel before going to the jetty for our “Hole in the Rock” cruise. The cruise, as well as being a scenic outing, also gives us an insight into the history of New Zealand. The Bay of Islands is where Captain Cook first set foot on New Zealand, where the first, not always pleasant, encounters with Maoris took place, where the first capital was with the small town of Russell and where the Whaitangi Treaty was signed on February 6th 1840. The treaty was the founding document for the government of New Zealand, where the Maoris agreed to share the land. In reality it favoured the white settlers at the expense of the Maori population as there were discrepancies between the English and Maori versions.

From Russell we sailed to Motuarohia Island, also known as Roberton Island. It is the island that Captain Cook chose to anchor Endeavour off and where there were skirmishes with the resident Maori. History lesson over, we sailed out to the hole in the rock, an arch feature on the outermost island of the 140 islands that make up the Bay of Islands. We edged closer and closer to the arch, gauging the swell of the sea to ensure that we got through without hitting the side of the boat.The gap on either side, between boat and solid rock was not great but we made it through unscathed.

On the way back we visited Urupukapuka Island for an hour, giving us time for a quick swim and a walk up to a high point that gave us a more expansive view of the islands dotted in a turquoise blue sea. After an hour we returned to Russell, where we decided to alight so that we could explore this quaint former capital with fine examples of colonial buildings. We took the ferry back to Paihia for our last night in Northland. Tomorrow we would hit the road again with a 420km journey round to the Coromandel.

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