Cape Reinga

We have finally made it to the most northerly tip of New Zealand, Cape Reinga. It is marked by a lighthouse, which seems to be a common theme, as well as a yellow road sign. We are now only 18029km from London!

This site is very significant for the Maori. They believe that this is the place where all souls visit before leaving for the underworld. There is a rocky outcrop on which grows a single tree. This is where they believe the soul descends into the underworld using the tree roots as steps. Since this is such a sacred site, no one is allowed down onto the outcrop.

Up at the Cape is also where the two seas collide. The Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. They create breakers and whirlpools just off the cape. Watching it you can see why Maori would find this a spiritual place, like the end of the world.

It is weird to think that we have now been to the four corners of New Zealand. Most Southerly in Bluff, Most Westerly in Puponga, most Easterly at the East Cape and now most Northerly at Cape Reinga.

And how would you celebrate such a fete? Sand surfing at the Te Paki Sand Dunes of course. It was such a hard climb to the top, especially since it only took seconds to get back down. You just push yourself down onto your boogie board, and go face first down the dune. They tell you to steer by digging your feet into the sand, but it doesn't work like that. You just aim and pray!

It was a lot of fun, a bit hot on the soles of the feet, and I'm still finding sand on me and in my clothes, but a great day.

Summer is here!

After a beautiful stay at my Great Aunt Janette's in Whangarei for a week, we are back on the road. Exploring the Far North. We got off to a bit of a shaky start where it rained for 3 days. Not much to do here in the rain, but we did take a look at the Rainbow Falls in Keri Keri.

While here we also visited the Stone Store and Mission House. The store is New Zealand's oldest stone building built in 1832. Old!! We would think that young in the UK!! It is amazing to think that Europeans have only been in this country less than 200 years. And the Maori have only been here less than 1000 years. A very young country.

When the sun finally shone, it really did shine. The past week we have been beach hopping. The smell of suncream, sand between your toes and the warmth of the sun on your skin, you wouldn't think it will be Christmas in a few weeks. Stuart has been snorkeling in the sea. With a wetsuit though. While Shona has been in with just a bikini......very bracing!! :-)

The beaches are still deserted, we were lucky enough to be the only two at Rarawa. A wild dolphin came to the shallows and jumped in the breaks of the waves. After a few jumps it just then turned around and swam back out to sea. Such a special thing for us to witness, a wild dolphin just having a laugh and a bit of a splash.

Auckland

Auckland is HUGE!!! The roads are way to complex and fast for being in an old camper van. People totally bully you off the road! It's definitely a case of spaghetti junction here.

What always sticks out about Auckland? The Sky Tower of course. Back at work in Scotland I had the Auckland skyline as my PC desktop background and just had to see it for myself. What better way to soak in Auckland than viewing it from the observation deck of the Sky Tower! It is the highest man-made structure in the southern hemisphere. The way up is in a glass bottom elevator. Very cool! Although it makes you feel a bet queasy since it travels so fast (18km/hr I was told). 

From the top you get to see just how vast Auckland is. It stretches for miles and miles. And there are some glass panels that you can play about on, like Blackpool Tower when you are younger, and it feels so scary to walk over them! :-)

You can do a sky jump from the tower. It's a controlled base jump, and it looked very very tempting. But we just couldn't justify the cost. Everything is so expensive here, even the cost to park your car can make you cry! Auckland is just a fleeting visit, too crazy and expensive for us travellers lol

The Coromandel

Being in the Coromandel is like being on holiday in Spain. The weather has been unbelievable the past week or so. Hitting 20oC most days with beautiful sunshine everyday. I've been living in shorts and summer dresses this week, someone which I don't think I've ever managed to do back in Scotland!

The Coromandel has so many beautiful sandy beaches and coves. The roads are pretty winding but beautiful views to make up for it. We stayed in Whitianga and visited Cathedral Cove. It was a 40 minute walk in and pretty steep in places, but it was totally worth it when we got there. A fantastic domed cove roof, which gives it its name. 

We sat in the sand and had lunch, it was so like being on holiday we didn't want to leave and do the walk back up. If it was a bit warmer we would have ventured into the sea, but we might just wait another month or so before braving that!

