crazyscot

Paihia-Auckland

Not much to report today, it was spent on the road back to a motel in south Auckland, pausing briefly first thing at the Haruru Falls near Paihia (pictured). We took a devious route hoping to see some of the particularly fractal coastline of Kaipara Harbour. The landscape remains crinkly, and there were many good views today - some of them inspiring us to think of scenes from LotR, which I think is a vindication that Peter Jackson was right to film them here - but there were no good views of Kaipara to be had from our route.

Tomorrow we are on the road once more, heading south to Taumaranui, with a planned stopover in the Shire.

Continuing the theme of reviewing places we've stayed and things we've done, I am rather less positive about the Alfa Boutique motel in Paihia. Don't get me wrong, the room was adequate, but it failed to sparkle; a major minus point in the heat and humidity was that it was not possible to secure the room in such a way that it was ventilated. If I was back in the area, I'd fish around for another place to stay. I think accommodation in Paihia is much more of a seller's market than it is in, say, Auckland; on the Saturday night (summer; schools about to resume after the summer break; during the Waitangi Day celebrations) almost every place in town was full. On the plus side, the Alfa Boutique is only 40 metres from the beach, 5 minutes walk from the wharf, and yet still sufficiently non-central that we weren't disturbed by the thumping music we could just about hear from one of the night spots.

Finally, some other observations. We've felt very safe on our trip so far; the streets are clean, the cars and houses are generally well-maintained and good-looking. Bus drivers are real people, friendly, helpful and take pride in their work - a far cry from my recent experience of the UK.

The Far North

Today's activity was an interactive coach tour of the Far North. As we had set an alarm to make the 0715 pick-up, we headed out to the beach at 0630 to try and catch the dawn. Alas, we were unsuccessful; it was too cloudy.

Anyway. The bus tour lasted all day; the stops were numerous and varied (one might say slightly random, but they had their purposes). After picking up tea and pack lunches, the first real stop was a small park created around some old gumdiggers holes. The gum is the fossilised remains of ancient (20-150kya) tree sap; it can be used to make gumboots and other items in place of rubber, and as a feedstock for linoleum and related chemicals. As such the area was the location of a gold-like rush in the C19th; the exhibits show how the available mining and housing technology evolved during the time extraction was carried out commercially.

Onwards, via a kiwi traffic jam, to Cape Reinga for noon. This is the end of the road - NZ State Highway 1 to be precise, which spans the length of the country. I have no idea whether they have sponsored cycles and walks between Cape Reinga and Bluff, but having seen the madness of the average kiwi I'd be astounded if they didn't. The Cape is the meeting point between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean; there is a distinct colour change and (so we're told) some days a noticeable change in behaviour between the two bodies of water as they meet. There is also a lighthouse there, sitting rather awkwardly close to a sacred Maori site: on a promontary lies a lone kahika tree which is said to be part of the gateway from this world to the spirit world. The site is so sacred that it is tapu (forbidden) to eat or drink there; shame about the number of visitors carrying bottles of water (despite the signs), and I can't help but wonder what the Maori response was to the paheka building a dirty great lighthouse so close to the tree.

We went to the nearby Taputaputa beach to eat lunch (and swim in the Pacific, for those who wished). There's not much to report; next stop was the giant sand dunes at Te Paki, for some boogie boarding. This is a bit like surfing for beginners. First, you have to hike up an enormous dune in bare feet - 50 metres, perhaps, of 1-in-1 slope; painfully hot in places from the sun, and very tiring to climb (two steps forward, one step back). Then you lie face down on your board, lean just so, and away you go... Unfortunately my centre of gravity was wrongly placed on the board, too far forwards; I felt compelled to apply my brakes (my feet!) so as to not wipe out and risk breaking my neck. Perhaps given more time and practice I could have done a better job, but I didn't have the energy to hike back up for another go.

Then it was time for a highlight - the Ninety Mile Beach drive. Despite being underwater for a few hours either side of high tide, this is a designated public highway (although car rental contracts forbid it - it's a punishing road to drive on, risky from the rocks and there's quicksand in places). We also made a swimming stop on the beach. We were warned to take care as the rip is quite strong... he wasn't kidding. I went for a paddle and was surprised to be caught out by a wave causing the water to rise a few inches around me in a split second!

The penultimate stop was at a slightly tacky gift shop just off the beach which just happens to conveniently have a bus wash installed... the final stop was at the fish and chip shop in Mangonui. While I was partaking of their chips I noticed a certificate from the Telegraph on the wall proclaiming them as a winner of the NZ Best Restaurant category in their Best of British awards.

