Where to even start! This will be a big posting, I can tell.
Phil and Martha arrived on Tuesday the 19th of December and we have had an incredible visit. That Wednesday we visited, and played some cards, and did some unpacking of the care package that they had brought for us. Filled with all the things that we couldn’t find here, or the favorite bath towels from home that we couldn’t pack, or the board games that the kids most missed, there was an entire suitcase of favorites and early presents that will make help us feel more comfortable here.
The next day we set out for a drive to get to our 2 night stay in Kaitaia, very near the most nothernly tip of the country. The drive set out along the same route as when we visited Whangarei, and we wound our way through the northland countryside. There are sheep fields everywhere, and cattle farms in equal numbers. We saw corn and soy beans being farmed, neither of which I imagined here.
And we saw the same forests of ferns and pines, and baboo stands planted in many places along the roadside. Mom was amazed to see such bamboo, having never seen it anythwere else as common as in Japan. The farmers plant it in thick strips along the highways as natural noise fences and scenic blockades to the highway. There are often stands of bamboo 40 feet high, a meter deep, and hundreds of meters long. And no giant pandas in sight!!
We stopped for lunch after about 3 hours in the Bay of Islands. This is a lovely area of New Zealand, where Captain Cook named many of the islands and bays along his discovery route in the 1800’s. Now it is a major tourism and holiday retreat in the northland, boasting fishing charters, shopping, dive shops, and all the water-based fun you can handle. It is also a stop-off for people making the pilgrimage to the northern cape, such as we were.
We had lunch at a local pub across the street from the ocean, and enjoyed the fish n’ chips, New Zealand beers, company, and scenery. After lunch we walked along the wharf and saw the jet boats depart with tourists headed for the “hole in the rock” at 100 kph, top speed through a naturally carved keyhole in the laval formations that surround the bay.
The last hour and a half had us tracing the northern shore of New Zealand, in and out of small villages and bays, the most famous called “Doubtless Bay.” This was named by Captain Cook, as he entered the bay, and he wrote in his logbook that this is “doubtless a bay,” as opposed to the many other corners of the island he was exploring.
We went 3 km past the town of Kaitaia, towards the town of Ahipara, which sits at the base of the 90 Mile Beach. Our stay was at the Okahu Estates, vineyard and cottage. This vineyard was formed in 1990, as the owner decided he would turn his winemaking hobby into a business. The cottage was added a few years later as an attraction for the northern pilgrims and tourists, and has been receiving acclaim ever since.
So we stayed at this lovely 3 bedroom home in and amongst the vines of the vineyard. It was a truly magical experience to take my morning coffee and wander through the hills, feeling the warm sunshine and seeing this years crops taking place. Upon arrival we sampled endless varieties of their 3 labels, and learned some very interesting facts about wine making, corking, and even met a whole new flavor called chambourcin, which is a lovely red.
We had wine in the room, and then after unpacking decided to find the beach for sunset. The drive to Ahipara took only 10 minutes, and there was a strong wind blowing across the sand when we finally reached the base of 90 Mile Beach. It was truly like walking on the moon when we set out to see the surf at low tide. Sand spinning everywhere, cold wind blowing straight sideways, surf pounding in the distance. Mom and Dad set out for a wander and Crista and I stayed near the warmth of the car. 5 minutes and that was enough of that until the weather calmed the next day.
Off to the pub! We found a scenic overlook Bed and Breakfast with a restaurant and bar to watch the sunset over the surf. Magical again.
In the morning we set out to town to find the booking we had made the night before for an all day adventure to the (nearly) northern most tip of the country, Cape Reinga. This is the pilgrimage for visitors to the Northland, and is the site where the Pacific and Tasman seas collide. Our guide had a full day planned for all 6 of us, and we were not disappointed.
The first stop is at a Kauri tree souvenir shop. Kauri trees are the native tree that can grow to 1,500 years old, and the grandest of them all has a measured girth of 30 meters around!! The wood is beautiful, and in short supply, as the government has enforced forestation regulations to preserve the ancient treasures. The shop survives on the harvesting of timber that was felled in an historic event some 40-50,000 years ago. The amazing thing is that the whole northland is covered in this felled Kauri, and it is preserved perfectly in the swampy sand bogs between 5 and 20 feet below the surface of modern day.
The wood has not been petrified over time, but instead perfectly preserved, sometimes even with intact green leaves and branches. So the tourist shop makes souvenirs and trinkets out of it when they find it, and it is all very beautiful.
Our next stop is at a “Gumdiggers Park.” Gum is the sap of Kauri, dropped into the soil when the trees are injured. There are magical tales of Kauri gum’s medicinal healing powers, sealing qualities in roofs, adhesive qualities for joining, etc., etc. At one point in the early days it was worth nearly as much by weight as gold.
We were led through the bush where men were camped for decades digging up the felled Kauri trees and their fallen gum, in true frontier fashion. Science has decided that the whole northland Kauri forests were felled by a tsunami of epic proportions that was likely created by a meteorite of equally epic proportions. Parts of why they know this is that all of the trees found in the region are laying in the same direction…across the entire country.
This particular dig is family owned for generations, and the current owner has held on to the property and turned it into an education facility for scientist and researchers worldwide to understand the Kauri and ancient flora and fauna. It was a truly wonderful piece of history to learn about.
We stopped at a silica sand beach to enjoy the silky white sands and a stretch of the legs. Our bus driver was a Maori man, and he provided a running commentary the whole way, describing the regions that we were passing through. He spoke of the Maori history of the area, and the religious journey of Maori religion that takes place by passing up the 90 Mile Beach and to the point of Cape Reinga, where the traveler would be transported to the afterlife. Made us feel like we were part of a spiritual journey.
The Cape is wonderful, and we had lovely weather that day, windy as always but warm. We posed for the classic shot with the distance markers in all directions, and had a lovely beachside lunch. The most fun stop might have been the sand surfing! There are ranging sand dunes across the northern peninsula, and we went sledding down them at top speed! Not exactly snow skiing, but pretty cool none the less.
Our day trip was punctuated by a 100 kph trip down the 90 Mile Beach, on the sand at low tide. Surf pounding on our right, coming in unobstructed from Australia, and the thin remnants of the country to our left. Once in a lifetime journey!
We dined that night at the Beachcombers Restaurant, as they deserve a written mention for their excellent ambiance and fantastic food. Steak, squid, chicken, duck and ostrich were all wonderful. Back at the vineyard for canasta and more wine…
Saturday we migrated back south to Leigh to stay a night at the Sawmill Inn, where an old sawmill has been converted into a brew pub and inn. We enjoyed wood fired pizza and home brews in the old log factory, before visiting with Barry and Dee, our hosts of the first 10 days in New Zealand.
As a right of “Low Tide Pirate” passage we took mom and dad to the low tide beach nearby and made them dig for their dinner. 10 minutes produced 250 clams to accompany the steak and red snapper on the barbeque! A few wines later we retired to the living room for a guitar and banjo picking party, accompanied by a stand up bass and olde tyme bluegrass classics.
Christmas Eve found us back home, and then over to Crista’s boss house for another Snapper cookout and barbeque. Christmas day was lovely in the morning with presents and family time. Later we went to another of Crista’s co-workers for a proper pool party (swimming pool that is) with dancing on the patio in the sun. Sunscreen and beach towels for the kids this year were a first for sure!
The next couple of days saw us playing more canasta, visiting the local beaches for a picnic lunch, some shopping, a visit to the English pub here in town, and generally lots of visiting and games.
Mom and Dad left New Zealand on Friday afternoon with big smiles, tired feet, and (hopefully) memories of a lifetime.
