Northland in a Blur

(steve)

Got to catch up, got to catch up... We've been on the go with little time to spend on the computer in the past two weeks. It seems our little April Fool's post was warmly received though.

Our last week in New Zealand was spent in a whirlwind tour of the Northland peninsula and a few days in Auckland. First stop: the resort town of Bay of Islands & Whaitangi. This is the area where the Maori and English settlers ended up signing the controversial Treaty of Whaitangi that provided the basis for modern relations between the groups. Now, the town serves as a popular holiday spot for weary Aucklanders. Our weather luck came to an end with our arrival in Northland. The remnants of a tropical depression set in and proceeded to douse us with continual rain for the duration. The most interesting part of this visit was the Treaty house, that detailed the history of Maori/English relations during the Treaty signing. The rain also drove us to do more local wine and chocolate tasting. We survived somehow...




The second stop was Cape Reinga and the Kauri coast. We drove up to the Cape Reinga lighthouse at the tip of the North Island. This spot is sacred in Maori legend as the place where dead souls depart. We were treated to our only bit of sunshine the entire drive here. The sea was spectacular. Pacific meets Tasman, creating lots of turbulent waves.



The ride back down the coast included a stop at the large sand dunes near ninety mile beach. We were treated to a free session of "micro-dermabrasion" by the gentle ocean breeze (~30 mph). I think I still have sand stuck a few places.




Continuing down the coast, we stopped to visit the largest Kauri tree in the country known as Tane Mahuta. Think giant sequoia (that there General Sherman tree for instance) for scale comparison. It was majestic to behold with loads of smaller plants growing along the limbs.



The final night on the drive, at a small town called Dargaville, was highlighted by a cute doggie named Jack that loved to retrieve rocks.



Our final days in New Zealand were spent in Auckland. It was nice to see the city with some life after our first visit coincided with New Years (i.e. public hangover recovery day). Shops were open, people were walking around, traffic on the streets. Much better than the seeming ghosttown we saw the first time. We went to some new places like Waiheke Island and the Sky Tower to round out our experience.



Our day at Waiheke Island was eventful. Short synopsis follows. Steve buys day passes for bus system after being told they work on the island. Uneventful ferry ride. Bus passes not valid on island. Decide to walk to town for lunch. Lunch on beautiful beach. Decide to walk to wineries for tasting. Walk 7 km to wineries. Find out tasting costs $15 for 3 wines. Snort outrageously. Walk 20 minutes to next winery. Tasting costs $20 for 3 wines. Laugh at poor girl. Ask if all Waiheke wineries try to discourage people from tasting. Response: yes. Walk 7 km back to town. Officially tab Waiheke Island, "Wine Scam." The day was salvaged by a tasty meal of fish n'chips and kebabs. Our last meal in New Zealand.





Tomorrow it's off to the airport for our trip to Tasmania. Three months have whipped by and we have seen a lot of good stuff. Final drive tally: over 2000 km. Final walking tally: over 450 km. It's safe to say we've gotten our monies worth and feel like we have a true appreciation for Kiwi culture and landscape. We loved every minute and would do it again.