And then home. We got back about twelve hours after we had been picked up this morning. It was a very whistle-stop tour, but didn't feel rushed and allowed us to do more than had we been driving independently in the area. Well worth it. While there are several companies who operate similar day trips, this one in particular was run by Explore NZ and our driver, Craig, did a really good job of making us all feel welcome and part of the group.

Waitangi, Bay of Islands

We hadn't realised when planning this trip that we were going to be here in NZ on Waitangi Day, let alone 15 minutes walk from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds - but here we are. We walked along from the motel, stopping off to book activities for this afternoon and tomorrow. The setup was broadly one of a family fun day, as far as we saw: dozens of stalls selling all manner of stuff, punctuated by addresses from dignitaries, war canoes, marches and a 21-gun salute from the NZ Navy. Realising I had not brought any light footwear on the trip I picked up some cheap flip-flops.

We were flagging fast in the heat and humidity, and it wasn't yet noon. (It wasn't just us - we overheard many Kiwi accents grumbling.) Still, we had a few hours to rest, refresh and recuperate before we needed to be anywhere.

Mid-afternoon, we caught the ferry across to Russell - once proclaimed the "hell-hole of the Pacific" - to meet the tall ship R Tucker Thompson. This is not just a passenger ride (though I did partake from the bar, hence the title of this entry) - those who wish to help haul the sheets may do so, or even go out and stand by the figurehead or climb the rigging (with a safety harness, of course - times have changed). Yours truly took a temporary seat on the first of the upper booms. Getting there was surprisingly hard work and slightly disconcerting as the ship swayed (*nods to the climbers I know*), but ultimately very rewarding. It's a quiet secluded spot and I was in the shade of some canvas; I could have stayed up there all day. I'd like to namecheck our crew - Nick, Sophie and Michaela - as worthy of thanks and praise for a well-run, well-polished operation.

Out on the water you've got a cooling breeze - unfortunately while this takes the edge off the heat of the day, it affects the UV not one jot. Being close to the tropics and having such clear air[0], NZ regularly gets UV levels described as "extreme", 14 or so on the index whereby back home generally scores only a 5 or 6, even in the very height of summer. Despite using the local approved sunblock, I have caught the sun in places. I think this is my warning to use more of it, and more frequently..

[0] I had initially written "under the ozone hole" here, but apparently that doesn't affect most of the country - only the very tip of the south.

Auckland-Paihia (3.5h drive)

We bade farewell to the Acapulco Motel this morning to head north, to spend a couple of nights in Paihia and the Bay of Islands. For those who don't know, BoI is the place many Kiwis go to holiday; as the name suggests there are a handful of islands nearby.

As one heads north out of Auckland, the change in roadscape is phenomenal. The Auckland Northern Motorway gives way to the new toll motorway (enforced by ANPR, like the London congestion charge); there's a services area with a familiar sort of layout and setup. Yet the motorway then gives way, suddenly and dramatically, to a non-grade-separated single-carriageway more reminiscent of most non-trunk roads back home. The difference is that there is a bit more landscape to work around: there are short sharp hills everywhere, the road snaking its way around them with some exciting near-hairpins. There are regular passing lanes - particularly on uphill stretches - so there was no need to get frustrated at the inevitable trucks and slowcoaches; the traffic was also pretty well behaved in terms of temperament, much better than home.

They don't mess around with these roads here, do they? The lack of safety fencing focusses the mind; when there *is* a crash barrier you slow down even more because if *they* think it's dangerous, it bloody well is...

We stopped in Waipu to eat our sandwiches, and were amused to find a monument to the many Scots who settled this part of Northland. A Saltire was flying near to a park which proudly proclaims itself as the location of the local Highland Games.

A further detour came as we stopped off briefly at the toilets in Kawakawa, cameras at hand. I kid ye not, dear reader; the toilets are themselves a tourist attraction. They were created by the architect-ecologist Friedrich Hundertwasser. Colourful (described as "exuberant"), they feature bright colours, apparently-mismatched tiles, walls made out of glass bottles... quite a visual feast for what is a municipal installation in the center of a village in approximately the middle of nowhere in Northland.

After we got to Paihia and checked into the motel, we went for a drive in the local environs and were gobsmacked by the terrain. My internal monologue is running short on superlatives. Small tree-covered islands pop sharply out of the Pacific, in scenes I've only ever seen on the wall of the Wrestlers. C reckons they're photoshopped; if so the virtual reality programmers have pulled off a blinder this time. Personally I think the conclusion is obvious: Slartibartfast was moonlighting!