The tip of the North!
Trip Start
May 06, 2006
1
64
81
Trip End
Mar 23, 2009
Auckland,
New Zealand
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Anyway, moving on from my last stop in Auckland. That night we decided to go for happy hour in the bar - we managed to squeeze in 4 drinks in that hour and were a little tipsy when we started the quiz. We were useless and realised this very early on so decided to give up and drink more! Lisa and Geke went to bed around midnight but for some odd reason I stayed until about 2:30am! I'm not entirely sure of the names of my new friends for the evening and I won a t-shirt for doing something related to the quiz... I nearly missed the bus in the morning but luckily Geke woke me about 10 minutes before we had to leave. We were still drunk on the bus and decided that we would never ever do that again when we had to get the bus early the next morning! Bad move!
We pretty much headed straight to Pahia from Auckland (leaving at 7:10! What?!) and the rain had finally decided to leave us! Thank god for some sunshine! Lisa was flying home so we left her in Auckland and Geke and I were so hung over that we just spent the day eating and watching movies. Just what we needed! On Saturday I decided that I would take a cruise around the bay of islands. I was torn between a sailing day or an overnight cruise but picked the over night one!
We headed out around 5pm and saw lots of dolphins along the way - god I love those animals! We weren't allowed to jump in which was slightly gutting but it was cool to see them! We then docked up around 8pm and had lots of yummy food before heading out on a night kayak. It was freezing in a bikini but a lot of fun! We just paddled around and out of all the light so we could see the phorescence which was awesome! I really wanna go on another night dive so I can be swimming in it! That would be so cool!
We headed back to the boat after about an hour and we all decided it was a good idea to jump in! God knows why - we later found out that the water was only 15 degrees! Yes, we're insane! It took us about 3 hours to warm up in front of the fire where we chilled for the evening (although we had to give it up after a while to let the other group sit in front of it after we'd told them they had to jump too and it wasn't that cold!!). Then it was off to bed.
We had breakfast at 8 and then went around to a few of the islands. There's just something I love about being on islands with no roads and that are only accessible by boat! There are 144 islands there so we obviously didn't visit them all but we saw some of the most beautiful ones. After lunch we headed to army bay/Motorua Island where we got told lots of stories, got to sunbathe (yes, I got burnt due to poorly applied sunscreen!) and me and a Canadian girl did a very tough kayak against the wind! After a day of mostly relaxing we headed back to the mainland around 3pm. It was a great cruise and one I'd definitely recommend - away from all the big groups that I hate!
On Monday Geke and I left for the trip we had booked to the tip of the north island - Cape Reinga and the 90 mile beach. I have to say that this is possibly the best thing I've done since I've been in New Zealand! We stopped at a Kauri forest on the way where I got to hug a tree and then made our way to the beach.
It's so weird but the beach is actually an offical highway. In the summer they have traffic cops on there and everything! Needless to say, driving along on sand in a big bus was pretty damn cool! We skidded around a little which got the adrenalin pumping and we couldn't stop where the waves were coming in for a risk of the tyres sinking in too far. We drove past a wreck that had only been there a few days and was a total mess - rental car companies won't insure people for driving along there 'cos it's a pretty regular thing for people who don't know what they're doing. It was a pretty bumpy ride - especially for us 2 idiots who sat on the back seat. Geke's screams had the bus in stitches!
We stopped at a little island that's fully submerged in high tide and Geke got a cool picture of me jumping off a rock. She then decided she wanted one so did the same thing... only she managed to send her flip flying over the cliff never to be seen again! Thinking of it still makes me laugh! The best part is I didn't even take the picture in time for her to be in the air and just at the side you can see the flip flop flying away! Priceless!
We then headed on through quicksand (!) onto the giant sand dunes. We had to climb up them to sand board down them which was REALLY tough! I thought I'd only go down once before I had lung failure from climbing up but I did manage to make it a second time - they were seriously steep! My first trip down I managed to fly off my board after it got fast and consequently have a pretty bruised shoulder. My second try was far more impressive and I got right to the bottom and went through the little stream that was there! Brilliant! Of course I ate a lot of sand and was then soaked but it was well worth!
After that was on to the tip of the north island - a Maori pa site called Cape Reinga. It's where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet and it's beautiful up there! A little windy but beautiful. We took a walk to the lighthouse so I can now officially say I've been to the northern most part of mainland New Zealand! On for lunch and where a bird kindly pooed on me and then more driving to get dinner before heading back to Pahia.
Yesterday we travelled back to Auckland via a few places. We stopped to see yet another (bigger) Kauri tree and then in the little town of Opononi which was made famous after a lone dolphin used to come to the shore to play with the 1000's of tourists who came to see her! It was 50 odd years ago and it's still their only claim to fame! We watched a 'documentary' on it all (in which they said it was male and kept referring to him being gay much to everyone's immature humour. Of course they meant happy but we were in 12 year old mode thanks to the driver!) and then carried on to Auckland. We FINALLY arrived here around 5 and spent the evening in the bar having a few drinks - we actually had no intention of drinking and were just heading in to meet the bus driver for dinner but we arrived and had a free drink shoved in our hand! Great! We went to buy dinner and then back to the bar where we had yet another shot given to us! I like this country! A beer later and it was back to the hostel - which was a little too far out of the city!
Today I've been in contact with some old Becket friends, Craig and Kirsty, and Kirsty has VERY kindly given me free accommodation smack bang in the city 'cos she manages a hostel here! Thanks Kirsty! We're heading out for a pub quiz tonight and then I'll probably go to Waiheke Island tomorrow to have a look around! I'm not a huge fan of Auckland but I have to explore it while I'm here!
I think I'll stay here until Friday and then head down to Waitomo, Rotorua and Taupo to try for the sky dive again! Hope everyone is well!
