NEWS # 050
Hi everyone!
I leave for Picton at nine and head across country. At Havelock, I follow
the Queen Charlotte route to Picton. This takes me along the Sound and winds
along the shoreline. I wish that I'd filled up with petrol as the needle in
the dial indicates empty and am delighted when I make it, without running
out.
I buy some souvenirs and fish and chips and get to the ferry terminal
with minutes to spare.
Queen Charlotte Sound
Queen Charlotte Sound
Queen Charlotte Sound
Queen Charlotte Sound
Picton
Marlborough Sound - goodbye to the South Island
Marlborough Sound - goodbye to the South Island
I am travelling on the Lynx again and the journey takes just over two hours,
during which time I am treated to some great views of the Sounds.
Once in Wellington, I head straight for the motorway and the north. I
retrace my route up the East Coast, to Wanganui, that I'd done five weeks
earlier. The weather is good and I make good time arriving before five. I
check in and play the piano for the next few hours.
I shall head for
Auckland tomorrow.
the road to Ruapehu
the road to Ruapehu
Ruapehu - the volcano is huge
Tongariro - slightly smaller
I set off early the next morning on route for Auckland and stop briefly at
the Mount Ruapehu ski-fields, on the way past.
the road to Hamilton
As I approach Hamilton, I decide to head down to Raglan as there is no wind
and I might be lucky enough to get a surf. The run takes me thirty minutes
extra and as I arrive at the top of the headland, I am greeted with perfect
4 foot perfection, rolling to Manu Bay. I race down the hill and ten minutes
later am paddling out.
The leap off the rocks causes no problems and I have
some great waves, despite the 50 odd surfers in the water.
Raglan perfection
Raglan perfection
Raglan perfection
I then head to
Raglan Backpackers, who just happen to have a bed spare. The next morning
I'm in the water early and then decide to go to Paihia, three hours north of
Auckland, for the night. This will really be a high speed tour of Northland
but I'd very much like to see Cape Reinga in the north, having been to
Bluff, in the south.
I follow the motorway into Auckland and do some mailing, before heading
north, on State Highway 1. Passing the East Coast beaches and Whangarei, I
arrive in Paihia as it gets dark and check into the Mousetrap Hostel. After
dinner, I head off, with a few others, to the Swordfish Club, to watch an
Irish band and drink Guinness and very nice it is too.
Paihia is beautiful
and I wish I had more time to spend here.
Pahia and the Bay of Islands
My stay at the Mousetrap is great but they have the most out-of-tune piano
on the planet, bar none! The next morning, it is once again fine and I set
off early, on the long trip to Cape Reinga, in the far north.
It's 220 kms to Cape Reinga and I reach the halfway point, of Awanui pretty
quickly. I follow Highway 1, right to the end and the last twenty or so kms
are on dirt roads.
Eventually I reach the Cape and can see the Lighthouse in
the distance.
the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet
still miles from home
Cape Reinea lighthouse
..... and the Northern beaches
I walk to it and see the point where the Tasman Sea and the
Pacific Oceans meet. The weather has taken a turn for the worse and I dodge
the showers. Maori legend has it that spirits of the dead travel overland
back to Cape Reinga from where they dive into the ocean and return to the
mythical homeland of Hawaiki. The thought sends a shiver down my spine.
From here I decide that the only way back to Awanui, is to drive along the
sands of Ninety Mile Beach (actually 90kms long). Imagine driving down a
beach fifteen times as long as Saunton, in a standard car. I am very daunted
by the thought and set off along the track. I have to get onto the beach by
driving along Te Paki stream, which runs down onto the beach.
The water is
about ten inches deep and i have to keep going for fear of stalling the
engine in the middle of the stream.
Ninety Mile Beach
Eventually, I reach the beach and set
off. I have been told not to go on the beach within two and a half hours of
high tide or risk being forced into the soft sand and getting stuck. I have
no idea of the tide times and race along the beach praying that I will have
enough time. I think that the tide is coming in as the strip of wet sand on
which I am driving is getting narrower as I drive down.
Halfway down the beach I come across several people surfing at a rocky
outcrop but don't stop and risk getting stuck. All of the surfers have 4X4s.
After what seems like an age, I get to the end of the beach and happily
drive up the ramp off the sand. I am well pleased that I've made it and that
my car is still in one piece.
I drive to Awanui and visit the Ancient Kauri Kingdom, who dig up kauri logs
30-50,000 years old and make bowls and furniture from them.
I buy myself a
bowl as a souvenir.
Kohukohu back road
the Treehouse
I then follow the coast road through Kaitaia, to Shipwrecks Bay, a good surf
spot in Southwesterlies. The surf is small today and I take the back roads
to Kohukohu and The Tree House, my accommodation for the night. I settle in
and meet another couple who are also staying the night. We head off to the
pub later and watch the Rugby where the All Blacks lose to Australia with
the last kick of the match. I offer to be the driver for the night again,
with another long day ahead of me the next day.
Seeya,
Halesy
