The Bay of Islands
Trip Start
Mar 30, 2009
1
5
8
Trip End
Jun 29, 2009
Russell,
North Island,
New Zealand
Monday, May 11, 2009
So after my return to Auckland I have some time left and decide to head up to the Bay of Islands, not quite sure what to expect but have heard some nice things about the place. Also Ruud en Marisch (aunt and uncle) have some friends who live up there so I decided to go and visit them. The drive takes a few hours and we stop off to hug a big fat tree. Sounds a wee bit bizarre I know But Kauri trees are very famous in NZ and they grow in a perfectly straight line and can be as old as 40,0000 years! Then just as we get to Paihia, the main village / town I catch the first glimpse of the bay and it is in fact spectacular! The waters are so clear and already lots of little islands are visible with boats bobbing up and down everywhere. I've agreed to meet the family in Russell where they live which is just a ferry ride across. When I get there however there is nobody there, so I wait a wee while but still nobody shows up! So I try calling a few times and no luck. So I find the one and only internet cafe and quickly send them an email letting them know i've arrived and hopefully to meet them tomorrow. It then turns out that the guy from the cafe is Dutch and when he finds out that I intend to spend the night in a hostel he offers for me to stay with him and his wife. A really sweet offer and as this is NZ also safe lol. So suddenly I find myself in NZ staying with perfect starngers - all part of the experience I guess. Later in the afternoon they drive me up to the house of the family where i'm supposed to be staying and Mark the father is there looking a wee bit surprised. Turns out they didn't get my final email and thus were not expecting me till the day after..!! But luckily it was no problem that I got there a wee bit early. The house is stunning, perched on top of a hill with views of hills and land on the one side and the most spectacular sea view on the other - really breath taking. We have a lot of fun over dinner that night as one of their boys actually saw 7 cars in a row go past a crossing - where they live that is practically a miracle and we laughed at how silly that actually sounds lol. The next day the older boy goes to school across the water and we drop the younger one off at the local school. They have lived here for sometime and he just goes barefoot like all the other local kids. Karin and I take the dog for a walk along the beach and she shows me around the village including a wee church which shows the remains of bullet holes as the Maori's fought against the European take over. That evening I try yoga for the first time, but I can't quite seem to get the breathing right or the ideas behind it....maybe pilates would be better suited....
The next day I go out for a 3hr boat cruise to see some dolphins and visit hole in the rock. It is not long before we spot some dolphins and they have fun playing around the boat - really awesome to see them so close by in their natural habitat. The boat then cruises out to sea and it is just breathtaking. Standing at the front of the boat all you can see are the bluest waters with the sun sparkling on it making it look like diamonds in the water and long thin white clouds stretching in the sky. Incredibly peaceful and beautiful. Then we get to hole in the rock - exactly what it says on the tin and we manage to get the boat through it. The boat then cruises back past all the islands with its many beaches and camping spots! Highly recommend this as a place to visit! On my last day Karin and I go far about a 15km walk through the woods, spotting more of NZ's native trees and plants and walking along stretches of the beach. My visit here has been absolutely wonderful and I can't wait to come back!
Heading back to Auckland I then head straight back to Taupo again to attempt the Tongariro crossing - a world famous one day hike, but unfortunately it is cancelled due to bad weather. And now I only have two more days left and then head to Fiji so my time here is up. I highly highly recommend a visit to this country to any of you who get the chance- you won't regret it.
I will write again from the Fijian paradise.
Love x x x x x
