Bay of Islands

Trip Start Jun 15, 2008
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Trip End Jun 14, 2009


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Where I stayed
Hiace campervan
(Paihia hotels)

Flag of New Zealand  , North Island,
Monday, September 1, 2008

Collected our Campervan and set on the road by 11.30, picking up supplies in a supermarket then onto the Bay of islands. New Zealand roads are great and well signposted. There is a hell of a lot of road, drainage and watermain works being carried out all across the north island but the construction companies and the council workers would put our lot in Ireland to shame with regards to health and safety and signing lighting and guarding (except for Direct Labour of course- Maire pass that onto Mucky!) 
The speed limit in NZ is 100kph on motorways and main roads but the auld Hiace can't seem to reach that especially on the hills and mountains of which there are alot. The weather here sounds like the summer you had at home, apparently they've had the wettest August on record here.
It was evening time when we arrived in the Paihia near the Bay of Islands so we set up camp for the night.
Next morning we got up and mobilised. Our plan was to go sea kayaking on the bay but the waters were too rough so we took the cruise ferry to some of the islands with the intention to going out further and seeing the famous "hole in the rock" formation. Unfortunately the Pacific Ocean didn't want us to get to see the hole in the rock. The swells were too large and the ferry captain was afraid for all our safety so we turned around and headed back into the calm of the bay to see loads of dolphins. The option was there to go swim with the dolphins but the water was freezing and we weren't that stupid. Those who did nearly got hypothermia after.  
When we returned to Paihia we hit the road again for 90mile Beach to the north of the North Island.
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