Back Among Friends

Kerikeri is a small town with a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and just the right amount of trendy shops. Unfortunately we did not spend as much time in Kerikeri as we wanted to because the weather took a turn for the worse. In addition to wandering down main street our visit there included a stop at the Stone Store and the Kemp House (New Zealand’s oldest stone and wood buildings respectively) and a drive out to Rainbow Falls.

From Kerikeri we drove south to Kawakawa to take a look at the Hundertwasser toilets. After our brief bathroom break we continued down State Highway 1 to Ruapekapeka (translates to “the Bat’s Lair”) which was the site of the last battle in the Flagstaff War between the Maori and British. Ruapekapeka is significant because it was the first defensive site the Maoris built to include trenches, bunkers and underground tunnels connecting buildings.

After enjoying the history lesson, we got back in the car and headed to our evening destination of Otamure Bay. We had a cozy night in the car while thunder and lightning raged around us. The weather had improved in the morning so we took a short walk before heading south along the east coast. Around every turn there was another small town that we could retire to and there were so many incredible white sand beaches along the coast that we soon stopped taking pictures of them. We made it to a small brewery in Whangarei for lunch before heading south and back to the east coast.

We made it to Mangawhai Heads and were having a picnic dinner when Jenni spotted some dolphins that were cruising along the coast. The light of the setting sun reflecting off the dolphins’ backs made for a memorable meal. After eating we headed into Mangawhai to spend the first of three nights back among friends. The next day we drove further south along the east coast with stops at the wonderful Matakana Saturday market and beautiful Anchor Bay. By the evening we were in Helensville to watch the All Blacks play France (the All Blacks dominated) and enjoy another relaxing night with friends. Last night we had our third incredible meal in as many days with the family we worked for. It was wonderful to see everyone again even though it meant saying more goodbyes.

Our next stop is going to be the Coromandel Peninsula.

Bay of Islands and the Far North

It has been a busy week on the road. There was so much to do in and around the Bay of Islands that we ended up staying a couple of nights in Paihia. On the morning after the rugby match we went on a walk that took us around a small part of the bay. We journeyed along the beaches and cliffs from Paihia to Opua, took a ferry from Opua to Okiato and then followed a trail through the bush, mangrove swamps and paddocks from Okiato to Russell. There is a lot of European history in this part of New Zealand because it was where the Europeans first landed. Okiato was the first capital of New Zealand and Russell was the first European settlement.

Russell is a town of contradictions and so much character that it sucks you in. In its heyday Russell was a fishing and whaling town with drinking establishments and houses of ill repute to match. At one time the town was referred to as the “Hell Hole of the Pacific.” It was so bad that Charles Darwin made a contribution to help establish the local church, now the oldest in New Zealand. We had a drink at the local fishing club and then meandered around town before catching the ferry back to Paihia.

The next morning we went on a boat tour of the Bay of Islands. The tours include dolphin viewing, a trip out to the Hole in the Rock and a stop on the largest of the islands in the bay, Urupukapuka Island. Our tour was one of the luckier ones because we got to see dolphins and orcas and our boat went through the Hole in the Rock.

After lunch we went to the Waitangi treaty grounds where the treaty between the Maoris and European settlers was signed. We saw a cultural show and took a tour of the grounds. It is one of those places that you can feel history in the air.

The next stop on our trip was Pukenui. The family we worked for had some friends who live there and they were nice enough to let us crash at their house. From Pukenui we were able to do a tour of the Far North in one day. We stopped at Cape Reinga, Tapotupotu Bay, Te Paki Dunes, Spirits Bay and Te Hapua before returning to Pukenui. There is so much to say about each place that we stopped, but I will try to cram the important bits into one long sentence. Cape Reinga is where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean come together and the Maori believe spirits depart the land, Tapotupotu bay is a nice campground in a sheltered bay, Te Paki Dunes are the larges dunes that we have ever climbed, Spirits Bay is a beautiful spot with an incredible stretch of protected beach covered in small pieces of shell and Te Hapua is the northernmost settlement in New Zealand.

The incredible hospitality of Kiwis continues to amaze us as what was supposed to be a one night stay in Pukenui ended up turning into a four night guided tour of the area. The couple we were staying with took us to their local fishing club, over to 90 mile beach, south to shipwreck bay and into the gum fields around Ahipara. It is a remote area, but with such incredible hosts we were busy every day. We also learned a lot about their travels throughout New Zealand and got some local tips that we can use on the rest of our trip.

After saying goodbye, we headed south to the Karikari Peninsula and set up camp at the Maitai Bay campground. It was the most gorgeous backyard that we have ever had. We only stayed one relaxing night on Maita Bay before heading to Kerikeri. We picked a local hostel to stay in and went out with the hostel owners to the local pub for the Japan vs. Tonga match (Tonga won). Today we hope to do a little exploring in Kerikeri before heading south again.

On the Road

Our first day on the road was not much of an adventure. We did some shopping near Auckland to get the supplies for our trip and then headed north. Our first stop was the Uretiti campground. When we got to the campground we spent some time cursing the fact that we had not gotten a van that would have more space before figuring out how to cram ourselves into the back of our station wagon for the night. We got it figured out just in time because it began to pour. We could hear the rain pounding on the roof for most of the night, but thankfully there were no leaks (thanks Gary!).

The following day we drove to Whangarei and went out to Whangarei Heads for a short hike. There were some stunning views and the water was such a wonderful color of blue that it made us want to jump in. We spent the night at a quiet hostel near Whangarei called Little Earth Lodge.

We started early the next morning by taking a short hike to the caves around Little Earth Lodge. The caves are full of glowworms that make it seem like you are outside on a starry night when you are looking up at the cave roof. After the caves we left Little Earth Lodge and took another short hike to Whangarei Falls. They are supposed to be the most photogenic falls in New Zealand, but our photography skills must be a little lacking because our photos do not do it justice. Our next stop was downtown Whangarei. We wandered around until it was time to go to the Tonga vs. Canada rugby match that was part of the Rugby World Cup. Canada ended up pulling the biggest upset of the tournament so far, 25-20. We think it is because they had sasquatch on their team. After the game we took a late night drive to a hostel in Paihia called the Pickled Parrot.

Saying Goodbye

The best part of traveling is meeting amazing people and forming friendships that will last for the rest of your life. The worst part of traveling is saying goodbye after you have made those connections.

We arrived in New Zealand 5 short months ago and within the first couple of weeks we were introduced to the ranch that would be our home for the next 4+ months. We were excited to meet new people and experience things that were outside of our comfort zone, but we did not expect to be so readily accepted at our home away from home. It was incredible how quickly we became a part of the family and the neighborhood.

Our time on the ranch has been everything that we hoped it could be. We have learned a lot and experienced things that we could not have experienced anywhere else. Jenni helped with the children, the cleaning and even did a little bit of work with the lambs. I mainly worked on a bus that was being converted into a motor home and building a new house. We also visited the nearby beaches and were introduced to all the local spots around Northwest Auckland. Even though we are excited to continue our travels in New Zealand, we are sad to be leaving such a wonderful place.

P.S. We watch the opening ceremonies for the rugby world cup from the top of the ranch. Much of New Zealand is now wrapped up in rugby hysteria.