From Waipu, we continued our journey North to quite a large town called Whangarei. After two weeks under canvas, we spent a much needed evening in a hostel, taking full advantage of the hot showers, comfy beds and cooking facilities! Our stay in the town was short, however we still managed to fit in a nice walk to a Kauri Park ( the Kauri is an ancient New Zealand tree that grows to a collosal size), as well as exploring the bustling shops and cafes.
The following day, Pip left the group for a couple of days to visit a friend in a nearby town, whilst the remaining four of us went North again to a tiny little place called Whananaka, where we camped in the grounds of primary school. Our tent was just a couple of yards off the beach, and looked out onto the longest footbrige in the southern hemisphere! COOL! During our two day stay, we followed a nice coastal path which lead to a memorial site commemorating a group of lifeboat men who had perished at sea after their boat had capsized. The route was very picturesque, and we passed lots of completely isolated white sandy beaches. There are so many beaches over here you can pretty much have one all to yourself...it's great!
This morning we have left Whananaka, and have now reached a place called Paihia which is right in the heart of the Bay of Islands. Have only just arrived so not had too much time to explore yet, however on first glances it looks beautiful! Will write more soon when I've had chance to properly look around!
Missing you all and wish you were here! xxx
