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  Tokomaru Bay, New Zealand
Thursday, April 21, 2005

The best way to see the East Cape is if you have your own car, as it enables you to stop at the many picturesque bays as and when you choose. Failing that, there aren't many other options. You can hitch hike. You can go on the 4 day Kiwi Experience tour that costs nearly $300. Or you can get a ride with Polly's Courier Service, which costs just $80 and you can get dropped off wherever you want, and take as long as you want. Obviously I chose Polly's, and they picked me up at Sycamore Lodge at 1pm.

It's fair to say that there were a couple of old Maori characters on the minibus, and I was the only tourist. Due to the non-existent public transport up the coast, Polly's also take locals to and from Gisborne. The old woman on board had great delight in telling everyone (a few times actually) that she'd bought some tapes for just $1 each. Before long, one of the said tapes was playing and of course, the old man started singing along

1. Tolaga Bay wharf

! It was reminiscent of a scene from my Grandad's regular haunt - The Brunswick in Bridlington!

The first place that I chose to stop at was Tolaga Bay, as it was home to an old disused wharf (the longest in the Southern Hemisphere apparently), the Cook's Cove Walkway (a 2.5 hour walk to where Captain Cook landed), and of course stunning coastal scenery.

As the place was so small though, there weren't any backpacker hostels and so Polly recommended the Tolaga Bay Holiday Park. This turned out to be a really cute little place in a perfect location, right next to the wharf and the start of the walkway. Whatsmore, I got to stay in a great little caravan all by myself, virtually on the beach! It got better - there was also a cabin attached to the side complete with double bed! It doesn't sound like much, but after spending so much time in cramped dormitories, this was heaven!

The 'town' itself (one main street with a supermarket, a pub and a couple of cafes) was about 3km away so I set off walking as I needed some food. The next thing I know, a van with 5 fierce looking dogs in the back pulled up next to me. "You going to Tolaga Bay" said the hillbilly looking guy, "Jump in." He was so friendly and as you'd expect, he knew everyone who we passed

2. Tolaga Bay

. I'd heard that the country folk around here were so friendly and welcoming, and now I'd seen it first hand.

After walking back from town, I spent the rest of the day just chilling out in my caravan and walking along the completely deserted beach, watching the sun go down and listening to the waves crash against the shore. That was the only thing you could hear, literally. There were no cars racing by, no people shouting, no music blaring out...yeah, Tolaga Bay was my kind of place.

I had planned to get up at 5am the following morning, but when the alarm went off, I had second thoughts! As nice as the caravan was, it was also bloody freezing, despite the fact that I was well wrapped up (sleeping bag, blanket, trousers, hat, gloves, hooded top and two pairs of socks). So I remained in my embryonic position for a further 3 hours and got up at 8am.

After yet another walk along the beach, I tidied up the caravan and was a little sad to leave. But before I got picked up, I had a few hours spare and so I did the Cook's Cove track. On the whole, it was a fairly easy walk, although there were a couple of steep climbs that caught me unawares

3. Cook's Cove

. It is becoming almost customary now to say that the scenery was spectacular, but it was! I especially enjoyed just sitting down on a rock on the edge of the Cove with the waves crashing beneath my feet...really relaxing. Once again, there was noone else around, and the only people I saw in the 3 hours were a group of 3 locals and 2 men who were doing work on the track!

When I returned to camp, I just chilled out on the beachfront and waited for my lift to arraive. I didn't have to wait long, but unfortunately the minibus was devoid of any interesting characters this time! Still, it only took about half an hour to reach my next destination - Tokomaru Bay.

This time there was a hostel, and it was a really cool one too. As it was situated on a hill, it provided clear panoramic views of the horizon...ideal for watching the sunrise. I spoke to the owner of Brian's Place, who strangely enough was called Brian, and he informed me that it happened at about 6.30am, not the 5am that I had predicted the day before! So this was too good an opportunity to miss and my alarm was duely set for 6am, just to be on the safe side.

The hostel itself was very laid back, and it suited me down to the ground

4. Sunrise view from Brian's Place

. There wasn't too much to do in Tokomaru Bay, but I really enjoyed just chilling out on the balcony, enjoying the views and listening to some of Brian's music on the stereo. I was staying in a unique place in the small loft that was really nice and cosy, and the window provided views of the horizon. Miriam, a German girl also sleeping there, agreed to get up with me for the sunrise.

When the alarm sounded at 6am, I had a quick glimpse out of the window and was a tad disappointed to see quite a few clouds hovering around. Even so, the shades of red and orange on show was amazing, so I got up and sat on the balcony as the sun slowly came into view.

Afterwards, I went for a lengthy walk along the beach to another old wharf at the end of the Bay. I braved the creaking, rickety boards and walked to the end, a little nervous that I might plummet into the ocean at any minute! Unfortunately, the dark clouds were starting to gather at this point, and so I made a quick departure and headed for home. I just about got back before the big downpour, and I spent the last few hours just relaxing, reading and playing with the two cats (Nelson and Fifty Bucks). It had been a really pleasant stay - Brian was a cool guy, there was a nice atmosphere at the hostel, and the views were splendid.

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