Waipoua Lodge Dargaville Bay of Islands

... mit 18m Durchmesser.<br><br>Nach 2 Stunden Wanderung fuhren wir dann weiter Richtung Auckland, wo wir 3,5 h spaeter ankamen. Zum ersten Mal standen wir vor der Herausforderung, unser Zelt im Dunkeln aufzubauen - aber das ging dann irgendwie doch ganz einfach.<br>Das Hostel, in dessen Garten wir campen, hinterliess uns einen Schluessel im Briefkasten, denn eigentlich ist der Check-in nach 20Uhr vorbei. Bezahlung ging auch am naechsten Tag. Total vertrauensvoll und freundlich mal wieder!

... as far South as we could and that turned out to be Auckland. On the way we stopped and made chicken tikka masala (served from a bowl with a loaf of bread)! We arrived at about 9:10 to find the campsite very dark. A man eventually turned up and told us that they shut and 9, but to park up and sort everything out in the morning. This was ok until Danielle went to the toilet to find the door locked!!!

... amp; was occupied for centuries by competing Maori tribes. In the late 18th century, European explorers, Cook &amp; De Fresne, visited the Bay. Whalers, sealers &amp; traders set up bases there &amp; Christian mission stations were established at Rangihoua, Kerikeri &amp; Paihia. Trade in muskets made inter-tribal wars more deadly.<br><br>By 1830, the Bay was crowded with visiting ships. The trading centre at Kororareka (Russell) had an ...

... as a large snail in Ireland. We left the forest and got back in the van. A few minutes of driving and we were pulling up to another forest trail. This one led to Tane Mahuta, the father of the forest and the largest living Kauri tree in the world. We started walking the short walk to the tree and again before coming around the corner Taffri called out to the tree in Maori and instructed us to keep our eyes down to get the full effect when we rounded the corner. We were not ...

... me, the tree and Australia didn't exist. All was one - the energy existing everywhere simultaneously. For a while the clouds retreated and the stars were visible. A satellite also gliding across the sky. With threads of cloud streaking in front of the, close to full, moon we departed the forest area. Though not before hearing both a male and a female Kiwi calling through the darkness. They do both have different and distinctive sounds. It was a magical night which concluded at ...

... totally knackered and hungry, luckilty we had a few mars bars stashed away! (u never know when a mars bar can come in handy!!). Our room had no window which you wouldn't think would be a problem but it totally disorientates you to time and we woke up pretty late., which then puts you totally out of whack. I think we have learned that you really have to adjust to the time as soon as possible although that is not always easy ...

... Kauri tree) and visit a Kauri centre (Kauris are basically the New Zealand version of redwoods). First though, we stopped to call our rental depot to report our tap, which by now was completely broken. Unable to get through, we ploughed on but, on the hill up out of Waimamuku, the clutch (which had slipped once or twice before the previous day) gave out completely in a cloud of foul-smelling black smoke. Finding ourselves with no reception on our mobiles, I ...

... what happened to the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th - we don't know), Yakas (named after the Dalmatian that found him - and that's not a dog!!). This was possibly the best sight of the three trees we've seen, a grand walkway leading up to it and isolation meant it just looked awesome. We walked back through the bush on suspended walkways, passing a few people - some of which we'd met before at previous campgrounds and back to our van. Tracking back south we followed the signs ...

... tallest Kauri tree, that honour belongs to Tane Mahuta, growing in Waipoua Forest, but it was still good to see these magnificent and old trees. After the forest, we headed up to Ninety Mile Beach, which is not actually 90 miles long, but more like 55 miles. No one is sure why it was so called but the theory the bus driver had was that the farmers used to move their cattle from the top end of the beach to the bottom end of the beach. This would take 3 days ...

... I was having an epileptic fit. <br><br>At Roberton Island we were let loose to explore. It was a great hour climbing the hills and exploring the lagoons and rock pools before returning to the catamaran to tuck into some lunch and continue sailing around, lazily taking in the surroundings and picking out things we could see in the shapes of the fluffy clouds &#8211; something I hadn&#8217;t done in many ...