We also went out to Hot Water Beach. So called because when the tide goes out there is hot water beneath the sand. A natural thermal pool. Stuart went out with spade in hand and dug himself in a little hot tub.

The water was way too hot for me so I stood in the cooler waters of the sea. It was sooooo busy. I couldn't believe the amount of people on such a small stretch of beach.

There was a group of friends there that had the right idea. There was about 10 of them, all with spades, and they dug out a massive pool to sit in. They even had food and beers to enjoy while taking a soak.

Stuart spotted a ray out in the water and managed to take a picture. I think it must like the warm waters too.

Stuart has been going on about this Hot Water Beach for ages, so I think he's pretty chuffed now that he's been.

We have also been working while out here! The Bird Sanctuary we were camping at asked if we were willing to do some jobs for them. He paid us $100 a day plus free accommodation so it seemed a really good deal. We spent two days on a quad and trailer pulling out dead trees, tons of leaves and hedge cuttings, and then burning it all on massive fires. It was easy work but labour intensive work, but definitely worth the money we were paid. Plus we got to see the animals on the farm and in the park as much as we liked. I loved the horses, and donkeys, and little rabbits, and a 'chook' that kept following us around, it was like a dog.

Further on up the coast we stayed the night at another farm on the way to Stony Bay. I got up early and helped the woman on the farm feed the animals. She had two lambs, two calves and two baby kids that all needed bottle fed. I loved doing it, I've been wanting to get close to a lamb since being here. And you can't getting any closer! :-)

In Coromandel we went to the Driving Creek Railway. A few people had told us about it and said it was a must do. It is a completely hand built railway that goes 3km up the side of a steep hill. It was all built by one guy. He originally built it to bring clay down from the hill to use in his pottery, but that was only about 500m up. The rest he built for fun! Because he liked railways!

The carriages are so small because the track with its tunnels and bridges is so narrow.

It's a very cute little train journey to the top where there is a lookout.

And then the return journey back down. It took an hour and was well worth the small charge. The guy who built it is now 77 and still making pottery on site. He takes no money made from the train. The staff are paid and then the rest goes to conservation. The land surrounding the track has been planted as native forest, including 9000 Kauri trees. He's a very passionate guy!

East Cape

On the East Cape of New Zealand, at the furthest point you can go, there is an old lighthouse. We walked up to this lighthouse at 4 in the morning...why you ask? To see the sunrise. It is the first place in the world to see the new day sun. It is the first land out from the Date Line. The sunrise was beautiful, some clouds covered it a little, but it was still a beautiful thing to do and see. To be the first two people to see the sun that day.

 

Rotorua

We have spent a good few days here in Rotorua, North Island's massive geothermal area. You can constantly smell the sulphur, rotten eggs, when in town but luckily we stayed in a DOC by a small lake 30 mins outside. The camp was actually a little flooded when we were there so they didn't charge to stay. Can't complain with 3 free nights camping!

We were camped near Tarawere, the infamous volcano that erupted in 1886. The village below was completely destroyed as well as most of its inhabitants. Unfortunately there were once beautiful pink and white terraces created at this site, but the eruption completely destroyed them. We went to visit Rotorua museum to see old photos of them, it's such a shame they were destroyed, I would have loved to take a dip!

The museum was first built as a spa, and has only recently been completed as a museum. It is such a strange building as it's in the English Tudor style! Very weird to see it here but apparently it was to appeal to the English in hope that they would come stay at the Spa.

We also experienced our first Maori culture by visiting Whakarewarewa. A thermal village where a tribe of Maori still live. 

 

Guides take you on a tour of the village, and show you the thermal pools where the village people bathe, their traditional meeting house and buildings, and the steam boxes built over the ground used to cook food. We tried some Hangi pie cooked in the box and some corn on the cob, very, very tasty!

There are also three active geysers on the site. We went out to the lookout and watched then blow, it was pretty cool.

The people in the village put on a cultural show twice daily, with traditional song and dance in Maori costume. I loved it! They even performed the Haka.

While there we also had a short lesson in the Maori language. They only have 13 letters! 12 of which are in the long full version of the village name above. She told us how to pronounce the vowels and little trip ups like when you see 'wh' it's actually pronounced as an 'f'. So at least now I can make a better attempt at pronouncing the places we are travelling through.