Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga
We are heading out to the winterless north. First stop is Puketi Kauri Forest to check out some of the Kauri trees that are dated back some 2000 years, they used to be cut for boats and timber but are now preserved as they take sooo long to grow!

We head to Cape Reinga where the two oceans meet and the light house stands to mark the most northern spot in NZ. The Maori consider this a sacred spot as legend tells this is where spirits pass into the next world via this tapu(sacred) place. WE head over to Tapotupotu Bay for lunch and a swim at a beautiful beach.

We load up and head over to the quicksand river at Te Paki stream, notorius for eating cars and buses...we power thru at high speeds and reach a spot at the base of the sand dunes where we can sand board!! We grab boogie boards and climb to the top and then hop on and speed to the bottom!!!!sweet dunes!!

We drive out onto the beach...90 mile beach..and start driving down the beach...we pull down into the waves and then circle back to test the sand and see if we can park and get out...seems safe, we park and head down to the surf with a bucket and collect a whole bucket of shellfish and open and eat them right there...we hop back on and keep driving...the beach goes on forever and we keep driving, we see noone for the longest time..so incredible. We come across the prints of a herd of wild horses just up ahead of us..we speed up to try to catch them but they disappear over the dunes before we catch up. We drive down the beach for some 50 miles before we head up and off...amazing...when there are storms you can see all the cars that are buried beneath the sand on the beach...apparently it happens quite often!!

We head down to Mangonui and eat fresh fish and chips on the water and then back on the road. Passing Whangaroa harbour and heading back thru Kerikeri to Paihia. Another night at the Pipi Patch.

Today we take the ferry over to Russell to spend the morning and early afternoon investigating the now quaint village. Quite tame from it's harsh reputation of yesteryear. Back to Paihia in time to catch the afternoon kiwi with Andy back to Auckland.