Top of the North
After Vandalf’s little episode, I was a bit nervous to stop in case we didn’t start again so did a good hour of driving around before stopping off for supplies in Kerikeri. I managed to get a bit of life admin done too and finally picked up my New Zealand bank card from ANZ. They said I should test it out so found my self a music shop and picked up some CDs for the Van, giving me great company on my trip to Pukenui with Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin.
There wasn’t much site seeing that day, just a lot of driving so after my quick microwave meal at the campsite I got a good night’s rest and left before 9am to make my way up to the Giant Sand Dunes! I managed to pick the windiest day for it so I didn’t actually hike up the sand dunes but did park up and venture down a pretty forest walk to them and saw a few people boogie board down them which was quite the site. The drive was beautiful and the closer I got to Cape Reinga the more I had to pull over to take in the scenery (and let faster vehicles pass).
I made it to Cape Reigna by Midday and wish I could have spent longer than the 2 hours there. The walk from the car park to the lighthouse was incredible. It was a sunny day but the wind made the waves that much more impressive where you could see the two oceans clashing. Where the Tasman sea meets the Pacific Ocean. I could have watched that all day! There were quite a few people and everyone wanted photos with the big directions sign and lighthouse (including me) but I was mostly fascinated by the ocean and the Pohutukawa tree (the spirit tree), which is believed to be over 800 years old and is where, according to Maori history, the spirits of the desceased Maori leap from the tree to the ocean to return to their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki.
I honestly can’t put into words how beautiful the views of Cape Reinga were around me. If I had longer and was more confident with Vandalf I would have stayed down at one of the freedom camping sites off one of the beaches and witnessed what I’m sure would be the most beautiful sunrises to see. The roads were narrow and windy but I did manage to make it down to Toapotupotu Beach for a little walk and braved the spider friendly toilets.
By 3pm I made it back down to Houhora where I got a famous Honey Bees Fruit Ice Cream, Coffee and Pie. I had no idea where I was going to stay for the night but saw a few options in Kaitaia where I also stopped to finally pick up an air fryer. It was dad’s idea and I thought it was silly at the time but it’s one of the best investments for Vandalf and he hasn’t let me forget it. The campsites there however were a no go, so I grabbed a KFC and checked my map to see that I wasn’t far from one of my favourite sites – Ahipara! Making it back to watch a stunning sunset off the 90 mile beach, I thought I might as well see the weekend out there which was a brilliant plan as I was exhausted! Turns out driving and site seeing can make you quite sleepy. I was so tried that I went to bed by 6pm the next night and was awoken by an excited camping group shouting something about the Auroroa Borealis. Thanks to my slow shutter mode on my phone I got to see what all the fuss was about! I spent the next day cleaning out Vandalf – where I discovered I have a beach umbrella under the bed and another 2 camping chairs, one of which says “Yeah Nah” on. After a day of organising and reading I thought I should make a rough plan of where to go next and settled with seeing the Doubtless Bay.
I made it over to Maitai Beach for a short period. It was a beautiful day and on my way there I got a call from a friends with some further bad news on their situation. I spent an hour on the side of the road speaking with them with my windows rolled up because of the wasps outside and forgot to hydrate which contributed to my weird mood when I got to the beach. That and the fact my friends were going through things back home and I wasn’t there to support them and I believe I got a little blue and homesick, or at least friendsick, if that’s a thing. I didn’t feel like freedom camping at the beach area thanks to the poor signal and ended up finding a Top 10 in Whatuwhiwhi. The staff were lovely and got me signed up for a membership so I could save some dollar on my holiday park stays and get discounts from local businesses. I had a long, cool shower to refresh and drank a good 6 litres of water, plus had WIFI to chat with my friends from home as well as my folks who made me feel less blue. A little walk along the beach didn’t hurt either. I woke in a better mood and started my day with a beautiful walk at the Taumarumaru Scenic Reserve on my way back to the Bay of Islands.
